Abuse: Will it ever end? (Blog # 4, Wild Card)

When I think of the topic abuse, I immediately think of child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual abuse (sexual harassment). Sadly, abuse to our elder population in care facilities wasn’t one of the first that came to mind. Abuse happens everywhere, and will affect someone close to use, or someone we know. "Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect" (Kari Sable, 1994, para. 1).

After reading ‘Ethical Issues in Long-Term Care’ (Pratt, 2010), the discussion on abuse really opened my eyes. Abuse is not just pushing someone down in the dirt and calling him or her names, abuse goes far beyond that. Abuse can come in many different forms. First, there is emotional abuse. This type of abuse can arrive in the form derogatory language to a person, defamation, slander, or even talking down to him or her as if he or she were two years old, when clearly these residents at some point in their lives were independent adults. Another form of abuse is physical abuse. This type if abuse would include causing pain to someone by hitting, pushing, kicking, etc. Although, in chapter twelve of the textbook, I learned that physical abuse also includes denying care that prevents pain, or not acting upon a resident’s request to change a bedpan (Pratt, 2010). Thirdly, we have sexual abuse. It is very obvious to me that there would be residents that were unable to keep up with their ADL’s, and that could include changing their undergarments or bathing. If privacy and personal boundaries were not respected in vulnerable situations like that, I would have to assume a form of sexual abuse was committed even if the actions were unintentional.

Lastly, I was introduced to a form of abuse that is new to me, fiduciary abuse. This type of abuse “describes a situation in which an individual who is legally appointed to manage another party's assets uses his or her power to benefit financially in an unethical or illegal fashion “(Investopedia, 2010, para. 1). I personally see fiduciary abuse a bit different than the other types of abusive treatments that I listed. This type of abuse makes me think of a son or daughter on a power trip, who legally has access to their elder mother or father’s funds and spends it without rhyme or reason that doesn’t benefit the care or concern of the parent. The reason I categorized this differently is because this seems like it would happen more often and go without notice and would more than likely go un-approached and stopped.

No matter where you are, who you are, or how old you are, abuse is completely unacceptable. People must learn to report it even if you are unsure. Hopefully, someday, we could all live in a world free abuse, perversion, exploitation, and injustice.

Plan To Succeed, or Prepare To Fail (wild card blog # 2)

Plan to succeed, or prepare to fail. This simple, yet quite complex idea could most certainly be applied to every single aspect and adventure in life. Clearly, being prepared for anything in advance, would allow you to adapt to many different situations more easily. This leads me to wonder about tomorrow, 10 years from now, and even 40 years from now. What will those days be like? If I plan to succeed today, then tomorrow, 10 years, and 40 years from now should be a lot easier, right?

What happens if I get hurt and require life-long rehabilitation? What happens if I become intensely or fatally ill? What happens if as I age, I am unable to care for myself? In all of these situations, I would need care. If I would like a nest egg to sit on, I should start preparing now. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to start preparing for our future today. While I was employed, I was extremely interested in how much to save, and what percentage of my income to invest. Considering that I am still under thirty years old, I was advised to invest in high risk packages that the company that managed our 401K’s provided. I was also advised to save 10% of my income, and I would probably never miss it. So, if I follow these guidelines for x-amount of years, I should be prepared for the future right? I would like to think yes, but that would only be in financial preparation of retirement.

While preparing for retirement is important, what if I require long-term care? What do I need to know be able to make wiser decisions involving my future if my road is not so smoothly paved, as I would like? With this course, I am becoming more and more educated on the different types of long-term care facilities and services offered at each. This is important to me because sadly, most people do not know the difference between a nursing home and an adult day care center. Throughout this semester (and the rest of my life), I will also develop opinions about what I feel is important in long-term care. I believe it is very important to discuss these matters with family and loved-ones. People that truly care about you want to make you as comfortable as possible, so talk about it. Also, familiarize yourself with what financial options are available to you though private or public insurance, and stay up-to-date on the rules and regulations of Medicare and Medicaid. By following these steps, this will allow you to make educated decisions, for yourself and others in the future.

“If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves.” – Thomas A. Edison

What does LTC mean to you?

Long-term care immediately makes me think of the elderly, sick, and disabled population. It’s safe to assume we all have had either grandparents who grew old, family members or friends who have fell sick, or even known veterans who tragically became disabled. Granted, there are many other reasons a person would need long-term care, but these are examples that instantaneously came to my thoughts, and I feel would be the most common subjects others could relate to. Long-term care means a lot to me.

With the Baby Boomer generation currently starting to surround us, the elderly population is likely going to be the largest group of people. Therefore, people will still age, and with the aging process, people will still run into health dilemmas. Long-term care is needed.

Clearly, things do not change too quickly, and people will still get sick. Cancer still exists, heart disease still exists, and so do infectious diseases such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome. When the unfortunate become ill stricken with such, long-term care is needed.

Be it, disabled at birth, disabled in a auto accident, or disabled while serving our country, sadly, tragedies do happen, and the innocent are injured. Fortunately, some of these patients have family to care for them, but not everyone is as lucky, and maybe some families just run out of the time, energy and/or the knowledge of how to care for the disabled. Long-term care is needed.

Long-term care also makes me ponder the value of life. While, I don’t believe there is a true quantitative amount that can be placed on someone’s life, I do believe there is a value so high on life that I can’t even fathom it. As an adult, I have witnessed loved ones placed in long-term care facilities. While, some facilities were outstanding, others were below par and it broke my heart. I value long-term care so very high not only because I have seen loved ones require it, but also because I am human, and can truly feel what is the value of life. And, if I can be a part of something so grand as long-term care, I could rightfully make great changes in lives.