Tales From the Nursing Homes: Stories For Us All

Fro the past several years I have had the profound experience of working as a psychological consultant in two nursing homes that also contain rehabilitation units. While the physical care provided residents is mostly adequate their treatment as human beings defined by selves and identities is horrendous. Part of the problem stems form the way we, as a culture, deal with old age, death and dying. The result is that all the pain, existential anxiety, depression, loss of autonomy and dignity are treated as mental disorders to be understood and managed by the psychiatric model. The results are to reduce human beings to nonpersons who feel isolated, lonely, frightened and often filled with rage and self pity. Alternate stories are suggested.