Comments

{{{{{ Lynne }}}}}}

I borrowed your soapbox ma'am. I hope you didn't mind.

Thanks Barbra and lynne,
i just showed this picture to my wife, who took nurse aid training at a veterans facility, and she said they had multiple tubs and showers there also. she mentioned using the hoyer lift and being able to wheel the residents into special showers on a gurney. The other thing she told me was they had tubs with a side that swung open to make it easyer to get the residents in and out.
she agereed with why there were multiple tubs, having to bathe multiple patients at one time. She was confused as the reason for the observation window, although there has to be a reasonable answer for it being there, it would be to costly and labor intensive to have been put there " just for fun "

These probably died because they did not receive enough mosture at the roots due to the deeper hard pots. The carpet had moisture from both above (the failing roof), as well as a nice moist carpet to help them grow.

Believe it or not, this used to be the 'in' look for winter resorts. I know of several that were used for training in these sports and quite a few looked this ugly.

{{{{Lyric}}}}

Cyrus:

Can't 'member where I found this, but the whole thing is on the net somewheres:

"By the end of 1950 the average daily census had climbed to 2,799. Between 1950 and 1962 many new buildings were added to the already complex hospital. However, during this period whenever a new patient building was constructed, an old building was closed. After the Lodge Building was completed in 1956, patients from Butler, Cutter and Dix were transferred and these obsolete buildings were no longer used for patients."

Our friend, the Hoyer lift!

http://www.opacity.us/image1952.htm

Well, that does it for me! Consider me converted!

I think they are higher up because these were for patients that couldn't bathe themselves, and an attendent would have to help. Being higher up would make it easier for the attendent so they wouldn't have to bend over so far. How they got them up there, though...hoverlift?

Lynne, these tubs are placed rather high off the floor, are they men't for the severly handicapped?

Thank you, Lyric! You carried and supported your points very well and I don't think you could flame anyone with them! Thanks again! :0)

Thank you Lynne, I really enjoy reading about all your experiences. You are one of the reasons I love coming here. I bet I could listen to you talk about your job for hours!

That story was written by the legendary Shanna. You can see her name everywhere in the Berry.

(borrowd Lynne's soapbox)

Alliecat-
Lynne does fully admit that mistreatment happened in these places. She admonishes very openly those persons who did/do mistreat patients.

You are right, mistreatment comes in many forms. However, some of these places were over crowded and badly understaffed with no funding to hire more persons to help care for the patients who needed it.

In the case of this bathroom let's create a scenario.
There is one staff member who has 8 patients she is responsible (CA Law is a 4 to1 ratio).
6 patients are medicated and compliant, who aren't causing any current problems, 2 patients are on suicide watch and have been for several days.
You need to see to it that both of them have access to a bath, but you can't leave one of them unsupervised because they are also at high risk for escaping.
You can't let the other one in the bathroom because it has shower curtains and other metal objects that a desperate person who wants to commit suicide will get really creative in the process.
How then, would you be able to make sure they are both bathed without leaving either of them unsupervised?
The solution is simple. 2 tubs, one room, a door that doesn't lock from the inside, and a window for you to watch, to make sure that one of them didn't convince the other to carry out the act.

Yeah, this is extreme, but in many cases, it is an easy solution.

Same with a parent who has 3 kids under age 5 and it's bathtime.. You load them all into the bathtub at the same time. You aren't mistreating your children doing this because there is no privacy. You are actually doing yourself a favor because if you were to leave even one of those children alone and something were to happen.. Now you are in a case of child endangerment and neglect.

Some of these bathrooms where there was 2 tubs(or more) to a room. Were occupied by one patient to one attendant. To ensure safety.

Yes, in modern society and the way we advocate patients now, it does seem cruel and almost inhumane.
There is a little more funding, they try to not over crowd the facilities, and to keep staff at an optimal number.
(that's mental health care utopia)

When some of these places were open and had only a 1000 patient capacity, you could find close to twice that number in residence at some points.

Abuse does happen.. However it happens less and less now with education and intervention. We remember the abuse stories because we are all morbidly fascinated with them.
So they never go away.


Please note. I am not trying to flame anyone. I really just want everyone to look at some of this with a different perspective. No different than Lynne.

Hey anyone plan on going to the Hospital anytime soon? got a group here thats gonna go and shoot some videos, if your interested let me know