39. A caregiver's house

7/04/2017 Syl 0 Comments

The past years the care for people has moved from professionals to family, or better said; from educated and paid, to uneducated and non-paid.

The influence on me and my family is tremendous.

The oldest went from living in a house with professional care (office within the house), to living in his own apartment without any care at all.

The second son was living in his own apartment, rented from a care-organisation, with 24 hours service from professional caretakers, who had their office in the apartment building.
He suddenly was moved in the administration of a formal renting organisation, and the care was stopped completely. (The young women kept contact for a year, but it was their own initiative.)

My classic autistic son was moved from 24/7 fulltime care in the house with semi-therapeutic care, to his own apartment in the building of the organisation where the professional caretakers have their office and see him a few times a week. Financial care stopped completely so he's terribly in debt.

And I was supposed to get help in the house after I returned from hospital with severe heart failure, and got no help at all.

Society in many western countries has changed a lot.
People have to take care of themselves and families are forced to become caregivers, whether they're able or not.

I could hardly move around when I came from hospital, but it was expected I could step in the shoes of those professionals without any education or information. Waiting were those boys, a daughter with muscle disease, another son with ADHD and autism, and a husband with dementia.

The idea grew of a caregiver's house.
A large house in town which is for the support of caregivers.
It contains a library about caregiving.
A small restaurant so people can relax with a cuppa or walk in to get a simple dinner with the family.
It has rooms for consultations with doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and for group work.
Annd  large room for meetings, and lessons.
It has a few apartments for families with 24/7 therapeutic assistance, so families can stay together and can be assisted during mayor changes in life or when they can't stay at home.
Etc.

The building could be funded by crowdfunding, the running with assistance of gifts, donations and subsidies by the health insurance companies.

I've submitted the idea to a contest to improve our town.
The idea was welcomed, but I didn't win, because I had no financial back up.

Maybe... in the future....