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Channels: Health - Aging

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Health care a Service or Industry?

Views: 1,008
Added: Fri. Aug 14, 2009 12:32pm
Posted in: Aging

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I recently met a gentleman on the computer. At first I thought he was putting me on, but soon found him to be truthful, intelligent and caring. I was a caregiver to my friend with Alzheimer's, and this gentleman was in the beginning throws of Alzheimer's, so we had something in common. Mike Donohue has read my book and speaks of it and health care. Industrialization has diminished service he says. His story is interesting, going from AA (Alcoholic Anonymous) to AD (Alzheimer's Disease), take a look at his writing.

Health care a Service or Industry

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Vannie
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Posted 11:15am August 15th, 2009

Rose,

I read Mike's blog and found it to be profoundly moving, perhaps because my mother suffered from Alzheimer's. Mike has made his e-mail public so I will take the opportunity to send a short note to him. I will let him know how I found him.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Vannie
Rose Lamatt
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Posted 9:09am August 15th, 2009

Hi Jackie, I know exactly where you're coming from. I saw people like your mother every time I visited my friend. Usually the staff knew when I was coming so they'd have Carol up, except when I started to show up at different times. Like you I yelled, finding in the long run it was I who I was hurting. After ten years, I prayed mostly to have the staff treat Carol with compassion and understanding.

I do agree we need a kind of Revolution among caregivers who were, and who are now, to take up the fight for better care in nursing homes. you can reach Mike at his site.

From AA to AD a wistful travelogue also it might make him feel good if you hit the follow button on the left.

Rose
Jackie (JCB)
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Posted 11:44pm August 14th, 2009
Rose, thank you for sharing Mike's essay. How might I send a message to him? From your own and from my experience with my mother, we have seen the very situations of which he speaks. All I knew to do was raise awareness by "raising the roof" when I found that my mother had been left out in the hallway in her wheelchair rather than being rolled into her room and tucked in for nap time. She was totally alone, forgotten, slumped over and asleep in a urine soaked robe and still strapped to the chair. Surely nobody on the staff had noticed, or worse, had noticed and didn't care! I felt so ineffective taking out my frustration on the staff, and yet realizing that this was the life of the helpless ones when family or friends are out of the building --esp. when the one "in charge" of care is working full time. See......I'm still angry! To whom do I protest, Mike and Rose? Could we be as organized in demanding change as recent political organizations? Do either of you know where to start? I can't believe that it's too late. I can be a rabble-rouser when needed. Jackie (JCB)
MissDazey
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Posted 3:49pm August 14th, 2009

I really can't know what primary caretakers of Alzheimer's patients go through on a daily bases since I have never been one. I have helped and befriended, but that's not the same. I do know about others diseases. As for nursing homes, Bruce and I have had both good and bad experience with them.

I personally think it's a shame that health care can't be looked on as both a service and a business. (I don't discuss political debates)

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