Warnings? Announcements? Trial Runs?
Are we listening? Have we learned?
Or do we only see with blinders on?
Maybe we're like the proverbial three "monkeys" --
Hearing Nothing, Seeing Nothing, Saying Nothing?
The Emergency Broadcast System has evolved over the years from a Test Pattern to a scrolling announcement with a signature audio sound. Many ignore it as "just another" announcement that will "soon be over".
Have the years since the last medical incident been so long ago and far away that we do not place a priority on being prepared, planning for these challenges and even anticipating their arrival?
In 2019 the Medical Community planned for the wrong strain of the "regular flu" -- and now they're not prepared to handle this NEW "flu" invasion?
Let's take one incident that was reported but never really examined on the National News.
Who's questioning why so many came down with and died (and possibly are still dying) in the Long Term Care Facility in Washington State and allowed to report the deaths as "Old Age"?
Why no investigation into Long Term Care Facilities -- esp now that so many are going to Continuum of Care meaning providing living facilities across the spectrum of aging --
Independent, Assisted, Long Term and Dementia.
The Stats for this medical condition need to be accurate and that includes inside Long Term Care Facilities
How many are dying in other Long Term Care Facilities and their deaths, as with the LTC in Washington State has admitted, been reported as "death due to old age"?
And -- stating publicly that this "cause of death" has
been and is their policy for all deaths in the
facility.
Not heart attacks? Not Cancer?
Not other serious medical conditions?
Death is To Be Expected and usual...they'll tell you...in Long Term Care....
In reality --
People who reside in LTC are there for a reason --
it's usually because they cannot manage by themselves, the cost of "individualized care" is beyond their or their family's abilities or they have no place else to go or "someone" has convinced them that's "where they belong".
CHALLENGE: We have systems, like "The Ombudsman" -- called by other names in many areas -- that relies on "volunteers" and does not have enough people to "assign" any one person to any facility on a regular basis -- not even once a month.
CHALLENGE: There is no full disclosure or transparency and many of these are privately owned businesses.
It's a Call To Action we need to hear from those in positions where changes can be made.
LOOK, LISTEN,TAKE ACTION...It's an Election Year...Ask those running for election what they're going to do to ensure our elderly population is protected and supported
And a word to the Gen X'ers -- some of you are of an age where "they" (the medical community) could send you for rehab to a "facility" where elderly people also reside.
Maybe if you see, hear and feel when you're less than what you usually are you may begin to see "the light" of the real crisis in Long Term Care and work to change "the system" and "the laws".
The Bell of Awareness is ringing; are our headphones and earbuds on so well that we cannot hear the cries and calls of those we love, have loved and should love and care about?
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
Ombudsman: The Few, The Underqualified, No Real Authority
The organization that's supposed to oversee the safety and well being of individuals living in Long Term Care facilities is the organization known as the Ombudsman.
In Missouri, a few years ago, there was a "change of name" to VOYCE.
Created by Federal Law, like Medicare, it's administered by the States and varies from State to State how it operates, functions and what it does.
As with all these Federally mandated "answers" to the problems we've been experiencing in our "modern" society, the breadth and depth are also dependent on State as well as Federal funding, Grants and other resources.
And, as usual, this segment of "social well being" (many call it social welfare) is usually the last to be considered and the first to be cut dramatically when adjustments for other "needs" of society are made more necessary.
However, setting aside the funding, let's focus on the management and the choices made by the States in effectively applying and using the funds they have.
As with any "business" endeavor, its top down and bottom up with clear, concise and timely transparency that facilitate and increase the high level of effectiveness of a program.
Check out your own State's website; here's an example of the Missouri website outlining the "responsibilities" of the Ombudsmen. CLICK HERE for the complete page.
Here's a small selection of the content of the page and my comments for you to think about are placed in italics:
"The focus of the Ombudsman efforts is resident-initiated complaints.
"While complaints may be made on behalf of residents by other individuals, care is taken that such complaints accurately reflect the concerns of the resident. Complaints are received in the strictest of confidence."
Writer's Note: Complaints are received and also never made public, at least in Missouri.
THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY A NON TRANSPARENT SYSTEM THAT BELIEVES PEOPLE WILL REPORT "ANYTHING" AND "EVERYTHING"....
This means you and I have no way of knowing what "challenges" any facility is experiencing and since the focus of this group is to "mediate" and there's no real power or ability to ensure compliance to resolving a problem, they're often repeated and if yet another resident doesn't see, hear and/or report the neglect or abuse, it simply continues to happen and negatively impact Senior's quality of life.
MANY CONCERNS, PROBLEMS AND ABUSES NEVER REACH THE LIGHT OF DAY BECAUSE THE "OMBUDSMAN" PROGRAM IS SET UP TO "HANDLE THEM" and that includes not ensuring any report is generated that is available to the general public.
SUGGESTION:
"accurately reflect the concerns of the resident". Well, with Lewy Body Dementia or other forms of Dementia, how can you rely on the resident to even be able to remember what they called about when calls made on a weekend do not go to a Hotline but wait until Monday or even Tuesday.
How many residents of a facility even know their telephone number so they can receive a return call. If they do not have a cell phone, they have to understand the "phone system in the LTC that includes the main number and how to ensure the resident is given any messages."
Incidents happen during all hours and the office of the Ombudsman operates on standard business hours, Monday through Friday, closed on holidays and for many meetings -- at least in Missouri.
In our case, when we called on a Friday to report neglect and abuse for my dying mother, a recording announced the office was closed because everyone was attending a meeting and would reopen the following Monday.
As the message I left said, by that time my Mom would have died.
In Missouri, a few years ago, there was a "change of name" to VOYCE.
Created by Federal Law, like Medicare, it's administered by the States and varies from State to State how it operates, functions and what it does.
As with all these Federally mandated "answers" to the problems we've been experiencing in our "modern" society, the breadth and depth are also dependent on State as well as Federal funding, Grants and other resources.
And, as usual, this segment of "social well being" (many call it social welfare) is usually the last to be considered and the first to be cut dramatically when adjustments for other "needs" of society are made more necessary.
However, setting aside the funding, let's focus on the management and the choices made by the States in effectively applying and using the funds they have.
As with any "business" endeavor, its top down and bottom up with clear, concise and timely transparency that facilitate and increase the high level of effectiveness of a program.
Check out your own State's website; here's an example of the Missouri website outlining the "responsibilities" of the Ombudsmen. CLICK HERE for the complete page.
Here's a small selection of the content of the page and my comments for you to think about are placed in italics:
"The focus of the Ombudsman efforts is resident-initiated complaints.
"While complaints may be made on behalf of residents by other individuals, care is taken that such complaints accurately reflect the concerns of the resident. Complaints are received in the strictest of confidence."
Writer's Note: Complaints are received and also never made public, at least in Missouri.
THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY A NON TRANSPARENT SYSTEM THAT BELIEVES PEOPLE WILL REPORT "ANYTHING" AND "EVERYTHING"....
This means you and I have no way of knowing what "challenges" any facility is experiencing and since the focus of this group is to "mediate" and there's no real power or ability to ensure compliance to resolving a problem, they're often repeated and if yet another resident doesn't see, hear and/or report the neglect or abuse, it simply continues to happen and negatively impact Senior's quality of life.
MANY CONCERNS, PROBLEMS AND ABUSES NEVER REACH THE LIGHT OF DAY BECAUSE THE "OMBUDSMAN" PROGRAM IS SET UP TO "HANDLE THEM" and that includes not ensuring any report is generated that is available to the general public.
SUGGESTION:
"accurately reflect the concerns of the resident". Well, with Lewy Body Dementia or other forms of Dementia, how can you rely on the resident to even be able to remember what they called about when calls made on a weekend do not go to a Hotline but wait until Monday or even Tuesday.
How many residents of a facility even know their telephone number so they can receive a return call. If they do not have a cell phone, they have to understand the "phone system in the LTC that includes the main number and how to ensure the resident is given any messages."
Incidents happen during all hours and the office of the Ombudsman operates on standard business hours, Monday through Friday, closed on holidays and for many meetings -- at least in Missouri.
In our case, when we called on a Friday to report neglect and abuse for my dying mother, a recording announced the office was closed because everyone was attending a meeting and would reopen the following Monday.
As the message I left said, by that time my Mom would have died.
And she had.
Call the DHSS?
That's a call to our State Capital area and results in creating red tape that takes from a few days to a week to form a response.
Been there, done that.
Been there, done that.
Slaps on the wrist were what our facility received.
Even a recent fine of $8,000 wasn't enough to stop the neglect we still see happening and have decided a public outcry via this blog is the only real way to raise awareness.
Continuing from the written State of Missouri website above:
My experience is the contact with the Ombudsmen comes when problems ARE SERIOUS.
Continuing from the written State of Missouri website above:
"Investigation/resolution is not attempted without the resident's permission unless the problem affects a number of residents and can be approached in a generic sense without breaching confidentiality.
No problems is too big or too small for an ombudsman to deal with. Ombudsmen can often solve problems before they become serious."
My experience is the contact with the Ombudsmen comes when problems ARE SERIOUS.
When residents and those who support them have tried, often many times, to resolve issues and hit constant brick walls all up and down the lines or "chains" of command.
Where on this site or any Ombudsman site do they define "serious"?
Where on this site or any Ombudsman site do they define "serious"?
When someone dies or is seriously injured?
Let's think about this.
The clock is ticking, remember that.
A call is made.
Who is this person? Which facility are they living at?
What's their name and room number? Etc Etc.
I'VE WITNESSED THREE TIMES IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS where a local Police Officer has appeared at the front desk of the facility where Mom lived.
It's the same story each time: They've received a 911 call and someone needs help. They have no name, no room number, just a call for help.
Someone knows to call 911 when they need help so they dial.
On a facility provided phone, chances are they have to dial a 9 to get an outside line and then the 911 --
since these are people mostly on medications, with sight and hearing problems and who have cognitive (memory) function challenges,
they do not have the cognitive ability to make the call!
Please tell me why the Ombudsman is segregating its services in Missouri to be directed and meant "for the resident of Long Term Care." Many do not have the ability to make a call "outside"
ARE YOU SURE? What if they had no way to contact the Ombudsman Office and were being neglected or abused? Or they'd tried that number and got a recording which they could barely hear or follow -- just like the creative website that's great for many but definitely not designed for the people it's meant to serve -- many with few computer skills, little or no access to a computer
THE FACILITY ALWAYS HANDLED THE "CHALLENGE" the same way. They had no idea who made the call and no way of finding out who did.
AND SO THE STORY CONTINUES. Those making the rules and regulations, those who respond from the outside world, have no real authority or ability to give real and timely assistance or ensure the person who reaches out gets the right help, at the right time, in the right way.
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, If we realized living in a Long Term Care Facility is not a secure and caring environment no matter if they're For Profit or Not For Profit.
Vigilence and constant contact frequently and in many ways.
Ombudsmen work within the system to make the system work for residents. By assuming the role of an independent, neutral mediator in seeking mutually satisfying solutions to grievances, Ombudsmen make a significant contribution to living conditions for residents.
"A key in this program is the word "empower." To empower is to enable or permit some action. Ombudsmen should always look for ways to empower residents to help themselves. It would be ironic if this very system, set up to ensure that residents know their rights and maintain their dignity, became part of the problem. Mediating a situation is just as important a function as is being an advocate.
Let's analyze the content of this section:
How many residents of Long Term Care Facilities,the only level in the State of Missouri the Ombudsman Office has any authority to "oversee" have both the physical and mental ability to make this connectivity happen directly?
How many have the means to connect during the limited times the Ombudsman's office is actually open?
There is no Ombudsman "Hotline" serving the Long Term Care residents whom they're supposed to protect.
In other entries, we've outlined how limited the abilities are of many of the most vulnerable of our society yet we allow this "shell" of an organization, this "mediator" between the resident and the facility, to spend millions of tax payer dollars continuing to be ineffective.
On the Missouri site, mention is made of how an Ombudsman was able to get new teeth for a resident when she was being ignored by the facility.
MEDICAID PROVIDES ONE SET OF TEETH -- no matter how old the individual is and when they "received" their pair or how bad it is.
How many have the means to connect during the limited times the Ombudsman's office is actually open?
There is no Ombudsman "Hotline" serving the Long Term Care residents whom they're supposed to protect.
In other entries, we've outlined how limited the abilities are of many of the most vulnerable of our society yet we allow this "shell" of an organization, this "mediator" between the resident and the facility, to spend millions of tax payer dollars continuing to be ineffective.
On the Missouri site, mention is made of how an Ombudsman was able to get new teeth for a resident when she was being ignored by the facility.
MEDICAID PROVIDES ONE SET OF TEETH -- no matter how old the individual is and when they "received" their pair or how bad it is.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE EMOTIONALLY OR PSYCHOLOGICALLY NEGLECTED OR ABUSED IN A FACILITY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTACT THIS OFFICE?
In Mom's facility, unless you have your own phone (and if you do, you sometimes find your charger has "disappeared", especially if your someone who has "problems" with the facility, you rely on a telephone in your room and you must remember to dial a "9" before getting an outside line.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Legal Duty To Support Our Parents -- Many States Have Laws
Since beginning this Blog in 2012 my journey through aging, medical challenges, dementia, family challenges and personal survival, I've found my entries often move in directions I wasn't directly exploring at the time.
Chance, luck, fate, meant to be....take your choice. Whatever it is, I feel the need to share and enlighten because these life's journeys will most likely be one almost everyone at varying ages and life circumstances will take -- in one form or another.
I focus on a subject and start detailing or remembering what's happened or currently occurring and then use this amazing social tool called "the internet " or conversations in my community.
This leads to my discovering often startling information that causes me even greater concern for myself and others travelling this ever changing personal life road involving ourselves, our family and the community in general.
A "legal duty to support our parents"? Had no idea this existed.
Morally, I agree with this concept; however, in reality, I question a society that has to make this law and doesn't recognize the importance of medical care as a "right" for all ages and stages.
And, one step further, do you go to a store to purchase something without seeing a price?
We walk through the doors of medical services every day without a clear idea of what it will cost and without knowing what "the competition" charges.
Variable, you say. Depends on "what happens".
I can accept that for some medical services but not for those that are "standard" and that includes shots, regular check ups (and what that includes), specific laboratory tests and others.
We're at the "mercy" of the medical system. Yes, they provide "free" and "reduced" care but they also could be more "transparent" in the care they charge.
Medicare has deductibles and for many Seniors, that is a challenge along with costs for "above" their coverage levels.
...OR at the very least a full disclosure of the medical costs and the ability to compare services as one can when shopping for other goods and services.
This topic really grabbed me because during my Mom's journey through Long Term Care facilities she had post hospital stays in more than one facility.
I mentioned being given a contract to sign -- ME -- not her -- and in the many pages was a short statement that I would be responsible for her bill. I refused to sign. I was not in a financial position after my husband's medical challenges to take on costs I had no idea what they would include and how many thousands of dollars could accumulate.
They were a "multi state" operation and apparently their "standard contract" contained inclusions that may or may not have been "legal" in my state.
If I'd signed the contract....an attorney friend told me I would have been responsible and could have been sued.
Even for a "short term" stay of 30 days, since they determined the services "necessary" and create the "paperwork" (and who among us wants to deprive someone we love of "medical care" )-- this could have been money we needed for daily living (and it would have been) or caused us to possibly even sell our home to "meet our obligations".
Frightening isn't it? Our parents are growing much older and so are we. We are their children and at a time in life when our "resources" are limited or affected by our own medical and other life challenges it's possible we may be legally obliged to pay even when it could be a hardship.
Yes, the law states if you are "capable" but we all know that's an interpretation and depends on who's making the determination. At the very least, it can involve hiring your own attorney, time spent in this "legal matter" you don't have and money put out for your "defense".
Please note: I see no reference to a date when the information below was entered on the internet. Suggest reviewing to ensure you understand any and all updates, changes and additions of other States by going to your own State's information in this area.
Also, don't know if there's "cross responsibility" -- not sure how an adult child living in one state and a parent living in another will be affected and by which or both state's laws.
"States with filial responsibility laws are: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia."
Not every State has a law; here's the reference:
Filial Responsibility: Can the Legal Duty to Support Our Parents Be Effectively Enforced? by Shannon Frank Edelstone, appearing in the Fall 2002 issue of the American Bar Association's Family Law Quarterly, 36 Fam. L.Q. 501 (2002). Lexic.com
https://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/NOA/30states.pdf
Your obligation to pay a parent's nursing home bill is another resource to read:
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/your-obligation-pay-parents-nursing-home-bill.html
We took responsibility for my Mom's day to day living through being a multigenerational family where Mom retained all her Social Security and spent it when and where she chose and we paid all the "ordinary"expenses of living and some of her "extras" -- often providing additional money for her to travel or purchase larger items -- bed, furniture, room decor, etc.
This was how we lived from the time Mom came to live with us when our first child was three months old until she went into a facility through the actions of Julia I've written about in several earlier entries. That was almost four decades.
Mom had no property and no resources aside from Social Security and that was at a very low level as Mom was a very low wage earner.
We finally applied for Medicaid as it provided Day Care.
I was coping with 24/7 caregiving for two and Mom deserved to have a more stimulating and social lifestyle than we could provide when my husband was basically "home bound".
Most of his time after spending 100 days in the hospital, almost all in Critical Intensive Care, was in a medical bed with as many as four bags taped across his abdomen as his skin constantly broke open and the contents of his "processing" of what he could tolerate to eat dumped into the bags which constantly needed to be changed.
What if my state would have decided I "had" the ability since we had a home when Mom started needing medical care (before my husband had his medical challenges) and we were "held responsible" for her bills .....?
And then there's the consideration of the responsibility to care for "parents" and that would have meant, if they were living, two people for each of us, my husband and myself, bringing to our lives the "responsibility" of paying for care IF each of them could not pay or did not have assets or other means OR if we were seen as "having the ability"......
Where are we headed as a society?
What can we do?
This is not just a discussion among Seniors and their children.
GenX, Millenials and the GenZ's and those who come after are facing these challenges and they have no idea they exist, have no idea what "responsbilities" are being "thrust" upon them.
Each generation deserves to know more about decisions and practices that not only limit their daily activities and actions but also those in place that are silently and behind closed doors affecting the future they work so hard and often struggle to create.
Life happens. Medical expenses and other life challenges can take away what you've worked for decades to provide.
In a heartbeat life can change.
In a heartbeat you find out about laws and practices taking you from independence to interdependence.
It's a system that's only going to change when we realize how critical it is to watch, to speak out and to move forward along with positive change in other life practices.
You hold the keys not just at the Polls when you vote but everyday when those you elect or appoint, those who make decisions governing your daily life create these and other laws.
If you do nothing else, at least shine the light as I'm trying to do through raising awareness of what's "out there" and find a way to make a difference.
Raise your voice towards those who are heard and especially those who "control" your present and your future.
You are the key to the many locks in life you encounter.
Chance, luck, fate, meant to be....take your choice. Whatever it is, I feel the need to share and enlighten because these life's journeys will most likely be one almost everyone at varying ages and life circumstances will take -- in one form or another.
I focus on a subject and start detailing or remembering what's happened or currently occurring and then use this amazing social tool called "the internet " or conversations in my community.
This leads to my discovering often startling information that causes me even greater concern for myself and others travelling this ever changing personal life road involving ourselves, our family and the community in general.
A "legal duty to support our parents"? Had no idea this existed.
Morally, I agree with this concept; however, in reality, I question a society that has to make this law and doesn't recognize the importance of medical care as a "right" for all ages and stages.
And, one step further, do you go to a store to purchase something without seeing a price?
We walk through the doors of medical services every day without a clear idea of what it will cost and without knowing what "the competition" charges.
Variable, you say. Depends on "what happens".
I can accept that for some medical services but not for those that are "standard" and that includes shots, regular check ups (and what that includes), specific laboratory tests and others.
We're at the "mercy" of the medical system. Yes, they provide "free" and "reduced" care but they also could be more "transparent" in the care they charge.
Medicare has deductibles and for many Seniors, that is a challenge along with costs for "above" their coverage levels.
...OR at the very least a full disclosure of the medical costs and the ability to compare services as one can when shopping for other goods and services.
This topic really grabbed me because during my Mom's journey through Long Term Care facilities she had post hospital stays in more than one facility.
I mentioned being given a contract to sign -- ME -- not her -- and in the many pages was a short statement that I would be responsible for her bill. I refused to sign. I was not in a financial position after my husband's medical challenges to take on costs I had no idea what they would include and how many thousands of dollars could accumulate.
They were a "multi state" operation and apparently their "standard contract" contained inclusions that may or may not have been "legal" in my state.
If I'd signed the contract....an attorney friend told me I would have been responsible and could have been sued.
Even for a "short term" stay of 30 days, since they determined the services "necessary" and create the "paperwork" (and who among us wants to deprive someone we love of "medical care" )-- this could have been money we needed for daily living (and it would have been) or caused us to possibly even sell our home to "meet our obligations".
Frightening isn't it? Our parents are growing much older and so are we. We are their children and at a time in life when our "resources" are limited or affected by our own medical and other life challenges it's possible we may be legally obliged to pay even when it could be a hardship.
Yes, the law states if you are "capable" but we all know that's an interpretation and depends on who's making the determination. At the very least, it can involve hiring your own attorney, time spent in this "legal matter" you don't have and money put out for your "defense".
Please note: I see no reference to a date when the information below was entered on the internet. Suggest reviewing to ensure you understand any and all updates, changes and additions of other States by going to your own State's information in this area.
Also, don't know if there's "cross responsibility" -- not sure how an adult child living in one state and a parent living in another will be affected and by which or both state's laws.
"States with filial responsibility laws are: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia."
Not every State has a law; here's the reference:
Filial Responsibility: Can the Legal Duty to Support Our Parents Be Effectively Enforced? by Shannon Frank Edelstone, appearing in the Fall 2002 issue of the American Bar Association's Family Law Quarterly, 36 Fam. L.Q. 501 (2002). Lexic.com
https://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/NOA/30states.pdf
Your obligation to pay a parent's nursing home bill is another resource to read:
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/your-obligation-pay-parents-nursing-home-bill.html
We took responsibility for my Mom's day to day living through being a multigenerational family where Mom retained all her Social Security and spent it when and where she chose and we paid all the "ordinary"expenses of living and some of her "extras" -- often providing additional money for her to travel or purchase larger items -- bed, furniture, room decor, etc.
This was how we lived from the time Mom came to live with us when our first child was three months old until she went into a facility through the actions of Julia I've written about in several earlier entries. That was almost four decades.
Mom had no property and no resources aside from Social Security and that was at a very low level as Mom was a very low wage earner.
We finally applied for Medicaid as it provided Day Care.
I was coping with 24/7 caregiving for two and Mom deserved to have a more stimulating and social lifestyle than we could provide when my husband was basically "home bound".
Most of his time after spending 100 days in the hospital, almost all in Critical Intensive Care, was in a medical bed with as many as four bags taped across his abdomen as his skin constantly broke open and the contents of his "processing" of what he could tolerate to eat dumped into the bags which constantly needed to be changed.
What if my state would have decided I "had" the ability since we had a home when Mom started needing medical care (before my husband had his medical challenges) and we were "held responsible" for her bills .....?
And then there's the consideration of the responsibility to care for "parents" and that would have meant, if they were living, two people for each of us, my husband and myself, bringing to our lives the "responsibility" of paying for care IF each of them could not pay or did not have assets or other means OR if we were seen as "having the ability"......
Where are we headed as a society?
What can we do?
This is not just a discussion among Seniors and their children.
GenX, Millenials and the GenZ's and those who come after are facing these challenges and they have no idea they exist, have no idea what "responsbilities" are being "thrust" upon them.
Each generation deserves to know more about decisions and practices that not only limit their daily activities and actions but also those in place that are silently and behind closed doors affecting the future they work so hard and often struggle to create.
Life happens. Medical expenses and other life challenges can take away what you've worked for decades to provide.
In a heartbeat life can change.
In a heartbeat you find out about laws and practices taking you from independence to interdependence.
It's a system that's only going to change when we realize how critical it is to watch, to speak out and to move forward along with positive change in other life practices.
You hold the keys not just at the Polls when you vote but everyday when those you elect or appoint, those who make decisions governing your daily life create these and other laws.
If you do nothing else, at least shine the light as I'm trying to do through raising awareness of what's "out there" and find a way to make a difference.
Raise your voice towards those who are heard and especially those who "control" your present and your future.
You are the key to the many locks in life you encounter.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Look, Listen, Touch When Visiting Loved Ones
Moving "up the ladder" on the age chain.
As we age so do our relatives and family members.
We transit through the "joining together " and "moving apart" that comes with and through the circle, the cycle of life.
Unless there's a serious illness or other disrupter, we hardly notice the days turning into weeks, month and years except to mark the seasons and the occasions for gathering, sharing and often celebrating
Then comes the day, the week, the month and the year of making decisions turning life inside out when we face the closest generational change when we notice our cousins, with whom we grew up or aged together, experiencing health changes and looking so different in the pictures we take -- more like our Aunts and Uncles.
Early Onset Dementia. It arrives like a thief in the night, under the cover of darkness -- light seeming to be drawn slowly as through a pin prick and leaving behind a developing and ever growing darkness.
I didn't "grow up" with my cousin who's now in the memory care wing of an Assisted Living facility. I don't know her except through select memories.
Seeing change doesn't require being close to someone -- it's visible when it's noticeable and recognizable when you've been through it.
We often measure life by goals reached and achievements made -- if we're fortunate -- or by overcoming challenges, obstacles, set backs and life crises.
If they're younger, say not into their fifties, it's a "life challenge"; not welcomed or wanted but we see mostly hurdles to jump, times to get through and progress to make towards.... "that" time...when we'll "be there"...but not now, not here...later...maybe...
Next comes the "between time'. We're between the front and the second row at funerals; not having babies usually and struggling with teens and early "adulthood" in our offspring or family additions.
Suddenly...we find ourselves having "achieved" some of our life's goals of having a family and all it entails and now we're....what....still moving in the direction of the unknown, the unexpected and sometimes the unwanted.
LOOK, LISTEN, TOUCH WHEN VISITING A LOVED ONE IN A FACILITY... we continue to need recognition as a valued individual person, not just someone to "visit", to "spend time with".
You go. They stay. They wait. So much time to think, to consider, to wonder but not to dream, to really "dream" as when we grow old -- older---we've made it or not, we've had it or not, we've known it or not -- according to the worldview on aging.
Few see the real human being who is aging. They see what they're told to believe, what they're supposed to know and what they should do and how it should be done.
For many it's an "obligation" -- something to work into "our schedule. For some they're the "only ones" in the area and those "outside" call occassionally but find "communication" difficult so they tend to make those calls less and less frequently.
Then there are those who "passed" on really staying connected and aware and certainly didn't find time let alone any financial ability to "help", even when grave illness and severe challenges created severe financial challenges.
These are the ones who usually "rise up" when someone, who they see as "concerned", connects with them to "complain about" or somehow find fault with the primary family/friends who make time, create ways and include the Senior in their lives.
It's always so easy to look at something from a distance and find fault when you want there to be fault either because of "self guilt" of many years of "neglect" or walking away because this was one thing they didn't have to "deal with" in life.
We experienced this "disconnect" and "accusations". Strange how even the one son who could have seen more did not consider how his grandmother was "aging". He who is known for being so "informed" and "capable" did not apply his skillsets to investigate and understand. But then, few do.
If you call, connect with, or in any way "enter into" or "remain" a part of a loved one's being in a Long Term Care Facility, you need to recognize what you see is not what they're getting on a daily basis and there are many challenges those of us who are frequent visitors see with the loved one and other residents.
Step out of your comfort zone for you too are moving in the same direction -- towards needing caregiving. Life is a circle, you enter dependent, become independent and often return to one or more levels of "dependency".
Look, listen, touch and most importantly do not take anything for granted. That "bandage" may be concealing a very serious problem. Those Dr recommended "compression" socks may hide bruises or worse.
Be Aware. Do more than accept what you're told.
And, take pictures. Make notes. Keep records.
Do not be afraid to report what you see, what you hear and what you smell including calling the DHSS Hotline to report the facility.
You are the gatekeeper of the present and the future for as the tree of life grows and develops it bends and breaks with the pressures it endures.
As we age so do our relatives and family members.
We transit through the "joining together " and "moving apart" that comes with and through the circle, the cycle of life.
Unless there's a serious illness or other disrupter, we hardly notice the days turning into weeks, month and years except to mark the seasons and the occasions for gathering, sharing and often celebrating
Then comes the day, the week, the month and the year of making decisions turning life inside out when we face the closest generational change when we notice our cousins, with whom we grew up or aged together, experiencing health changes and looking so different in the pictures we take -- more like our Aunts and Uncles.
Early Onset Dementia. It arrives like a thief in the night, under the cover of darkness -- light seeming to be drawn slowly as through a pin prick and leaving behind a developing and ever growing darkness.
I didn't "grow up" with my cousin who's now in the memory care wing of an Assisted Living facility. I don't know her except through select memories.
Seeing change doesn't require being close to someone -- it's visible when it's noticeable and recognizable when you've been through it.
We often measure life by goals reached and achievements made -- if we're fortunate -- or by overcoming challenges, obstacles, set backs and life crises.
If they're younger, say not into their fifties, it's a "life challenge"; not welcomed or wanted but we see mostly hurdles to jump, times to get through and progress to make towards.... "that" time...when we'll "be there"...but not now, not here...later...maybe...
Next comes the "between time'. We're between the front and the second row at funerals; not having babies usually and struggling with teens and early "adulthood" in our offspring or family additions.
Suddenly...we find ourselves having "achieved" some of our life's goals of having a family and all it entails and now we're....what....still moving in the direction of the unknown, the unexpected and sometimes the unwanted.
LOOK, LISTEN, TOUCH WHEN VISITING A LOVED ONE IN A FACILITY... we continue to need recognition as a valued individual person, not just someone to "visit", to "spend time with".
You go. They stay. They wait. So much time to think, to consider, to wonder but not to dream, to really "dream" as when we grow old -- older---we've made it or not, we've had it or not, we've known it or not -- according to the worldview on aging.
Few see the real human being who is aging. They see what they're told to believe, what they're supposed to know and what they should do and how it should be done.
For many it's an "obligation" -- something to work into "our schedule. For some they're the "only ones" in the area and those "outside" call occassionally but find "communication" difficult so they tend to make those calls less and less frequently.
Then there are those who "passed" on really staying connected and aware and certainly didn't find time let alone any financial ability to "help", even when grave illness and severe challenges created severe financial challenges.
These are the ones who usually "rise up" when someone, who they see as "concerned", connects with them to "complain about" or somehow find fault with the primary family/friends who make time, create ways and include the Senior in their lives.
It's always so easy to look at something from a distance and find fault when you want there to be fault either because of "self guilt" of many years of "neglect" or walking away because this was one thing they didn't have to "deal with" in life.
We experienced this "disconnect" and "accusations". Strange how even the one son who could have seen more did not consider how his grandmother was "aging". He who is known for being so "informed" and "capable" did not apply his skillsets to investigate and understand. But then, few do.
If you call, connect with, or in any way "enter into" or "remain" a part of a loved one's being in a Long Term Care Facility, you need to recognize what you see is not what they're getting on a daily basis and there are many challenges those of us who are frequent visitors see with the loved one and other residents.
Step out of your comfort zone for you too are moving in the same direction -- towards needing caregiving. Life is a circle, you enter dependent, become independent and often return to one or more levels of "dependency".
Look, listen, touch and most importantly do not take anything for granted. That "bandage" may be concealing a very serious problem. Those Dr recommended "compression" socks may hide bruises or worse.
Be Aware. Do more than accept what you're told.
And, take pictures. Make notes. Keep records.
Do not be afraid to report what you see, what you hear and what you smell including calling the DHSS Hotline to report the facility.
You are the gatekeeper of the present and the future for as the tree of life grows and develops it bends and breaks with the pressures it endures.
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Reaching Out, Touching Lives, Making A Difference
Met with another daughter of a mother with Lewy Body Dementia earlier today. Julie was her name.
How strange. Julia -- with an "a' was the name of the woman who abused Mom and claimed I was the abuser -- see many entries about this nightmare created by a woman who is still licensed as an RN and to my knowledge is still "providing care giving services" to Seniors.
Wonder if she's still focused on working with those whose children live out of State -- or did her experience with me and Mom show her she could "expand" safely even into families that were multigenerational?
Julia reapplied to the State of Missouri and reactivated her expired RN license -- it made her a "required" and UNQUESTIONED mandated reporter of "elder abuse".
She'd told me once...well before the time when she came into our immediate family life.....she often helped them "get rid of things" and even helped to "move them into facilities".
How convenient, I think now. Get their and their children's trust and confidence, then you can move in to move on to your next "conquest"?
Julia decided, in my opinion,Mom was a "good mark" to exploit and I, who had the same name as her mother, someone she did not have a good relationship with, "deserved" to be separated from my mother.
Those are the conclusions I've drawn with the passing of years since Mom's death.
I've had a slight "aversion" to that name ever since -- know I shouldn't but if you read about how she manipulated, controlled and destroyed the life we had as a multigenerational family for almost four decades -- you'll understand.
Checking this Blog; wondering if it's still "being read" meaning reaching someone, somewhere who is struggling with understanding and going through the "jello" of LBD or even other types of Dementia, I saw someone had just read the entry dated Sunday, April 20, 2014 (wow.....over five years ago) and titled: Constructing Change: Teepa Snow, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelsey Grammar
Although there have been new discoveries about the brain and about Dementia, including Lewy Body Dementia, in the more than five years that have passed since I wrote the entry, it's still relevant and useful as are my other varied entries to date spanning over seven years.
I met with Julie today after she reached out to me from an entry I made on line in a "local" Neighborhood chat site where people ask for help with many things including care giving for loved ones.
She'd been to a Neurologist and so many others who had no real clue about what was going on or misdiagnosed what they saw as so many other afflictions.
We sat and talked about where she is with her Mom. She'd just been told by their Primary Care Doctor her Mom had Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsons.
FASCINATING. And he was with one of the three associated hospitals of the main hospital where I first saw the words as a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia, possibly mid to late, after Mom was hospitalized with a urinary tract infection.
PROGRESSION.
WORD IS SPREADING.
KNOWLEGE IS GROWING.
We are succeeding in raising awareness about this debilitating medical challenge.
I asked her where her Mom had been "placed" in the measuring of "how far along" with the challenge and she said he hadn't mentioned.
I encouraged her to reconnect with the Dr and ask for a further diagnosis as to whether it was, in his medical opinion, early, mid or late stage.
IT'S TIME ... MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A CRITICAL AREA OF NEED FOR INFORMATION, DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE.
We live with it every day. It's at the top of our life's list.
We need your "engagement" in our challenge.
We need you to "become involved" more directly, with greater consideration of OUR NEED TO KNOW, TO UNDERSTAND...so that we can shift this burden to a more manageable load as we continue to walk with and beside family members and friends as they walk this ever varying road called LEWY BODY DEMENTIA.
SCARY, TOO. Misdiagnosis can lead to providing medications that can cause severe damage and bad reactions and unfortunately.....even death.
i realize Lewy Body Dementia is difficult to determine but you, the medical community simply need to put more value on this disease as has been previously placed on others and we'll have more ability to manage, if not control, its effects and affects.
It's time to be informed about ALL the "TYPES" of Dementia.
IT'S TIME TO FIGHT DEMENTIA AS WE ONCE RECOGNIZED AND JOINED TOGETHER TO FIGHT CANCER AND HEART DISEASE.
And....I have to admit....
What surprised me was when Julie told me she had to wait a year to "get into the program" at the hospital to go through more analysis of the disease.
WAKE UP AMERICA!
WOULD WE DO THIS TO A CANCER PATIENT?
Or maybe we do? Although my personal recent experience has been medical facilities for two friends acted quickly when they were discovered to have Cancer.
Or, is it because Julie's mother is fortunate. She's in an Assisted Living facility, a nice one -- although as Julie said, she's not really sure how "hands on" and "capable" they are.
We talked about the three levels of living for Seniors -- Independent, Assisted and Long Term -- and the State requirements for residency by individuals in their levels of capability or need.
Julie's Mom is one of the more fortunate as she has good Insurance Coverage -- few people do -- for these services.
Perhaps the Dr. felt there were limited spaces in the program and because the mother was in a residential care facility the "immediate need to know" the level of the Mother's Dementia and any "assistance" was perhaps not as "urgent" as for others.
OR.....perhaps the Doctor believes the woman is really doing better than she actually is.
Although he could see the LBD and noticed the symptoms of the shaking (labled as Parkinson's), he might not realize TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
People with LBD who are provided with mental stimulation, environments providing levels of mental challenge that works for the individual with physical activity and interaction that stimulates -- even attempting new skills or additional skillsets -- CAN POSITIVELY AFFECT THE DISEASE PROGRESSION AND STAVE OFF MORE RAPID PROGRESSION.
Yes, it works. We watched it work.
We didn't realize it at the time because we did not know about LBD but daughter and I now know we effectively helped Mom to live longer and a better life because of what we did for and with her.
And -- quality of food and types of food
And -- keeping mind and body active.
We could not stop the disease that is Dementia -- and that is what it is, just like Cancer which we're told "lies in wait in our bodies".
We gave Mom an environment that stimulated her mind and body and we found that even when she had periods of Aphasia, as mentioned in another article I wrote, she retained more independence and capability.
It was a difficult journey. The memories still present challenges.
I would not have asked to live many times in life I've been given but I am grateful I was also, somehow, provided then and now with the ability to find ways to be of service to others who walked, are walking and will walk this disruptive life path.
How strange. Julia -- with an "a' was the name of the woman who abused Mom and claimed I was the abuser -- see many entries about this nightmare created by a woman who is still licensed as an RN and to my knowledge is still "providing care giving services" to Seniors.
Wonder if she's still focused on working with those whose children live out of State -- or did her experience with me and Mom show her she could "expand" safely even into families that were multigenerational?
Julia reapplied to the State of Missouri and reactivated her expired RN license -- it made her a "required" and UNQUESTIONED mandated reporter of "elder abuse".
She'd told me once...well before the time when she came into our immediate family life.....she often helped them "get rid of things" and even helped to "move them into facilities".
How convenient, I think now. Get their and their children's trust and confidence, then you can move in to move on to your next "conquest"?
Julia decided, in my opinion,Mom was a "good mark" to exploit and I, who had the same name as her mother, someone she did not have a good relationship with, "deserved" to be separated from my mother.
Those are the conclusions I've drawn with the passing of years since Mom's death.
I've had a slight "aversion" to that name ever since -- know I shouldn't but if you read about how she manipulated, controlled and destroyed the life we had as a multigenerational family for almost four decades -- you'll understand.
Checking this Blog; wondering if it's still "being read" meaning reaching someone, somewhere who is struggling with understanding and going through the "jello" of LBD or even other types of Dementia, I saw someone had just read the entry dated Sunday, April 20, 2014 (wow.....over five years ago) and titled: Constructing Change: Teepa Snow, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelsey Grammar
Although there have been new discoveries about the brain and about Dementia, including Lewy Body Dementia, in the more than five years that have passed since I wrote the entry, it's still relevant and useful as are my other varied entries to date spanning over seven years.
I met with Julie today after she reached out to me from an entry I made on line in a "local" Neighborhood chat site where people ask for help with many things including care giving for loved ones.
She'd been to a Neurologist and so many others who had no real clue about what was going on or misdiagnosed what they saw as so many other afflictions.
We sat and talked about where she is with her Mom. She'd just been told by their Primary Care Doctor her Mom had Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsons.
FASCINATING. And he was with one of the three associated hospitals of the main hospital where I first saw the words as a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia, possibly mid to late, after Mom was hospitalized with a urinary tract infection.
PROGRESSION.
WORD IS SPREADING.
KNOWLEGE IS GROWING.
We are succeeding in raising awareness about this debilitating medical challenge.
I asked her where her Mom had been "placed" in the measuring of "how far along" with the challenge and she said he hadn't mentioned.
I encouraged her to reconnect with the Dr and ask for a further diagnosis as to whether it was, in his medical opinion, early, mid or late stage.
IT'S TIME ... MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A CRITICAL AREA OF NEED FOR INFORMATION, DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE.
We live with it every day. It's at the top of our life's list.
We need your "engagement" in our challenge.
We need you to "become involved" more directly, with greater consideration of OUR NEED TO KNOW, TO UNDERSTAND...so that we can shift this burden to a more manageable load as we continue to walk with and beside family members and friends as they walk this ever varying road called LEWY BODY DEMENTIA.
SCARY, TOO. Misdiagnosis can lead to providing medications that can cause severe damage and bad reactions and unfortunately.....even death.
i realize Lewy Body Dementia is difficult to determine but you, the medical community simply need to put more value on this disease as has been previously placed on others and we'll have more ability to manage, if not control, its effects and affects.
It's time to be informed about ALL the "TYPES" of Dementia.
IT'S TIME TO FIGHT DEMENTIA AS WE ONCE RECOGNIZED AND JOINED TOGETHER TO FIGHT CANCER AND HEART DISEASE.
And....I have to admit....
What surprised me was when Julie told me she had to wait a year to "get into the program" at the hospital to go through more analysis of the disease.
WAKE UP AMERICA!
WOULD WE DO THIS TO A CANCER PATIENT?
Or maybe we do? Although my personal recent experience has been medical facilities for two friends acted quickly when they were discovered to have Cancer.
Or, is it because Julie's mother is fortunate. She's in an Assisted Living facility, a nice one -- although as Julie said, she's not really sure how "hands on" and "capable" they are.
We talked about the three levels of living for Seniors -- Independent, Assisted and Long Term -- and the State requirements for residency by individuals in their levels of capability or need.
Julie's Mom is one of the more fortunate as she has good Insurance Coverage -- few people do -- for these services.
Perhaps the Dr. felt there were limited spaces in the program and because the mother was in a residential care facility the "immediate need to know" the level of the Mother's Dementia and any "assistance" was perhaps not as "urgent" as for others.
OR.....perhaps the Doctor believes the woman is really doing better than she actually is.
Although he could see the LBD and noticed the symptoms of the shaking (labled as Parkinson's), he might not realize TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
People with LBD who are provided with mental stimulation, environments providing levels of mental challenge that works for the individual with physical activity and interaction that stimulates -- even attempting new skills or additional skillsets -- CAN POSITIVELY AFFECT THE DISEASE PROGRESSION AND STAVE OFF MORE RAPID PROGRESSION.
Yes, it works. We watched it work.
We didn't realize it at the time because we did not know about LBD but daughter and I now know we effectively helped Mom to live longer and a better life because of what we did for and with her.
And -- quality of food and types of food
And -- keeping mind and body active.
We could not stop the disease that is Dementia -- and that is what it is, just like Cancer which we're told "lies in wait in our bodies".
We gave Mom an environment that stimulated her mind and body and we found that even when she had periods of Aphasia, as mentioned in another article I wrote, she retained more independence and capability.
It was a difficult journey. The memories still present challenges.
I would not have asked to live many times in life I've been given but I am grateful I was also, somehow, provided then and now with the ability to find ways to be of service to others who walked, are walking and will walk this disruptive life path.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Media Influencers: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Media sets the pace in the length of our strides and often tries to determine whether we walk or run and in which direction.
Ever so slowly over many years the "personality newsperson" has edged into the industry and now appears to be, at least on the national level, the rule rather than the exception.
There are thousands of "media influencers" many of whom we can carry in the palm of our hands or out into far corners of the world; they have great power to wield.
Ever so slowly over many years the "personality newsperson" has edged into the industry and now appears to be, at least on the national level, the rule rather than the exception.
There are thousands of "media influencers" many of whom we can carry in the palm of our hands or out into far corners of the world; they have great power to wield.
Took a few minutes to watch CBS several mornings ago and listened to a report on the female race car driver who was killed trying to break the women's land speed record.
On line and on screen Jesse Combs was referred to as the "fastest woman on wheels".
CBS made a point of showing how "different she was" and citing how she did many usually "male" activities like repairing cars.
This comparison to what is typically "male" and typically "female" continues the division and the separation of men and women in STEM and in the work community in general.
Media who continue to use terminologies and comparisons from "another century" fail to serve the public for whom they work and often cause continuation of past practices of discrimination and lack of inclusion.
Media who continue to use terminologies and comparisons from "another century" fail to serve the public for whom they work and often cause continuation of past practices of discrimination and lack of inclusion.
Competition. Sports and activities throughout our early lives build into us the NEED to "rise above, stand out, be first".
Less time is devoted to Team Work, supporting others in achieving goals, with more time devoted to those who "stand out" rather than building the skills of those "with ability" being not chosen, not selected, overlooked and undervalued.
Our educational system is based on individual achievement and measurement and so is the majority of our work evaluation.
The most admiration seems to go to the "winning team" or the "top achiever". We're not taught enough to value the experience, the "working together".
Less time is devoted to Team Work, supporting others in achieving goals, with more time devoted to those who "stand out" rather than building the skills of those "with ability" being not chosen, not selected, overlooked and undervalued.
Our educational system is based on individual achievement and measurement and so is the majority of our work evaluation.
The most admiration seems to go to the "winning team" or the "top achiever". We're not taught enough to value the experience, the "working together".
Even in sports that are "team oriented" we seldom see the team as a group lauded for their achievements -- we feel a need to "single out" and "find" one or a couple of "outstanding athletes" giving awards, higher compensation and recognition.
However, a few months ago when the St Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, we saw how teamwork wins -- they were a unit, they worked together.
There were outstanding plays and exceptional players but the focus each one gave was of the group and the people who supported and believed in them.
And, today at all levels on rinks around America you'll see some young girls and young women out there, showing how they can move alongside, with and independently to "bring home the gold" as a team.
When the St Louis Blues "brought the cup home", they didn't "hide it" -- they took it and continue to take it around the St Louis area allowing more people than ever before to be a part of the "achievement", to feel "they too" had participated and "brought home the cup".
Young boys AND girls have touched, felt the pride and seen the possibilities of hard work individually and as a team.
Way To Go Blues!
Even their "image" of "Gloria" and "Stanley" sets a new level of recognition for a sports "mantra" to be shared.
However, a few months ago when the St Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, we saw how teamwork wins -- they were a unit, they worked together.
There were outstanding plays and exceptional players but the focus each one gave was of the group and the people who supported and believed in them.
And, today at all levels on rinks around America you'll see some young girls and young women out there, showing how they can move alongside, with and independently to "bring home the gold" as a team.
When the St Louis Blues "brought the cup home", they didn't "hide it" -- they took it and continue to take it around the St Louis area allowing more people than ever before to be a part of the "achievement", to feel "they too" had participated and "brought home the cup".
Young boys AND girls have touched, felt the pride and seen the possibilities of hard work individually and as a team.
Way To Go Blues!
Even their "image" of "Gloria" and "Stanley" sets a new level of recognition for a sports "mantra" to be shared.
While singular achievement is critical to a society, working together is also critical to asking questions and finding answers.
One person may discover but it often takes a community, a group, a team to bring the idea to fruition.
In my current search for enlightenment in the Senior Long Term Care "industry" I believe it's not just the facilities but also society, groups and organizations and especially laws and practices at all levels that are the challenges to ensure we grow older and walk our live's path not dreading or fearing what's "to come".
I cannot look and not seek to learn when I find a problem.
It often sets me on another journey I'd not seen or preplanned but life is not always as we'd planned, as we wanted, as we believed it would or should be.
And it often brings me and those who choose to learn....enlightenment.
It's our choice, yours and mine, individually, if we accept and simply wait our turn or if we choose to recognize and shine the light for others to follow and understand.
It's when we build awareness, foster involvement and encourage action we teach a lesson and learn from it at the same time.
One person may discover but it often takes a community, a group, a team to bring the idea to fruition.
In my current search for enlightenment in the Senior Long Term Care "industry" I believe it's not just the facilities but also society, groups and organizations and especially laws and practices at all levels that are the challenges to ensure we grow older and walk our live's path not dreading or fearing what's "to come".
I cannot look and not seek to learn when I find a problem.
It often sets me on another journey I'd not seen or preplanned but life is not always as we'd planned, as we wanted, as we believed it would or should be.
And it often brings me and those who choose to learn....enlightenment.
It's our choice, yours and mine, individually, if we accept and simply wait our turn or if we choose to recognize and shine the light for others to follow and understand.
It's when we build awareness, foster involvement and encourage action we teach a lesson and learn from it at the same time.