Chapter 8 - Up from the Nursing Home

I didn't really know what to think after reading this chapter. It followed the same format of the previous seven chapters, but I don't think I can say anything in this chapter was new news to me. I think everyone has heard at least a little about how bad it is in many of the nursing homes and institutions across the country. This is visualized in certain movies and televisions shows that millions of Americans can see. However, I don't think that most people believe these harsh conditions to be true. It's a little similar to back in the 1930's and 40's when the Hollocaust was going on. The things that people were hearing about were so horrible that no one would believe that they could actually be taking place until America won the war in the European theater, and the massacre was broadcast on the news channels.

I agree that something should be done about the current system. The problem is that there may be no feasible way of accomplishing this without taking aid away from other areas or raising state taxes to a ridiculous level. In order for this "revolution" in nursing homes to take place, there needs to be a good plan on where to get the money from. The problem is that most state beaurocracies will prevent this no matter the political affiliation of the state.

One thing I didn't agree with in this chapter is the classification of what the attendant services should and can be. The way that the attendants are just supposed to be a "neutral vessel" for the patient to use to accomplish tasks that he/she couldn't normally accomplish is ludicrous. I understand that the patients are supposed to use the attendants to get what they need, but there has to be a point where the attendant has to be able to say no to a patient. Plus I think that statement demeans the role of attendant to the point of what robots will probably be doing in the not so distant future.