Second is minimum wage jobs with high risk of infection and no medical insurance. I cared for my sister in a special care unit for almost five years. On any given day a resident may need an aid with them full time to avoid trouble, should it be escaping the unit, biting another resident or aid, crying at a door and banging non stop until an aid can redirect the resident. With available staff all things are possible and everyone can be safe. Without that there is no peace or safety for anyone. This is where the drugs come in.

The other safe option for a loved one is in home care which is a pricey life altering scenario. If a person requires the kind of drugs that this article addresses more than likely living at home would require a caregiver 24/7. Not many can afford 24 hrs at $25 dollars an hour 365 days a year. Not many can hope that the caregiver shows up so that work schedules can be met. In addition there is the theft of drugs and money from the home. Been there, seen it.

Unfortunately there is no good answer to the problem. Well.... no good answer that doesn't involve lots of money, love and patience.

My heart broke at what I saw but I had to put one foot in front of the other and do the best that I could to make the best of a hard situation. During my time with my sister I also shared love and help with the others in the unit. Many families helped out but there were some that did not come to help at any time yet continued to complain that their loved one was not getting good care. We can't expect to pull someone from their home and drop them into a facility and not have a period of adjustment. I mean, a family member or paid aid that is there to assist in the transition. The drugs come out because the transition is just too hard to do alone.

The difference is that Medicaid foots the bill for nursing homes. Prior to the advent of Medicaid, the nursing-home industry as we know it today was virtually nonexistent, confined to those who could afford private pay.

It was meant to be a savings to the government to keep people in their homes but it is backfiring. If I can get you a link I will. It has been in the Columbus Dispatch this week. (I have used my freebies this month and refuse to pay any paper that would endorse * and Shooter)

from my friend in Kent, who has a disability.

You can sometimes get past the pay wall by using a private browsing window.

That would be great.