Gay Boomers and nursing attitudes

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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:

I dislike alcoholics. I refuse to take care of them not because of a dislike or lack of professionalism but because I know my dislike will be picked up by that patient.

I'm struggling with this one......if you'd said you dislike gays and refuse to take care of them, I think we all know what the response would be. But it's OK to refuse to take care of someone with alcoholism?

Kinda contradictory to the essence of the thread don't you think, since we're talking about nursing attitudes.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Progressive Care.
As he was being admitted to this facility he overheard several nurses exclaim, "oh there goes that patient, hopefully I don't have to take care of him."

Wow. What a horrid experience for your partner (and you). Was there nobody at this facility with whom you might have discussed this behavior? Did you report it to the state? At a minimum you might wish to inform your insurer and document that you never wish to use this facility again should the need arise. Best wishes to you both.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Perhaps another question needs addressing. Throughout history, there have been large numbers of women religious, the term used more often now for nuns. They have often served needy populations, and many of them have cared for people with HIV/AIDS. Many of them women have been nurses, some teachers, and a whole host of other caring professions. They have often served tirelessly, with little compensation, and have usually remained unknown.

Why do we find it amusing to mock these women? Would we find it so amusing if these men were dressed in burkhas? If they were dressed as Buddhist nuns? Why is it that Catholic women religious -- many of whom shared a profession with us -- are fair game for mockery?

Point well taken and understood.

Yes, everyone's fair game for mockery and just about no one is immune. Many people have a love/hate relationship with nuns. I love them and the service they provide, moreso than just about any Christian sect. Seriously.

Many others have fallen victum to their stern beatings and harsh judgements in school (although I don't thinkg paddlings are allowed anymore) and don't have such fond feelings for their service to humankind. Thus probably it's mocking those who have mocked and judged them. Two wrongs certainly don't make a right.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I was not judging anyone. I simply stated that we probably would not see many gays in LTC, because the lifestyle they live is more risky than most people.

Riskier how? Is it because of HIV? It's still out there and gay men are indeed catching it.

Is it wild unproected sex? Take a look at STD rates in young heterosexual men and women. It's near epidemic.

Extravagant lifestyles causing early deaths? How about obesity, heart disease rates, diabeties and other disesase of excess in the heterosexual community.

Suicide and homelessness probably causes more premature deaths in the teen homosexual community that the heterosexual one, so you got us there. But with acceptance and parents not kicking their gay children out of the home that could stop.

My extravagant gay lifestyle consists of me working like a dog 40 hours a week, struggling to make ends meet. I've slept with 2 people in 30 years. Yep a wild lifestyle I lead. I am more typical than not.

Just wanted to educate you some because you seem to be buying into some myths, many of which are mistakenly preached from pulpits around the country.

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Specializes in Too many to list.

Many others have fallen victum to their stern beatings and harsh judgements in school (although I don't thinkg paddlings are allowed anymore) and don't have such fond feelings for their service to humankind.

Yes, many of us have experienced the wrath of the Sister Mary Miserables

in our grade school years...

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
I'm struggling with this one......if you'd said you dislike gays and refuse to take care of them, I think we all know what the response would be. But it's OK to refuse to take care of someone with alcoholism?

Kinda contradictory to the essence of the thread don't you think, since we're talking about nursing attitudes.

My prejudice was a personal one. My mother was a closet alcoholic and as a child thru young adulthood, I took the brunt of her drunken rages and angry outburst. I could most likely work with an alcoholic patient now, I have come to term with my mother's habits and problems. I realized that she had little control over her drinking and always denied her problem. And when I realized that I was treating patients differently because of her impact on me, I got help. So, no I don't think I am being contradictory. It is the people who claim they have no prejudices that have the problem.

Woody

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Wow. What a horrid experience for your partner (and you). Was there nobody at this facility with whom you might have discussed this behavior? Did you report it to the state? At a minimum you might wish to inform your insurer and document that you never wish to use this facility again should the need arise. Best wishes to you both.

It might be considered a cop out, but we just let it slide. We had discussed the idea of filing a formal complaint, but figured that it wasn't worth the fight. My partner's insurer is one of the largest insurer's in this state and it is mainly reserved for senior citizens. They allow HIV+ individuals because they are covered under Medicare if they are receiving Social Security benefits. This insurer is going through some changes at this time; something about a buyout, and they do not have much compassion for HIV+ individuals. Unfortunately, I do not know much about the politics with this company, but I do know it probably isn't in our best interest to pick such a fight with them. Suffice to say, we will never allow him to be placed in such a place again. His MD agrees. I only posted this to refute the argument about the possibility the article Woody originally posted might have been media sensationilism; that rampant discrimination does happen to certain segments of society within the healthcare community. It is up to all of us nurses to ensure that our patients receive the best care possible regardless of who or what they are. We need to be their advocates, as we might be the only ones they have.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

Hospital nurses and doc were rude and disrespectful to the family. The pt died without her lifepartner with her.

This is just SO wrong! During my first week of school, we were told not to judge anyone by anything.. race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.... I just hate how society has to label everyone and everything.. it really burns my bum. Gay people have a right to the same medical care other patients receive. :angryfire

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Hospital nurses and doc were rude and disrespectful to the family. The pt died without her lifepartner with her.

This is just SO wrong! During my first week of school, we were told not to judge anyone by anything.. race, religion, sexual orientation, etc....

yep.

hindsight has taught me that what i learned in nsg school, was a bunch of ideals read from a book.

it sounds good on paper.

but the people teaching us these ideals, are the very people who blatantly dismiss anyone less than the status quo.

that was my experience, anyway.

imo, either you go to nsg school with an inherent set of values, or not.

your education should not have to teach one the value of common decency.

leslie

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Specializes in Critical Care, Progressive Care.
It might be considered a cop out, but we just let it slide.

I don't think it's a cop out.

You did what you needed to do. You advocated for your partner in at the time and you set things up to prevent the same thing from happening again.

Sometimes one's sense of outrage is so strong one wants only to wash the foulness of the experience off one's hands and not revisit it by writing letters and complaining. :o

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
well...."Mother" is correct. :devil:

leslie

Leslie...you know I was joking, right? Just making sure.

I completely agree with you. ;)

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Specializes in Tele, Home Health, MICU, CTICU, LTC.
I do not know if I have taken care of a gay person in LTC or not, they didn't have the nerve to admit it if they were. They do deserve the same treatment that anyone else receives. I do not think we will see very many of them in LTC, it seems to me that they die before they make it to that age. I guess this comes along the extravagant lifestyle that most gays live.

I can't believe you said this.

As for my extravagant lifestyle...it consists of working full time, going to school full time, grocery shopping, gardening, cleaning my house, taking care of my animals, and spending time with my loved ones. I hardly see that as extravagant.

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