Letter: Policies make nursing homes seem like prisons

Graphic by Lori Deaton

I accompanied a senior citizen friend while he moved from his home to a Hendersonville nursing home, and the first thing the nursing home did was to put an electronic bracelet on him to prevent him from leaving.

I have since learned that entering a nursing home is the equivalent of entering prison for life without parole!

Once those electronic doors of a nursing home slam behind you, you are imprisoned for life and must spend 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the hellish environment of a modern nursing home.

My opinion of Islamic terrorism has changed. Now if there were Islamic terrorist attacks here in Hendersonville, I would perceive them as being karmic punishment and karmic justice to a community that knowingly and willfully just stands back and does nothing to stop local nursing homes from being the equivalency of life behind prison walls with no hope for being freed from behind prison walls!

— Richard D. Pope
Hendersonville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “Letter: Policies make nursing homes seem like prisons

  1. JT4784

    What nonsense. Monitoring is required in memory units for obvious reasons. Your friend is perfectly free to leave if not in memory care.

  2. Voirdire

    Nursing homes are a highly profitable and a highly unregulated business, which is a recipe for problems in any business/ industry. And, enforcement is basically non-existent for what little regulations they operate under. This is not to say that many nursing homes operate under challenging conditions, and many people who work in the nursing home setting are empathetic and caring people who have dedicated their working careers to helping the elderly for less than generous pay. No good answers here.

    • indy499

      Here’s an answer. No one is imprisoned. And if a dementia resident wandered off the letter writer would be the first to complain.

  3. Sheryl Fortune

    Many facilities bear the catch-all nomenclature of “nursing home.” There are varying levels of care provided at the many facilities in and around Hendersonville. From my personal experience when my father was experiencing cognitive decline and before he was moved to a “memory care” unit, a bracelet would have been beneficial to the staff because he was prone to wandering off. I hope someone in the business of assisted living, skilled nursing care, etc., facilities will jump in here and comment on policies for clarification.

  4. SusZanne

    Couldn’t agree more. After a 38 day stint in a facility I learned rooms only get trash emptied and sheets only get changed if you ask. Food is atrocious! 1 CNA for a floor 20 patients! Food always COLD and drinks not served with meal.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.