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Hi everyone, today is August 4, 2009, a day to reflect on Health Care for our Nation, which is currently being debated in the U S Congress. Congressional members and federal employees enjoy excellent health insurance. However, the people who elected those official and who are served by those government employees, find themselves in a morass of choices when seeking any kind of health insurance with a large percentage of the population having “iffy” coverage and nearly 50 million with no coverage at all. It’s puzzling why the elected decided to give themselves outstanding health insurance coverage at taxpayer expense, but continue to deny comparable coverage to the under insured electorate. On the surface, it smacks of hubris, you know, that fancy word that indicates excessive pride in oneself, believing that rou are better and therefore deserve more. It’s like saying, “I’m very important and you’re not so important.” It’s the basic philosophy of the ‘haves’. In a way, we all may have somewhat similar attitude, a fact that stymies the nation’s ability to coalesce over an issue, especially this one. A common question at hearings on the subject is, “Will ‘illegals’ be covered?” No one ever asks, “Are ‘illegals’ serving time in prisons covered?” Why would some one be concerned whether or not ‘illegals’ who work and raise families be eligible for coverage, while accepting the reality that criminals in prisons are receiving health coverage, whether or not they’re “legal’ or ‘illegal’ inmates? What is your take on universal health coverage for all Americans?
Hi everyone, another great day in our lives doing the best we can for others and ourselves. It’s July 28th, 2009 meaning that summer is half over. Remember Jackie Kennedy, Joe E. Brown or Beatrix Potter? Though long gone they remain in our hearts. All three were born this date and a happy birthday to all others born on this day. Talk about differences among nations, the following discrepancy caught my eye. While here in the good ole US of A we celebrate National Milk Chocolate Day, in China it’s the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts and in Ireland it’s Domhnach Chrom Day. The banality of our celebration is completely smoked by those in China and Ireland. And it would be interesting to learn which country treats its seniors best. Certainly here in this country we could do much better caring for the aged. When it comes to dividing up the Gross National Product (GNP), seniors get the crumbs off the table. It’s truly an enigma that the group that votes most, get the least portion of the financial pie. In the Army the unwanted are called supernumeraries. Our society has a lot of unkind words to label us seniors. The rest of the population seems to ignore how quickly they will become seniors. I firmly believe that if we had better healthcare, as people eventually wander into the Golden Years there would be more independent seniors, less members of that hallowed group that would need those expensive personnel care and services. Remember, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.”
Hi everyone. Today, July 27, 2009 brings a bit of good news. I sent a memo to the executive director of this senior citizens facility about the code violations of the American Disabilities Act, which specify that access to entrances, exits and paths of travel shall require no more than 5 lbs. of force to operate. Surprisingly, the response from management was immediate with a promise to secure the services of a door expert. Four working days later, the door expert showed up and adjusted the doors on the four public restrooms in the building. I had several residents test the force needed to operate the doors and all said it was much better. For the benefit of those who may want to know the citation in the American Disabilities Act, which has been incorporated into the California code, the reference is titled “Section 1133B General Accessibility For Entrances, Exits and Paths of Travel. Go to 1133B.2.5 Closer-effort to operate doors. Maximum effort to operate doors shall not exceed 5 lbs….”
The timely response to the memo was appreciated, indicating that the management of assisted living facility does not want to be in violation of building codes. Compliance is far cheaper than a lawsuit. Recently, there was another example of citing code violations to achieve a goal. The entrance stairway failed to have an accessible handrail to aid those using the front steps. Here again, management responded positively when the code violation was noted in writing. A very fine proper handrail now exists down the center of the front steps to the entrance of the building. The lesson here is that no matter the complaint or suggestion, if there is a building code violation, management will respond to written notice quickly and favorably. It is noted that this information is a follow-up to the paragraphs immediately below.
For those planning to enter an assisted living facility, remember that management holds all the power. Don’t be surprised if the level of care and services that existed when you signed the contract, is decreased after you become a resident. Also, if you have a suggestion or complaint, be patient. Promises to “look into it” are like pie-crusts, they’re meant to be broken. Jonathon Swift said that a long time ago and it’s just as true today. Even if the issue is one of safety, don’t expect wonders. Responses from management include a litany of roadblocks: “The Board has it under advisement,” “Bids are out for contracts,” “These things take time,” etc. Recently at this facility, I related residents complaints that they were having trouble accessing its public bathhrooms, noting heavy doors and handles. The suggestion was made to install automatic door openers to solve the problem. Management deferred interest in the matter with claims they have done the best they can. Also claiming that the building was designed for seniors, so it must be in compliance with building codes. Well, a review of the state building codes made in compliance with the American Disabilities Act, clearly stated that “Maximum effort to operate doors shall not exceed 5 lbs for exterior and interior doors, such pull or pull efforts applied at right angles to hinged doors and at the center plane of sliding or folding doors. Compensating devices or automatic door operators may be utilized to meet the above standards.”
A memo sent to the executive director of the facility was immediately met with a promise to get the door expert in to assess the problem. Is that a success story? Hold your breath, because it might hit managerial snags such as those previously mentioned. You can rest assured that the follow-up will come under close surveillance. Unfortunately, it’s an example where even when a safety issue is involved, management will not cooperate. In this case, the apparent threat of building inspectors descending on these premises was the motivating factor. Remember, when you have a suggestion or complaint, you must formally advise the management in writing. In law, that’s called notice. Once they’re on notice, they can’t say that they didn’t know.