Comments

THAT, my darling bdhsnake, was why I gave you a caution and told you to go have a ciggie. :-)

OK, third shift generally does the "bed checks" I was referring to. They have to check each person on the living every half hour to make sure they are OK (and record that they made this check). It's a difficult task because you want to get in the room quietly without turning on the lights (usually need to use a flashlight or the hall light, which is dimmed), make sure each person is breathing and isn't tangled in clothes or bedding, hasn't fallen out of bed, hasn't eaten anything s/he isn't supposed to eat (bedding, leisure items, etc.), doesn't look like they have a fever, hasn't received an injury of some sort due to seizures, self-injurious behavior, etc., the covers are where they need to be, etc., and if the person has become wet or soiled him/herself you need to assist in getting him/her to the bathroom and changed, while then going back and changing the bedding. Third shift also folds the bags and bags of laundry that come back to the living area and places the folded laundry in each person's bedroom (quietly, without waking them) and the linens and towels in the linen room, cleans the furniture (and in some places does all the mopping and cleaning for the living area), does charting, files all the paperwork that needs filed, escorts anyone to the bathroom who needs to go, and deals with anyone who is up and about because they have sleep problems (which is approximately 1/4 of our folks). They then get everyone dressed before first shift comes in and get breakfast set up.
It is easily one of the most under-appreciated, most unsung, yet most important jobs in the history of healthcare. Yet third shift staff are routinely called "weird" because they work an unusual shift.
Go figure.
Any place where people with severe to profound disabilities live, whether it is a large residential facility, group home, or private home, cannot function without third shift. THESE people are the backbone of the healthcare system.

Did these other institutions have lawsuits against them also? I'm sure they must have. How come everyone assumes the worst at Pennhurst? Is it the bits and pieces of documentation floating around out there? Geez its ridiculous. I wish you idiots could talk to many of the parents who had children there and were GRATEFUL for the care that they got. Not every parent at Pennhurst was involved in getting it closed down. The majority didn't want it closed because they were happy with the care their child received.My aunt and I were just having a discussion about group homes the other day. One of her elderly friends was concerned about a possible group home moving across the street. I told her to tell her friend she's better off having a group home with retarded residents than taking a chance on getting a so called normal family.

wow that was a long one

I LOVE THIS SHIT

[CAUTION: RANT AHEAD. Please feel free to go out for a smoke or an extra sodee pop. Or three. <G>]

Danielle,

If you want to go somewhere that they will tell you only horror stories and make you think only bad things happened here, this isn't the place. Like anywhere, then and today, staff and administration did what they could with what little they were given by you, the taxpayer, assuming you can and do vote, even for the "little crappy elections" where issues like this are usually decided - that's what "bonds" are generally for - the things that most of you vote against because it would take three more entire cents out of your tax. There were no conspiracy plots to do harm or to torture or to kill or to maim. The people who ran the place and who worked here did what they did with what little they were given by the state legislatures that were backed by the taxpayers and the voters of the United States, in this case, Pennsylvania.

I am still fascinated, however, with so many people who come here looking for evil, assuming it resides outside themselves. I believe people with such a mindset should, instead, perhaps be looking inward.

Pennhurst was shut down for the same reason all other facilities are currently being shut down and/or downsized across the world (not just the US, y'all Yankee-types <G>). People have always been uncomfortable with people who are different, and many years ago they sent them away, outside the boundaries of where the "normal" people lived. Now some people are finally coming to realize that people with disabilities are not that different from you and me, and, in a number of cases, are much nicer company than you and me and have a hell of a lot more to offer than some of us. Therefore, we in the field are trying to do away with the prejudices of the very society that asked in the first place to have these folks removed from "civilized company" and placed far away - out of sight, out of mind.

The problem is that a lot of "normal" people don't want to have these folks living among them, even today, so until we get that attitude adjusted, rather than looking at Pennhurst you really need to be looking at your own personal neighborhood and see what you and your loved ones and friends are doing to make this a reality. Otherwise my friend, I can tell you for a fact that when you are pointing that finger you are only pointing it into the mirror, at yourself and your community. This is definitely one of the places in which, if you aren't part of the solution, you are definitely part of the problem.

Now, stop pointing fingers and go out and do some good for these folks. Push your Congress to make sure group homes get funding. Go volunteer some time in a nursing home or special education class. Send some cozy socks or an extra blanket to people who don't have much and who are needy. Sponsor someone for the Special Olympics. Find a shelter or somewhere to adopt and give your time and energy and caring, and quit playing "kick the dead horse" with a place whose major sin was not receiving enough attention or money or interest from a large number of citizens and legislators of the state of Pennsylvania.

[We now return you to your regular station in which we blame everyone for the problems of Pennhurst except those people who were actually responsible.]

Bring on the Nitrous!

Hmmm... Industrial Light and Magic.

Amazing of course.

It's so interesting to see the differing perspectives on this subject. I'm down with graff out in the real world, but it just seems so disrespectful to the patients that were here in such shitty conditions to be painting the place up. I feel as though this doesn't just pertain to graff either; it's the parties and drinking too... I understand if it's part of the culture of Byberry, but it just seems so fucked up to be doing these things in a place where there were some tweaked out people suffering for so many years.

Looks like it wouldn't take much to knock one over.

What's that thing by the window?

bueatiful picture-it says a lot

that couldnt be sane as in sane and smith from NY could it? then again....anyone could bust a plain text "sane" handstyle

it's so frustrating being a young person with a passion for exploring these locations. whenever i go to these places, i never break windows to get in, never paint, don't even move shit around. yet security still perceives all young people as juvenile delinquents. *sigh*

I love the plant just growing out of nowhere and growing right out of the frame. and it being black and white it adds a really nice contrast to the broken and brash dark colors. Awesome!