Posted 4/13/23
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Phil. 4:10-13 (for context)
Note: we all love 4:13, but many slaughter it. Paul was suffering. He was in prison. He was being abused, like many do this verse. He didn’t have your boxing pants or Evil Knievel costume in mind when he wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 🙂 There are other verses for that, perhaps. I love this verse. That is why I included it here on 4/13/2023. It isn’t directly in view with our topic today, but in a way…
By the way…the tough love is not over here. Please forgive me if I am a bit harsh today. It is in love, even imperfectly.
Are you familiar with Unclaimed Property? Missouri has a good site (HERE) for claiming money/things that were deserted. This site seems to point you to your state’s version: LINK although ALWAYS BE AWARE OF SCAMS. BE SURE IT IS A .GOV WEBSITE IT IS POINTING TO!!! This is prime scam territory because they will need your proof of identity, which screams identity theft. Be careful! Regardless, they are really helpful.
We are soooooooo blessed. Having sometimes piles of money that are so insignificant to our daily lives that a bunch of websites have to be created to try to pair it back with us is something 99% of the world outside the US wouldn’t understand. My wife has some as does my brother (our old business). We are collecting it now.
(Oh, I see where Blog Boy is going with this)
There are millions of folks in nursing homes right now. There are 1.7M beds, and the vast majority are filled. This, in and of itself, is an amazing thing. We can adequately care for these 1.3-ish million people much better than many countries even though many of them would be much better served at home with family caring for them. That aside, the nursing homes are bursting at the seams. 86% of nursing homes are very short-handed, with worse numbers heading our way. From the Alzheimer’s Association’s amazing 2023 Facts and Figures publication, there are a couple of number that will shock you:
“Although more direct care workers will be needed in the years ahead, the long-term care field is already struggling to fill existing direct care positions. Turnover rates are high in this workforce — estimated at 64% annually for direct care workers providing home care and 99% for nursing assistants in nursing homes — and recruitment and retention are long-standing challenges. In turn, instability in the workforce and understaffing across care settings can lead to stress, injury and burnout among direct care workers while also compromising care access and quality.”
https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf
Bottom line: There are a lot of folks in nursing homes and the staff taking care of them is both under-trained and tired. They quit constantly. 99% turnover rate?!?! Sounds right from my experience considering some enter and exit multiple times per year…. My mom has a handful of talented generals and lots of green recruits on any given day. Why do I bring this up?
We all need to do 2 things much better:
- We MUST support our loved ones in their nursing home. Of the Sweet 17, at least 12-13 were completely unclaimed property. Left into oblivion. One in particular was dropped off with the promise of being back later to see her…and never came back again. I acknowledge that I am not there 24/7/365, but I come at a variety of times and my stepdad comes daily too. After swapping notes with him and some staff…nope. Dumped like a flicked, bent cigarette butt. Dropped at the corner like a dog. Deserted like a…well… a nothing. I get it…it is hard. It is stressful. Sometimes it smells bad there. Oh, and as a bonus: Many…most die. Alzheimer’s is even worse! Some get violent. Some don’t remember you even though you have known them for your entire life. Is our being known THAT important? We know them… feel your pain and completely understand and empathize. I care. Let me encourage you. It gets better. You build relationships. You figure it out. Then, when your loved one is gone you can know that you served them to the end. Do they deserve it? I mean, maybe they were a bad parent? Maybe they are not nice because of three disease? Do your best…there is/was always good times. Help the others while you are there with your loved one. Smile. Pat their hand. Call them by their name. They are special. 🙂 Do something. 🙂 Trust me… they need it and so do we.
- We must support the nursing home and auxiliary agencies too. They work long days, often covering for people who quit with no notice. Be kind to them. Love on them. Bring them goodies…and encouragement! They matter not only because they care for your loved one, but because they are people doing their best in very hard circumstances. They could often leave and work elsewhere at a higher wage with much less illness, violent outbursts, and death. Serve them. Help hospice and/or donate to their causes. Become a long-term care ombudsman to bridge the communication gaps between the residents and the staff. Do something. 🙂 Trust me…they need it and so do we.
Bonus: Don’t forget about those trying hard to keep their loved ones at home as well. SeniorAge, my employer, fits this category. Help them by volunteering and/or donating. If your neighbor is a caregiver, invest in their life by spending time with them helping. Mow their yard. Better yet, from my experience talking to many, hang out with their loved while they mow their yard.
We have far too much “unclaimed property” out there, but drawing dust and, worse, dying alone. “Claim you a new friend today…it is worth every moment.
#EndALZ
Update: The last 2 days after the seizure have been better, as much as it can be. She has been on O2 much of the time which perks her up. I can tell you this with 100% certainty: We will never let her go unclaimed. 🙂 Like my Alzheimer’s Walk team is named: Never Gonna Give You Up.
Final note: We are not each other’s “property”. We are this. We are of infinite value because we are made in His image.
