3,181 Comments Posted by Lynne

Few people in the general public wanted to increase their taxes for better services for these folks, so the state couldn't hire enough staff to work there at the low wages they paid. The place became overcrowded, and, because these folks require so much in the way of hour-to-hour support, there weren't enough staff to take care of most of these folks' basic needs so the majority of them received substandard care, substandard housing, substandard food, and substandard medical attention. Like everywhere you can point to, in institutions or in the public, there were some very bad people who did some pretty nasty things, but there were no planned torture programs, no experiments that didn't take place everywhere else (not saying they SHOULD have, mind you, just that it was the gestalt all across this country at that time, including in hospitals for "normal" people).

See above comments. As well, assisting people on or off the toilet when they cannot walk and need to use a wheelchair requires more space than your average stall (most of which are too small in the first place), and with the solid doors left on it is VERY difficult to do. Busted Trespasser (also above) noted that in some areas the full length curtains had still been left up. It is very difficult to judge how a place ran when it has been closed for a number of years and only certain items remain.

Tap bells are the bells you see on the front desk of an old hotel where you only have to punch down once and they ring.

That may be the case in your area today, but if you check the references above you'll see that the term "mouth gag" was used for ECT procedures as well.

Can't forget the electric chairs . . . . .

Thanks, GJ. :-)

Long Island - where I currently work our leading cause of staff injuries is almost always due to what we affectionately refer to as "challenging behaviors." Remember, a lot of these people aren't able to control themselves at all times, which is why most of them are here. The job of staff is to do everything they can to support our people, even when (especially when) they are out of control and/or aggressive, and staff must use ONLY nonviolent means to keep everyone safe or else they are fired (with very few exceptions).

Ironically, it is people who believe the world is supposed to be a "fair" place who have the toughest time with this concept. They believe (which is certainly their right) that you treat everyone the same and expect the same out of everyone. "An eye for an eye." That would be fine if we were all clones and in "perfect working order," but true "fairness" means giving everyone what they NEED, not giving them the same thing (or the same amount of something) as everyone else.

One day we'll have a better way to deal with folks who are out of control and become aggressive. Until then we are stuck with our imperfections, our bad days, our weaknesses, and our outdated medical/behavioral interventions. If anyone has a better answer or better way to do this, we all would certainly (and sincerely) be interested in learning how to do it. Money isn't the total answer, but with money you can be more stringent in your hiring/firing practices, you can increase the amount of training that staff receive, and you can recruit/keep some excellent people. Over the past 2 years where I work we have lost a number of our best clinicians because they pay so much more other places. States do not offer much in the way of pay in comparison with the private sector, and direct care staff can usually get as good a good working at Wendy's (and they won't be forced to work mandatory overtime or change anyone's undergarments - unless, of course, they work with Dr. Sketch).

P.S. Other than the usual cuts, scrapes and bruises that are part and parcel of the job, I have only had 2 injuries that caused me to seek medical treatment, so I have gotten off relatively easy. Once I was hit with a chair and got some cracked ribs and once a person with hepatitis B tried to pull out my right eyeball, but that's it. I have certainly dodged my share of flying furniture and other projectiles, however, as well as being "painted" many a time. Again, however, if that is something a person can't deal with, this is certainly not the right place to be. I always know that the person being aggressive either can't help him/herself or is looking at me as "one of them," so I just can't take it personally, so I don't respond in an emotional manner (which is where we get accusations of being cold and clinical 8`-] ). This behavior is just a different type of communication and my job is to help people learn a more functional means of communicating about their upsets, not to squelch their (often) only means of communication.

Very, very, very, very darned swell!

Stunning details and color!

Son in the gun - this is the swellest of the swell!

Is that light coming through at the very end of the dark hall?

Absolutely and totally darned swell!

OH yeah, I likes this one! :-)

Decidedly odd - I quite like it!

I was in love with the new shot before I saw that there was an older shot. This is superb!

Tony! It must be! :-)