Gay Boomers and nursing attitudes

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I read an interestiing article, in the NYT, today. Apparently the first wave of gay boomers have begun to hit our LTC, Assisted Living, home health agencies. And more and more of them are being belittled, receiving less then quality care, being transfered to units that are not appropriate to them because of other residents. I am wondering, has anyone encountered this yet? What has happen? What is your attitidue? What is being done to correct the problems?

Woody:balloons:

Specializes in Too many to list.

Yes! :lol2:

(but of course the word I was thinking of rhymes with "here";))

I was reminded of a chant that we used in a demonstration

in days gone by:

We're here!

We're queer!

We're NOT going shopping!

A tribute to the power of economic boycott of businesses and towns seen

as unsupportive or unfriendly.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Is this a legitimate story or more of the NYT's sensational journalism. I find it hard to believe anyone is treated differently because they are gay. Everyone is taught in nursing school a non judgemental approach and I find this story dubious at best. Thsi is the same newspaper that brought us Jason Blair's mythical journalism. No longer a newspaper of record in my book.

I'm sorry you think that the article is based on NYT sensational journalism. Perhaps the Daily New or the New York Post print more stories to your liking and less sensational?

I don't think that the NYT or the Washington Post are prover's of sensational journalism. I don't hold the Daily News or the NY Post in very high regard but that is just my opinion. And based on the postings here, being gay and getting unbiased health care is not that far of the NYT mark.

Yes, the NYT made a mistake with Jason Blair but I am unaware of any TV new cast, new paper, radio broadcast that has not made a similar mistake. And unlike some, I don't hold one mistake against someone.

Woody:balloons:

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Specializes in Tele, Infectious Disease, OHN.
it's truly sickening, isn't it?

as another example re the fear and ignorance in society, i am beginning a long process of applying for a position in a public health hospital.

this facility is owned by the state.

the hospital exclusively serves the indigents (with a hospital-supplied homeless shelter), prisoners, medicaid recipients, uninsured, mentally ill, with a very notable focus to the AIDS population and latest research.

it has the latest technology, and a wonderful, wonderful reputation of its nsg staff.

yet, the people i have chosen to share this with, look at me incredulously...

that how could i even imagine wanting to work in a place like 'that'?

i have to smile, and shake my head.

it's truly disheartening to experience the dejection of those who are deemed unworthy of competent, compassionate care.

perhaps this is why this particular hospital is so segregated in its services?

that only those who choose to work there, are those with interests in working with these populations.

maybe, if there is a threat to the gay boomers, of being abandoned in their time of need, that select facilities should be created in treating another underserved segment.

you think medicare would see the need?:o

leslie

I am sure you will be a blessing to your future patients. When I worked exclusively with HIV positive patients I had friends in the medical field express concern for me. Not becasue I was on occasion going to crack houses to find my patients, but because they had HIV or AIDS. I am sure that the physical (hugs, pat on the back) attention and encouragement was all some of these people got. It was a privilege to work with them. I cannot go into the specifics but believe me when I say there are old people with HIV, grandparents, people who work fulltime at really good jobs, people who somehow survived the earlier treatments, brave people who have watched all of their friends and loved ones die. People with Leave it to Beaver childhoods and people whose parnets sold them for sex to support their habit. Gay, straight, male, female, ones who can't identify their gender. Back to the thread: I think this a great topic Woody and I have no doubt as the population ages this is going to be something some people are just going to have to deal with. BTW I have heard of male gay only retirement homes in Mexico. I would not be suprised to see some company here in the US tap into this market.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.

Recently I purchased a new cd out. One of the songs is so powerful . I find myself in awe of this singer once again. It imagines the world in such a better place. One of acceptance,diversity and tolerance. Imagine that she sings, when one wants change,they become the change. Imagine that,,,,,it ends in such force stating for the people,by the people.

If each of us really did become the facilitator of change ,imagine that?

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Specializes in Tele, Infectious Disease, OHN.
Recently I purchased a new cd out. One of the songs is so powerful . I find myself in awe of this singer once again. It imagines the world in such a better place. One of acceptance,diversity and tolerance. Imagine that she sings, when one wants change,they become the change. Imagine that,,,,,it ends in such force stating for the people,by the people.

If each of us really did become the facilitator of change ,imagine that?

So who is it?? I could use some inspiration:idea:

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Is general patraeus a nurse? Are the legislators of Texas nurses? The fact is there might be some very isolated incidences but did the New York Times cite where this was going on? Of course not it is sensational journalism to fit the left wing agenda of the NYT. On the other foot I think the recent photo by the Gay groups in San Francisco making a mockery of the last supper was truly revolting, but there was no outrage from the gay community or the NYT. There truly is a lack of acceptance in this country and it is directed at Christians.

Seems like all journalism's sensationalist these days, right? But NYT--one of the better providers of news in my opinion.

I am surprised that you find it hard to believe that GLBT people might be treated differently in a country that finds it so difficult to legislate civil rights for the gay community. Until just a few years ago, sodomy was technically illegal in Texas, I think. "Don't ask, don't tell" is still the MO of the US military, and General Petraeus has made quite clear his stance on the "immorality of homosexuality."

This country has a long way to go in fully accepting its diverse population, the GLBT community in particular. I remember the night MA instituted legal gay marriage--the first ceremonies were in Cambridge, and were conducted at midnight. The street was full of people celebrating, and cheering on the newlyweds as they walked proudly down the steps of city hall. It was a wonderful moment, and at the time it was easy to ignore the line of protesters holding signs saying "God hates F*$S"--in general, however, that is not so easy to ignore, and in some places that attitude is pervasive.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Is general patraeus a nurse? Are the legislators of Texas nurses? The fact is there might be some very isolated incidences but did the New York Times cite where this was going on? Of course not it is sensational journalism to fit the left wing agenda of the NYT. On the other foot I think the recent photo by the Gay groups in San Francisco making a mockery of the last supper was truly revolting, but there was no outrage from the gay community or the NYT. There truly is a lack of acceptance in this country and it is directed at Christians.

I happen to be a practicing Catholic. And I saw the pieces put on by MSNBC, CNN, and Fox. And as usual, Bill Reilly played the religious card to the hilt, stating that the Catholic Church was being mocked by the S.F. gay community, especially the Cardinal of SF. Seem like a few of the gay people, dressed in somewhat inappropriate attire, were given holy communion by the Cardinal. I have yet to hear of the Cardinal concerning this incident and how insulted he must have been, according to Mr. Reilly. My Bishop does not refuse communion to anyone and he should not because he would be violating his holy orders if he did.

If anyone has a right to be insulted, it is me, as a practicing Catholic. But I was not. I found some of their costumes rather imaginative. His attitude reminds me of the one taken by the Southern Baptist and their argument against Disney World for having a gay pride day at their park. They felt it was insulting to the religious left, just as you found the S.F. gays insulting to Christians in general. I have been to S.F. during their annual gay pride week. They have always been somewhat irreverent but the people of SF and the Catholic Cardinal takes it all with salt grain of salt.

As for the NYT, they did say where some of this prejudice was taking place. And two of the states were Florida and South Carolina, where the negative attitudes of the rightist is still a live and well.

I think someones knickers are too tied up in a wad but then again, Reilly's always are.

Woody:balloons:

Woody

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Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.
So who is it?? I could use some inspiration:idea:

New CD called The Awakening by Mellissa Etheridge last two songs on the cd called Imagine That and What Happens Tommorrow? Really worth buying !

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

Thanks for the CD info, I'll add it to our list!;)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Progressive Care.
My Bishop does not refuse communion to anyone and he should not because he would be violating his holy orders if he did.

how could i even imagine wanting to work in a place like 'that'?

I take two day off from this forum and I come page to three pages of reading. My my.

The above to two quotes struck me as deeply connected. We seem to have moved from a political bent to an ethical and theological territory. What a pleasure!

Although I live in San Francisco I have no idea what went on with respect to the Last Supper - not to sound snobbish but this sort of stuff happens all the time out here so we don't pay too much attention to it. That said, it strikes me that the person showing up at the communion rail with the intent of mocking of the Holy Mysteries is the person most in need of them. In the Byzantine branch of the Catholic Church we take the sacrament of Communion "for the healing of soul and body." Our archbishop did the right thing by administering the Sacrament. Anybody who is so wounded they would mock the church needs healing.

This brings me to Leslie's point. One might explain why one wants to work in " a place like that" by stating "Because the people there are suffering need my help." If one is of a religious bent, then one might point to the teachings of one's religion. The nice thing here is that all of them, without exception, teach us to have compassion for the suffering. Hmmm, when Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, and a host of teachers from India are all telling us to get our hands dirty and be compassionate then maybe we ought to think about it.

There is a Buddhist sutra (a verse from their Bible) that recalls the story of a group of monks that when to the temple for meditation leaving a sick brother monk behind because he had diarrhea. The Buddha came upon the sick monk, changed his soiled bedclothes, gave him some rice gruel, and comforted him. Then he went to the temple and upbraided the monks for leaving their brother behind.

A few years ago there was a story in the NY Times about an Italian doctor working in Vietnam when the SARS epidemic struck. He refused to stop working, even when he knew it would result in him becoming infected. He travelled through the countryside providing care and playing Bach on the local church organs. He died on a vent in a hospital in Bangkok.

I suggest that when we don't take the job in "a place like that," when we don't treat a pt with a disease that could kill us, when we see the prisoner as less deserving of care, when we ignore discrimination in care - we imperil our very souls.

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czyja- i am so impressed/smitten with you.

truthfully, i read your public profile...

and i KNOW, you are going to be such an asset to the nsg profession.

thank you, for being you.:balloons:

leslie

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Hmmm, when Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, and a host of teachers from India are all telling us to get our hands dirty and be compassionate then maybe we ought to think about it.

1) Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

2) You are a Byzantine Catholic?? I'm not, but recently had a patient that was and I would really like to find out more info.

:balloons:

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