| Have you been searching for happiness? Is | | | | crutches or with help, but are forced to be in a |
| happiness within your reach? Do you miss the life | | | | wheelchair for most of your life. |
| that you used to have before you entered the | | | | What happens when you come from a hospital, |
| nursing home or the physical rehabilitation center? | | | | after an operation or after a bout with serious |
| Just what happened and when? | | | | illness or life-threatening illness and then you are |
| For the most part, from what I have observed | | | | transferred to a physical rehabilitation center or to |
| and from what I have heard from so many | | | | a nursing home for short-term care? What |
| nursing home residents, there are no happy | | | | happens and what is supposed to happen might |
| people inside of these places. Yes, there are bits | | | | be two totally different things. |
| of minute-happiness, a kind of joy that is | | | | One person that we know of (and there are |
| temporary that exists while residents are | | | | probably hundreds or thousands who have the |
| experiencing music programs or some other | | | | very same story) was admitted to a physical |
| creative events that some nursing homes | | | | rehabilitation center or nursing home for |
| schedule. But usually, right after the event is over, | | | | short-term care. When he arrived, he was sent or |
| a large number of the permanent residents go | | | | admitted to the short-term care floor of the |
| back to their general unhappiness. They wish that | | | | physical rehabilitation center (a nursing home) so |
| some visitors would come there all the time. They | | | | that he could learn to walk after his |
| wish that they would have more freedom, or | | | | below-the-knee amputation. |
| even some freedom. And they wish, most of all | | | | Once on that floor, after a very short while, this |
| not to be permanent residents of these group | | | | patient was transferred -without the request of |
| living places, these nursing homes and these rehab | | | | himself or his family- to the "long-term" floor of |
| facilities. | | | | the same physical rehabilitation center/nursing |
| So, you say that you have seen happy residents? | | | | home. Due to red tape and due to the double-talk |
| Perhaps you have seen the ones that must put | | | | at the place from staff and workers, the family |
| on a happy face or be penalyzed. Perhaps you | | | | and patient waited for weeks to find out why the |
| have seen the happy faces of those who know | | | | transfer. |
| that they are going home soon or even | | | | Meanwhile as soon as he was transferred to the |
| imediately. Or even so, perhaps you are seeing | | | | slower-moving floor (the long-term care) floor of |
| the happy faces of those who know that their | | | | this place, the staff permitted the patient to linger |
| family members and friends are on the way over | | | | in bed all day and night -until he developed |
| to visit them. But most likely you have not seen | | | | bedsores and until his muscles couldn't hold up any |
| any happy residents who are happy because they | | | | longer due to the long bed rest -that was |
| are destined to live there forever, in those shared | | | | unnecessary. |
| rooms, in those places where there is only | | | | Remember this is just ONE story , of what might |
| community dining and in other places where you | | | | happen inside a physical rehabilitation center or |
| have to eat what is put in front of you. | | | | nursing home when you arrive there for |
| Yes, no choices in meals. I noticed at one rehab | | | | short-term care -expecting to come back to your |
| center, they would give out the menus to make | | | | own home in a short while. |
| it appear as if the residents had choices in meals, | | | | So, here this patient and this family lost out, in |
| but in reality, the residents did not have choices in | | | | great ways. The patient had major losses as |
| their meals. Everything that could make someone | | | | bedsores developed and the facility never even |
| experience a little joy, was merely an illusion. | | | | noticed that bedsores were developing because |
| Is there any happiness in any nursing homes in | | | | the patient was in bed so long at the beginning. |
| America or overseas? Are there any people who | | | | Now, if that is one story, that is now out here in |
| are sincerely, genuinely happy to be there? | | | | the public, where are the other stories. |
| Probably not. But you ask yourself those | | | | Where is the happiness? Where is the joy in life? |
| questions but better yet, ask some residents who | | | | What happens to a person's joy and happiness |
| have the good fortune to be discharged from | | | | and what happens to a family's joy and happiness |
| those rehab centers and nursing homes. | | | | when patients who are short-term are turned, |
| These are vital questions to ask yourself if you | | | | unwillingly into long-term or life-time care residents |
| are sitting in a wheelchair for many , many hours | | | | inside of rehabilitation centers and nursing homes? |
| a day --but do not need to. This article is | | | | Where is the happiness? |
| addressed to those who are physically able to | | | | How does one gain the happiness back? |
| walk , with aid or without aid, with walkers or | | | | Edited and updated in June 2008. |