The Truth from a Nurse Published Oct 4 2011

On Sunday evening I spoke to Susan Vickers a nurse on leave from the nursing profession. She told me that it takes three months for a resident/patient to become institutionalized i.e. realize that a residential care facility is the best it is going to get and for them to accept the environment. She also said that only ten percent of a resident's support network continue to visit on a regular basis. She described her work as looking after the abandoned. She concurred with management on my banning as I should have only visited Randy never mind trying to be friendly to others. Now I understand the silence I received from GPC management when I said I would like to adopt three or four residents so when I visit Randy I can visit them as well. Susan confirmed that the staff doesn't like visitors but will put up with them as they know that after three months there is a 90% chance of a visitor never to return. And in my case it was exactly three months from the time Randy entered George Pearson Centre until my banning. Susan opined that it was okay that GPC gave me short hours to visit Randy at times that were inconvenient to me and also that she didn't see Randy was treated in a discriminatory factor in that Randy was being treated differently from other residents as to visiting hours (10am to 10pm). The hours given to me were designed for the convenience of GPC and not for me or for Randy. During the weekdays there is much activity in the ward and he has stimulation but it is in the evenings, weekends and holidays that the ward is very quiet and that is when visitors should be visiting. Susan could see no need for me to stay more than two hours since he can't talk. No he can't talk but he knows that I am there and he can touch me and I can touch him. She also said that volunteers are discouraged in residential care facilities as staff doesn't want them to see what is really going on. The first day I went to visit Randy there were no chairs for visitors. Only visitors who have blinders on and only focus totally on their family member are allowed. In Open Ward 2 where Randy is there is only one visitor there from 10 to 10; 7 days a week except during the few hours he works. This bully sucks up to management and has for eight years. He is the one who makes sure visitors do not return. He makes visitors feels uncomfortable, he never shares even his newspaper, he controls the common area such as tv and food and who can even sit at the table. He spreads malicious gossip and lies. Even residents from other wards are afraid to visit Ward 2 when the bully is there. And the staff is wanting of him as then they only have to deal with him rather than other visitors or residents from other wards. What GPC should be working for is that each resident has a caring friend or two, an adopted friend, or caring relatives that visit more than once a year. There is so much humanity lost at GPC. What there is is the Stockholm Syndrome...identifying with your abusers so that you do not know you are being abused and are agreeing with them. I am told that GPC isn't a prison. I agree GPC is not a prison because when you are in a prison you know you are in prison. GPC is worse.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

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