my two cents on eldercare

Here’s my two-cent, eldercare rant:

Assisted or skilled care giving isn't just a job – it's also a calling.  Caring for those who can no longer care for themselves is, by its very nature, a sensitive issue.  You're dealing with increasingly vulnerable seniors whose self-esteem and self-respect are challenged every single day by the fact that they can no longer do for themselves what they were formerly accustomed to doing throughout their lives...

Unfortunately, far too much of the actual caregiving is done by often disinterested aides and assistants who are underpaid, under-trained, and who are frequently just passing through on their way somewhere else – transient workers of whom there are few who see healthcare as a desirable career path.  Many aides and assistants seem to think that it's better to have any job, however distasteful it might be, rather than none at all.  But it's not just about changing clothes, cleaning their rooms, or getting an aged person in the shower – it's about the tact, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity that one employs when doing it...

The rigorous oversight needed to control the private caregivers who cut too many corners is virtually nonexistent. Care for the aged needs to be a nonprofit, privately run program that is part of a completely revamped, not-for-profit, health care system. The whole health care industry needs to be run in the same way successful nonprofit foundations are run—controlled costs, clear rules, and strict regulations governing conduct and operations.

High-level assisted or skilled care should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy...