Are all rehabs the same? I was charged $1600/day and treated like cattle. On Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 2:49 PM, Akua <a...@artfarm.com> wrote:
> The closest I came to hell on earth was in rehab. I was allowed to fall > twice. I was given the wrong meds daily for nearly two months, I was > insulted and demeaned. I remember the nurse entering my room and finding me > crying -- I was in awful electric pain --- and she told me I shouldn't be > crying. She often brought he son to work. I wrote her about her gross > insensitivity and she apologized. > > I worked hard to learn how to use the sliding board to get in and out of > bed-- it was so so hard, and frightening, because an idiot had let me fall, > but this mainly > because if you couldn't get up, you wouldn't be attended to. Now that I'm > home, > I understand one of the basic challenges the idiot didn't address-- the > wheelchair slides on a polished, linoleum floor. I have a bathmat with grips > by my bed now, so my wheelchair, doesn't slide..... this is just one of a > zillion things they could have taught or worked on or shared or presented > to or for me and didn't. And this was rehab, to ready me for life on my > own as a paraplegic: worthless. > > One of the friends I made there was immobile without assistance, although > unlike me, she was not paralyzed. She was left on her bedpan > for an hour. I had passed aides chatting at the station, ignoring her > buzzer, as i wheeled down the hall to see her..... > > I wrote the board and management and met with management. I met with the > dietitian twice, who quit about a month after i left. She told me that she > was unable to get me the food that with restore my health ( fresh fruit and > vegtables, fish, whole grain breads, baked potatoes). > > I kept in touch with several friends I made there who were still there when > I left, because we all knew the importance of having people call. > > Only the cleaning staff helped. They advocated and interceded. I'll never > forget one man who came and prayed for and over me. > > An investigation began when I and several other patients lost over 50 > pounds. The few visits I had, folks brought food. Staff ate or discarded my > (good) food. > > So, while I don't know about the hip pain, I can relate to the soul painof > being in a nursing home. > > It was like being in prison. There was a courtyard allegedly for getting > air--- the door was always locked. I was awakened, whenever they felt like > it, seldom consistently. Hellish to be awakened at 5 a.m. to have blood > drawn by unskilled phlebotomists. Privacy was seldom observed > I remember always asking for doors or curtains to be closed. > > If Cindy needs calls, I'm more than willing. all other things being equal, > being in a nursing home is awful. > > Akua > > -- > > > http://www.healrecover.blogspot.com > http://www.akualezli.blogspot.com > "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and > love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time > they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, > always." > Mohandas Gandhi >
