Disposable People
http://www.setthestageforsuccess.com/articles/20145/1/Disposable-People/Page1.html
Rejoyce Wilson-Herbert
Rejoyce Wilson-Herbert is the founder of National Information Resource Services (NIRS), an organization committed to educating people on the home care industry. Currently residing in Newport Coast, CA, Rejoyce is the General Manager of MemorialCare Home Caregivers. She is also a nationally recognized advocate for the elderly
and is one of the most highly-sought after speakers in her field. She is a proud mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and continues to work hard and help people realize their own goals.By Rejoyce Wilson-Herbert
Published on 09/22/2008
Last Thursday evening after working for the past twenty-four hours with
three hours of sleep time, a staff member walked into my office and
handed me a document with the name and address of a 95-year old woman.
'Mary' was in need of assistance in her home. She was frail, hadn’t
eaten and wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through the evening.
It was 5:30 pm, the end of my ‘official’ workday and I had to make a
decision—whether to go out, meet this woman and help her; or go home.
When I arrived at Mary’s house, I found a four feet, five inch, 85-lb woman lying in her bed. The room was dark and there were piles and piles of stuff everywhere. You couldn’t see one inch of the floor. There wasn’t one area to sit—the situation was pretty dismal.
When I arrived at Mary’s house, I found a four feet, five inch, 85-lb woman lying in her bed. The room was dark and there were piles and piles of stuff everywhere. You couldn’t see one inch of the floor. There wasn’t one area to sit—the situation was pretty dismal.
Last Thursday evening after working for the past twenty-four hours with three hours of sleep time, a staff member walked into my office and handed me a document with the name and address of a 95-year old woman. 'Mary' was in need of assistance in her home. She was frail, hadn’t eaten and wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through the evening. It was 5:30 pm, the end of my ‘official’ workday and I had to make a decision—whether to go out, meet this woman and help her; or go home.
When I arrived at Mary’s house, I found a four feet, five inch, 85-lb woman lying in her bed. The room was dark and there were piles and piles of stuff everywhere. You couldn’t see one inch of the floor. There wasn’t one area to sit—the situation was pretty dismal.
I could clearly see that Mary wasn’t in a good state of mind. And as she started to tell me her story, she got worse. She had lived in her home since 1980 and had saved almost everything that she had ever purchased. She had no family and was basically alone.
Mary’s physical condition wasn’t a medical emergency, but her mental state was fragile and she needed a lot of help just managing day-to-day life. That’s when I had the misfortune to meet Mary’s current caretakers, three men from the neighborhood. As the men entered the house I could tell they had been drinking. The oldest of the men began to question me, asking my name and where I was from. After introducing myself and presenting my credentials, the man became belligerent, confrontational and demanded that I leave the home immediately. Mary requested that I stay to help, which incensed the drunk man even more. He started shouting at her, calling her names and barely stopped short of physically abusing her.
It wasn't difficult to imagine what this man and his two cronies do to Mary when no one is there. Though I could feel the adrenaline build inside me, I recognized that this man and his two friends were drunk and clearly combative. Instead of taking them on directly, I asserted myself and my authority and got control of the situation.
Fortunately, Mary lives in a senior community, which provides security guards, social workers and case managers. That night I attempted to notify the security guard about the situation and got nowhere. I made sure Mary had a caregiver for the night and the next morning I called Adult Protective Services to see what kind of help we could get for Mary. As with many of the government agencies, it was going to take them time to get out there. So the next step was to contact the social worker to let them know what I had encountered and expressed my concern for Mary’s safety. I spent three hours that night trying to locate some one in the community who could help Mary and no one was available. I was told it was a holiday weekend and so all the offices were closed until the following Tuesday. There was no one there to help Mary.
Mary isn’t the only senior citizen in this situation. The elderly seem to only represent monetary gain for many who take an interest in interacting with them. This situation is being played out all over this nation, an elderly person who is being abused or neglected. Just like Mary, they are unable to move away from their abuser, because they become so dependent on that person, even though they are not being cared for appropriately.
Our elderly community is not disposable. They are a direct link to our past and deserve compassion, respect and care. If you need to help a senior in a similar situation, try contacting the Adult Protective Services department in your area. If you are unable to do so and the situation is critical, call the local police or sheriff. They are there to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Remember to be kind and helpful to the senior members of your community. Be willing to share a smile, let them bend your ear or even lend them a hand. After all, one day we all will be elderly, too.
When I arrived at Mary’s house, I found a four feet, five inch, 85-lb woman lying in her bed. The room was dark and there were piles and piles of stuff everywhere. You couldn’t see one inch of the floor. There wasn’t one area to sit—the situation was pretty dismal.
I could clearly see that Mary wasn’t in a good state of mind. And as she started to tell me her story, she got worse. She had lived in her home since 1980 and had saved almost everything that she had ever purchased. She had no family and was basically alone.
Mary’s physical condition wasn’t a medical emergency, but her mental state was fragile and she needed a lot of help just managing day-to-day life. That’s when I had the misfortune to meet Mary’s current caretakers, three men from the neighborhood. As the men entered the house I could tell they had been drinking. The oldest of the men began to question me, asking my name and where I was from. After introducing myself and presenting my credentials, the man became belligerent, confrontational and demanded that I leave the home immediately. Mary requested that I stay to help, which incensed the drunk man even more. He started shouting at her, calling her names and barely stopped short of physically abusing her.
It wasn't difficult to imagine what this man and his two cronies do to Mary when no one is there. Though I could feel the adrenaline build inside me, I recognized that this man and his two friends were drunk and clearly combative. Instead of taking them on directly, I asserted myself and my authority and got control of the situation.
Fortunately, Mary lives in a senior community, which provides security guards, social workers and case managers. That night I attempted to notify the security guard about the situation and got nowhere. I made sure Mary had a caregiver for the night and the next morning I called Adult Protective Services to see what kind of help we could get for Mary. As with many of the government agencies, it was going to take them time to get out there. So the next step was to contact the social worker to let them know what I had encountered and expressed my concern for Mary’s safety. I spent three hours that night trying to locate some one in the community who could help Mary and no one was available. I was told it was a holiday weekend and so all the offices were closed until the following Tuesday. There was no one there to help Mary.
Mary isn’t the only senior citizen in this situation. The elderly seem to only represent monetary gain for many who take an interest in interacting with them. This situation is being played out all over this nation, an elderly person who is being abused or neglected. Just like Mary, they are unable to move away from their abuser, because they become so dependent on that person, even though they are not being cared for appropriately.
Our elderly community is not disposable. They are a direct link to our past and deserve compassion, respect and care. If you need to help a senior in a similar situation, try contacting the Adult Protective Services department in your area. If you are unable to do so and the situation is critical, call the local police or sheriff. They are there to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Remember to be kind and helpful to the senior members of your community. Be willing to share a smile, let them bend your ear or even lend them a hand. After all, one day we all will be elderly, too.