THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE

And animals are not the only forgotten ones - then there is the elderly. We kid ourselves into thinking we are doing what is best for them by placing them in institutions or euphemistically speaking “aged care facilities” – no one, NO ONE is "better off" in a nursing home. But it's convenient for us isn't it, to keep them hidden away out of sight? We can hand their care over to the "experts" & absolve ourselves of all responsibility.

A majority of people over the age of 65 have medical problems; many will even have complex health care needs. To be placed in a nursing home today you have to be classified as “high level care”. Once you are in a facility you’re lucky if you get your own room & even more fortunate if you get your own bathroom. You will be primarily taken care of by personal care workers – people who have undertaken a course of approximately 12 weeks duration. You will be surrounded by a large number of other aged people also vying for the attentions of the personal care worker. You will see a registered nurse only on occasion, sometimes to dish out your pills or if your condition happens to deteriorate – he or she will have anywhere up to 80 other people to look after. You will be seen by a doctor even less.

"High care" - but you rarely get it. If you'd been younger & disabled you would find yourself in a share house with a few other people with a care ratio of approximately 1 carer to every 4-6. If you were at home & then hospitalised you would have a registered nurse to look after you along with approximately 3 other patients & you would see a doctor daily. But if you're old in a nursing home, you will be cared for by minimally trained personal care staff, each of whom have 10-15 other people to look after. And you stay there, day in & day out waiting to die.

You wake up – you get toileted – you’re fed breakfast – you get your pills - you have a shower (if you’re lucky) – you’re plonked in a chair – you stare at the TV – you have morning tea -you get toileted – you’re fed lunch – you’re back to the TV – you go to activities & get treated like a 3 year old – you have afternoon tea - you get toileted – you eat dinner – more TV or maybe some music - you have supper - you get toileted - you go to bed. Tomorrows Saturday - maybe a visitor might come? But then again they may not. And so it goes, and they call this living, they pride themselves on the longevity…on the statistics. My heart goes out to you all & my full support is with those who fight tooth & nail to stay in their own homes or have the courage & the will to say ENOUGH! & put an end to it all.

As long as I'm alive my parents will never know what it is like to live in a nursing home. That is my promise....that is my pledge!