No Guarantees

This one goes straight to the heart. Great work! Food for thought, certainly.

Thanks, SmilingBluEyes. I posted this because in a couple of places on this BB, I think the member who posted their work situation just quit and didn't report the problems when they needed to.

I too have thought about this and I really love your article and that you thought about this I'm sure makes people realize you have the insight to treat people with respect and dignity. How awful to be a proud man or women your whole life and have that taken away. Would be horrible right? I hope and wish that all CNA's and Nurses would feel this way after all thats is why we are there and we could be there someday.

Well I for one am speaking up. I'm going to the media. I've been to the governor, the state, the ALF's, no one cares. As long as these ALF's are for profit, the elderly suffer, PERIOD. I've been thrown under the bus for filing my complaints. I've been discredited, lied about, accused of things that I never would even think of doing, all because I care about what is going on in these places. Believe me, if you speak up, be prepared to be attacked. I'm not backing down. Every generation needs a voice for their elderly poplulation. I won't give up!!

One of my colleagues and friends, an RN, was fired because she spoke up and reported malpractice by an MD. ANY mistreatment, abuse, or malpractise needs to be reported, but the person reporting needs to be protected by law so that termination, demotion or other vindictive behavior is not possible.

I was lucky - our nursing home that we did clinicals at was really excellent - the patients were as healthy as they could be at that point, there were no wounds caused by the nursing home, the nurses and CNAs really cared... but I wish there was something we could do to make them less lonely. Still - I would give a lot to see every nurse care as much about patient advocacy as you all!

I am from a Southeast Asian country, and our culture is in honoring those who have raised and took care of us when we were younger. I guess I can say that I am lucky in that sense, because we are bound by that culture. I do agree with you that it is a great burden. I too, even if I was born in this country, wonder what will happen in 30-40 years. It can change dramatically. These facilities offer so many things to society. It would be difficult to compensate emotionally for these people, but physically and everything else, we could offer. The US is lucky to have such great facilities like that there, because here, it's not that taken care of. I liked your article because as nurses, we dedicate our time so much in helping others that we forget to take care of our own family.. and then, we think about that time that we will be in that situation as well.