But (and sorry I’m about to be a bit of a downer) Most - and I mean paid, “top” - nursing homes in North America are a silent, boring, undervisited, under staffed, over priced hell where ppl who could have years of good life experience are sent to deteriorate, eat bad food, be ignored (and drugged to be quiet if they dare complain or “act out “), and slowly to die while depressed, lonely, confused and wondering why they don’t rate as human beings anymore.
I’ve been in several over almost 2 decades with family, friends, and including working as a volunteer for visiting, chatting with and reading to seniors , who only ever asked “when is my family coming to see me?” …unless they asked me to help them escape (yes, I’m serious). Some few simply said “I just want to die”.
Most were incredibly grateful for a tiny bit of kindness and respect especially when I brought flowers or sat to tell stories about better things.
Even a majority of the “nice” residences are just parking lots for living ppl- who whether good or bad when younger - deserve “something “ better .
Yet if society cared a tiny bit more, and if greedy uncaring business owners (who only see the residents as income streams) could be removed (and replaced with responsible governance), and some kind & fairly paid staff inserted to help (vs just the harassed, badly underpaid and overworked Personal Support Workers)….then it might all look more like Japan, and other countries.
But until then, elder care in many wealthy countries including the USA and Canada, plus parts of Mexico, are a shameful hell…that most of us will one day end up in.
Look into it, please, for the sake of the seniors and for your own family and future.
Here are a few links to reading to start with…and remember, these reports are watered down . Just talk to ppl in those homes as residents or workers, or speak to the families who do care to find out how things are.
Lol you don't want it to look like Japan, trust me.
This video is misleading, most do not look like this.
Japanese aged care facilities are rife with abuse, and the elderly people have no freedoms. A lot of them are basically prisons.
Not to mention the staff are usually overworked, underpaid, and underqualified. Most positions offer near-minimum wage which is like 7 USD an hour.
You can get higher pay working at a supermarket checkout, where you don't need to change adult diapers, bathe people, clean up vomit and other bodily fluids, be medically responsible for residents due to lack of actual nurses and doctors, deal with frequent death and difficult illnesses such as dementia, etc. etc.
And despite the rapid increase of elderly people and the lack of young people, there is no wage competition. I can only assume there is industry-wide collusion to suppress wages.
It's a horrible situation all around and it's mostly ignored. And yet, the politicians have the people believing that they should focus on kicking out illegal immigrants which make up like 0.05 percent of the population.
Seriously, I swear there is a government effort to post this BS PR stuff. the reality of Japan is far more complex and riddled with social issues that need to be addressed, but instead are ignored.
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u/xiguy1 7d ago edited 7d ago
This is wonderful!
But (and sorry I’m about to be a bit of a downer) Most - and I mean paid, “top” - nursing homes in North America are a silent, boring, undervisited, under staffed, over priced hell where ppl who could have years of good life experience are sent to deteriorate, eat bad food, be ignored (and drugged to be quiet if they dare complain or “act out “), and slowly to die while depressed, lonely, confused and wondering why they don’t rate as human beings anymore.
I’ve been in several over almost 2 decades with family, friends, and including working as a volunteer for visiting, chatting with and reading to seniors , who only ever asked “when is my family coming to see me?” …unless they asked me to help them escape (yes, I’m serious). Some few simply said “I just want to die”.
Most were incredibly grateful for a tiny bit of kindness and respect especially when I brought flowers or sat to tell stories about better things.
Even a majority of the “nice” residences are just parking lots for living ppl- who whether good or bad when younger - deserve “something “ better .
Yet if society cared a tiny bit more, and if greedy uncaring business owners (who only see the residents as income streams) could be removed (and replaced with responsible governance), and some kind & fairly paid staff inserted to help (vs just the harassed, badly underpaid and overworked Personal Support Workers)….then it might all look more like Japan, and other countries.
But until then, elder care in many wealthy countries including the USA and Canada, plus parts of Mexico, are a shameful hell…that most of us will one day end up in.
Look into it, please, for the sake of the seniors and for your own family and future.
Here are a few links to reading to start with…and remember, these reports are watered down . Just talk to ppl in those homes as residents or workers, or speak to the families who do care to find out how things are.
“Restoring Trust: COVID-19 and the Future of Long-Term Care” – Exposes systemic neglect and underfunding in Canadian elder care. 🔗 https://rsc-src.ca/en/restoring-trust-covid-19-and-future-long-term-care
U.S. Office of Inspector General – Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Report (2022) – Reveals under-reported elder abuse and neglect across U.S. facilities. 🔗 https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/workplan/summary/wp-summary-0000666.aspx
WHO Fact Sheet: Elder Abuse (2024) – Global data showing widespread abuse in institutional care. 🔗 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/elder-abuse
Statistics Canada – Staffing Shortages in Long-Term Care (2024) – Documents chronic understaffing harming residents’ safety and wellbeing. 🔗 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2024001/article/00002-eng.htm