Sunday, May 9, 2010
The sick trying to care for the sick.
Some of the angriest people I know are care-givers. With Alzheimer patients. And that's sad. Because angry people make lousy care-givers. I'm in favor of anger management classes. Designed for care-givers. I do understand why care-givers can become angry. They often are overworked. Tired. Exhausted. And they feel as if fate has dealt them the severest of blows. Albeit, if they stop to think, there are many fates far, far worse. But the point I wish to make is that if they can get their anger under control, they can become pretty decent care-givers. But many of 'em don't know how to do that. The anger festers. And they too often end up doing harm. To themselves. But worse, to their patients. It's happening. Daily. I see it up close. And from a distance. On message boards. It's a major health care problem. We do not take adequate care of dementia patients and those with all sorts of mental illnesses. We do much better at caring for those with physical diseases and ailments. But we've neglected the mentally disturbed. And the irony of it all is that some Alzheimer care-givers have become mentally malfunctioning. So we have the sick trying to care for the sick. --Jim Broede
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Oh, let us blow off the steam! You don't SEE anyone harming anyone. You are assuming the worst, just because someone comes to a place that is supposed to be safe enough to let their feelings out, then get back to work. You have always been so judgmental, you don't belong in our world anymore. Leave us alone!
Patients need advocates. And protectors. Because they can't advocate and protect for themselves. They are vulnerable. --Jim
Are you trying to tell me that some caregivers never harm their patients? There are lots of darn good caregivers. But face it, some pretty bad ones are in the mix, too. Their patients need protection. And you know it. This is no time to make excuses for them. --Jim
"Are you trying to tell me that some caregivers never harm their patients?"
No, what I wrote was: "You don't SEE anyone harming anyone. You are assuming the worst..."
If you think someone is being harmed, then what did you do about it? Who are you advocating for and how? Did you report these awful, complaining, whining, abusive caregivers? One snippet of someone's getting their frustrations out-on the computer for crying out loud-does not an abuser make.
I am doing something about it, lady. I'm writing about it. I'm making an issue of it. That's a good start, ain't it? I've caught your attention. And the attention of other people. I'm stirring discussion. You'd like me to shut up. But I ain't gonna do that. I intend to get concrete action some day. This is where it starts. In small ways. In a public forum. By getting ladies like you riled. --Jim
And what's this about one snippet? I see multiple examples of apparent caregiver abuse. Not only in public forums. But in actual on-the-scene practice. Real life. And I've intervened. Directly. What more would you have me do? I am a man of action. --Jim
Too many ladies like you look the other way. Take off your rose-colored glasses. And see the abuse. --Jim
Look around, lady. --Jim
Post a Comment