"Disabilities must not consign the young to nursing homes"
Two members of my group currently live in nursing homes for the elderly, they are in their 30's and 40's and have spina bifida and cerebral palsy respectively. They have no choice over when they get up in the morning and when they go to bed at night. They have no choice over what they eat or when they eat it. They have to jump through the most
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That's exactly the problem I have with a lot of able-bodied theorists on disability. They, and the policy/planning bods don't see disability rights for dignity as relevant in old age. A lot of disability services are cut off once the person reaches age 65 - as if they think the disability just disappears. And as I've said before, just because people are older, doesn't mean they deserve any less quality of life than the rest of us. I keep coming across heartbreaking stories of older couples seperated when one is put in a nursing home, they often die from sheer grief from the forced separation, loneliness and isolation.
Prejudice, denial and bueracracy (sp?) are a horrifying combination. I could rant until my fingers fall off. :-(
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There is no such thing as long term at my hospital anymore. THere used to be. There is a woman on my unit who has been hospitalized since 1982, I think. Maybe even longer than that.
I feel really bad for her. But she gets agitated and starts attacking people every few days, and even though she's in her late 50s now, she can still hurt people.
On the other hand, there are people who had been here for thirty years who are now living in group homes in the community and are doing well.
There's still the issue of other people making decisions such as bedtime and activities, but there's more freedom than there was in the hospital.
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