I've been thinking about a couple of stories I've heard from friends over the last few that have stuck with me. I've realized (this is on me) that a LOT of people have never physically been in a nursing home or rehab facility.
Both of my friends are middle aged white men. Both stories are similar. The one friend has been very sick this past year. Due to compounded circumstances, he agreed to go to a rehab facility. After 1 night, he checked himself out, AMA.
He had all the usual "reasons" - loud, little privacy, staff didn't come fast enough. He's sick and not in a great place, emotionally, but, oof, the privilege.
My other friend's elderly mom had to go to a rehab after a surgery. They had similar, though milder, reactions. The state of the facility motivated my friend's mom to do what she could to get out faster.
Both stories make me sad.
When I was in Girl Scouts, back in the 80s, our troop took fruit baskets to one of the local nursing homes and we visited with the folk there. When I was in my teens, my grandma's health meant our family needed to put her in a nursing home.
She was in a not so good one and a decent one. She spent the last years of her life in the decent one. My mom visited her every day after work. Our family went every Sunday to visit after church, so mom could give her communion and we could see her.
After grandma died, mom continued to be a eucharistic minister and visited other people in another nursing home. My point - I got exposure. I've seen and talked to the people who have no other options. Or their families have no other options.
I would consider myself lucky. No one wants to be in a nursing home. Not the people who live there, not the people who work there. We *could* make things better for the nursing staff, the custodians and the residents.
My friends had clearly never been in a nursing home. Do yourselves a favor - go visit someone in one. Spend an hour of your time with someone who's life is that place. Give yourself a chance to know what you or another family member may have to live.♥️
@threadreaderapp please unroll.
