Relationships -- it's all about relationshps

One of the heroines in my life is Carter Catlett Williams, a geriatric social worker. She has also been a tireless advocate for elders, going back some 30 years or more. It was a visit to a nursing home resident, a man, who was sitting in a wheelchair restrained with a posey vest that set her on her quest. His words to Carter haunted her and would not let go of her: “It’s a terrible thing for a man to lose his freedom.”

Armed with these words and their implications, Carter began speaking of restraint-free care at every opportunity. She was always told by health care providers that physical restraints were necessary to keep frail elders safe. On one speaking engagement, there was a physician from Sweden in Carter’s audience. He invited Carter to “come see how we do it in Sweden.”

The “Untie the Elderly” was one campaign in the late 1980s which was sparked by Carter’s advocacy. Today, I say with much gratitude and joy, there are young professionals working in the field of aging services who have never seen a posey vest!! Cater was a pioneer in raising a professional consciousness that tying people to their chair or their bed did not keep them safe, but in fact, caused damage to every system in their body as well as to their spirit.

Another core value of this noted social worker is embodied in her statement, “Relationships are the heart of life.”
Just one application of this central value is reflected in a recent article by Megan Hannan of Action Pact. Megan reflects on the role and value of pets in our life, and especially for elders living with dementia. She shows that living with pets provides opportunities for both giving and receiving. This is the link. I encourage you to paste the link in your browser and read it.

http://blog.actionpact.com/2013/06/07/caring-for-a-pet-helps-meet-essential-human-needs/