Spirit tells me tht we deprive elderly people
of the simple pleasure of self-care when
we do for them what they only require
assistance doing for themselves.

They become the object of our care and then
they begin to lose the sense of self-worth
that self-care allowed them to experience
and express.

What if they are unable, even with assistance,
to care for themselves?

When they are dead?

Not physically dead.

Emotionally?

No. Not that either.

Then?

You’re setting me up.

Yes.

Then, please explain.

Explain what?

I have been a care-giver and have
personally assisted clients with
bathing and home care, but
I have never, as far as I know,
been anyone’s first experience
in receiving paid care from.

What has that to do with anything?

Clients have expectations of what
to expect from paid caregivers.

Where do their expectations
come from?

A social worker would have
assessed their needs and …

How?

By testing their performance level
of activities of daily living.
The results would be recorded
on a scale of from very well
to not at all.

The results of the assessment
would determine what assistance
the person being tested required?

Yes.

Have you ever personally known
any client assessed as requiring
partial assistance cleaning
her kitchen or bathroom?

It’s quicker for the caregiver to do
the job alone and the time she
or he is allotted to any one client
is limited.

Then, the client becomes the job
that is objectified;?

That sounds impersonal.

In today’s so-called health care
system, client care has become
very impersonal.

So, how can we improve it?

We can learn to care.

How?

The only way possible.

Personal experience?

Yes.