Like any other working class patron of our fine upstanding country we all have to change employers at least once in our lives. In the "Care" industry you would hope that even whilst you are about to leave one job and enter into another you would continue to serve out your role to it's full potential, this is unfortunately not always the case.
I have seen it happen on numerous occasions where an employee in the Care profession has gained a new position with a different company, they just don't seem to really care anymore about the job at hand and think that because they will be leaving soon enough that it isn't their responsibility anymore.
What scares me about this is not only the patient neglect but also that this industry has such a high turn over of staff it makes me wonder how often this happens and is there a cause for alarm bells because if it's happening in front of my eyes surely it's happening in front of others.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
In the Congo
Another of my Colleagues who is from International waters has 7 children and has come to Australia to "escape" the certain perils of living in Africa, this is her story.
For privacy reasons I will call my colleague Ms. Congo; Ms. Congo is originally from the country of Congo which is located in Central Africa, northeast of Angola she was once married to a man affiliated with the Tutsi and Hutu Tribes (Please read below for background information on Tutsi and Hutu Tribes)
"In Burundi, a campaign of genocide was conducted against Hutu population in 1972,[12][13][14][15][16] and an estimated 100,000 Hutus died.[17][17] In 1993, Burundi's first democratically elected president and also a Hutu, Melchior Ndadaye, was assassinated by Tutsi officers, as was the person constitutionally entitled to succeed him.[18] This sparked a period of civil strife between Hutu political structures and the Tutsi military, in which an estimated 500,000 Burundians have died.[citation needed] There were indiscriminate mass killings first of Tutsis, then of Hutus; of these, the former have been described as genocide by the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry for Burundi.[19]
While Tutsi remained in control of Burundi, the conflict resulted in genocide in Rwanda as well.[20] A Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, started a civil war against Rwanda's Hutu government in 1990. A peace agreement was signed, but violence erupted again, culminating in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, when Hutu extremists killed[21] an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis.[22] About 30% of the Twa population of Rwanda also died in the fighting.[23] At the same time, the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country and is still the ruling party as of 2008. Burundi is also currently governed by a former rebel group, the Hutu CNDD-FDD.
As of 2006, violence between the Hutu and Tutsi has subsided, but the situation in both Rwanda and Burundi is still tense, and tens of thousands of Rwandans are still living outside the country (see Great Lakes refugee crisis).[1]"
In 1994 Ms. Congo was subjected to seeing a deceased mother holding her child who was still breastfeeding, the child was still alive "I will never get this image out of my head, you don't know how horrible it was to see something like that" she said as she told me of her experience.
Ms. Congo being the lady of the household at the time was singled out, knowing that the Hutu Army would come for her as they had for her fellow friends and neighbours she had to sell herself as a sexual object "I put on the smallest shorts I could find as the lady of the house would usually be covered up and have to wear colourful extravagant clothing, then I asked if they would like a drink of something alcoholic, the men put down their guns and started to dance and sing, this is when I could make my escape"
Ms. Congo fled (with her 5 children) to South Africa where conditions of things weren't much better. Staying in a cramped hot hotel room where the reception told her "Do not under any circumstances answer the door to anybody unless they tell you it is Hotel Reception" unbeknown to Ms. Congo wearing large amounts of jewellery was a big no, no she walked to the local store to buy some items and was followed back to her hotel room where she had to lock her door quickly once inside, she heard knocking and men’s voices telling her to "open your door" she knew that these men were here to kill her if she didn't give them her Jewellery.
After 3 days of barricading herself in her hotel room with her 5 children she finally opened her door to hotel reception.
Ms Congo now currently resides in Australia, hearing what this woman has seen and gone through really makes me appreciate the lifestyle and freedom we have in this country.
I believe that there are many other women out there that would have been through similar experiences from countries such as Africa, if you should ever get the chance to befriend someone such as Ms Congo she will put your life into perspective so far she is one of the most admirable human beings I have ever met.
For privacy reasons I will call my colleague Ms. Congo; Ms. Congo is originally from the country of Congo which is located in Central Africa, northeast of Angola she was once married to a man affiliated with the Tutsi and Hutu Tribes (Please read below for background information on Tutsi and Hutu Tribes)
"In Burundi, a campaign of genocide was conducted against Hutu population in 1972,[12][13][14][15][16] and an estimated 100,000 Hutus died.[17][17] In 1993, Burundi's first democratically elected president and also a Hutu, Melchior Ndadaye, was assassinated by Tutsi officers, as was the person constitutionally entitled to succeed him.[18] This sparked a period of civil strife between Hutu political structures and the Tutsi military, in which an estimated 500,000 Burundians have died.[citation needed] There were indiscriminate mass killings first of Tutsis, then of Hutus; of these, the former have been described as genocide by the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry for Burundi.[19]
While Tutsi remained in control of Burundi, the conflict resulted in genocide in Rwanda as well.[20] A Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, started a civil war against Rwanda's Hutu government in 1990. A peace agreement was signed, but violence erupted again, culminating in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, when Hutu extremists killed[21] an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis.[22] About 30% of the Twa population of Rwanda also died in the fighting.[23] At the same time, the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country and is still the ruling party as of 2008. Burundi is also currently governed by a former rebel group, the Hutu CNDD-FDD.
As of 2006, violence between the Hutu and Tutsi has subsided, but the situation in both Rwanda and Burundi is still tense, and tens of thousands of Rwandans are still living outside the country (see Great Lakes refugee crisis).[1]"
Excerpt taken from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu
In 1994 Ms. Congo was subjected to seeing a deceased mother holding her child who was still breastfeeding, the child was still alive "I will never get this image out of my head, you don't know how horrible it was to see something like that" she said as she told me of her experience.
Ms. Congo being the lady of the household at the time was singled out, knowing that the Hutu Army would come for her as they had for her fellow friends and neighbours she had to sell herself as a sexual object "I put on the smallest shorts I could find as the lady of the house would usually be covered up and have to wear colourful extravagant clothing, then I asked if they would like a drink of something alcoholic, the men put down their guns and started to dance and sing, this is when I could make my escape"
Ms. Congo fled (with her 5 children) to South Africa where conditions of things weren't much better. Staying in a cramped hot hotel room where the reception told her "Do not under any circumstances answer the door to anybody unless they tell you it is Hotel Reception" unbeknown to Ms. Congo wearing large amounts of jewellery was a big no, no she walked to the local store to buy some items and was followed back to her hotel room where she had to lock her door quickly once inside, she heard knocking and men’s voices telling her to "open your door" she knew that these men were here to kill her if she didn't give them her Jewellery.
After 3 days of barricading herself in her hotel room with her 5 children she finally opened her door to hotel reception.
Ms Congo now currently resides in Australia, hearing what this woman has seen and gone through really makes me appreciate the lifestyle and freedom we have in this country.
I believe that there are many other women out there that would have been through similar experiences from countries such as Africa, if you should ever get the chance to befriend someone such as Ms Congo she will put your life into perspective so far she is one of the most admirable human beings I have ever met.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
An international perspective on Australia's aged care system
This morning I arrived at work and over our coffee break discussed with a fellow colleauge (who is from international waters) the finer points of Australia’s aged care system.
My colleague who we will call Mr H for privacy reasons spoke to me about his studies in the mental health profession, we then moved on to the topic of different cultural differences in aged care as Mr H is from a country where parents raise their children to have a mutual respect for their aged, he was astonished when he first moved to Australia how we as a Nation behave towards ours.
When you are born what do you have? Well most of us have a Mother or a Father am I right, now think about this when you are at the elderly stage in your life you will practically revert back to a child like form not being able to be independent and having others looking after you, imagine that you are 90 and you have no family left everyone you know you have surpassed in years now what do you have, you have the health care system.
However some of us do have family, children as a matter of fact ....haven't you seen recent surveys babies are popping up al over the place in Australia. So why are we so different to say a country such as India, well there are subtle cultural differences for sure but in regards to the aged the children look after their parents when they are elderly, a reverse role if you will, they don't have nursing homes in India because there is no need to hide a family member away from the rest of society.
Just because they think you should have honey instead of sugar in your cup of tea and they occasionally tell your friends about that time you ran around naked on the front lawn you decide it's time someone else took responsibility for them, right.
What has happened to us are we really that selfish Me, Myself and I is that all we really think about now what ever happened to respecting our elders, and when did Australians stop caring?
My colleague who we will call Mr H for privacy reasons spoke to me about his studies in the mental health profession, we then moved on to the topic of different cultural differences in aged care as Mr H is from a country where parents raise their children to have a mutual respect for their aged, he was astonished when he first moved to Australia how we as a Nation behave towards ours.
When you are born what do you have? Well most of us have a Mother or a Father am I right, now think about this when you are at the elderly stage in your life you will practically revert back to a child like form not being able to be independent and having others looking after you, imagine that you are 90 and you have no family left everyone you know you have surpassed in years now what do you have, you have the health care system.
However some of us do have family, children as a matter of fact ....haven't you seen recent surveys babies are popping up al over the place in Australia. So why are we so different to say a country such as India, well there are subtle cultural differences for sure but in regards to the aged the children look after their parents when they are elderly, a reverse role if you will, they don't have nursing homes in India because there is no need to hide a family member away from the rest of society.
Just because they think you should have honey instead of sugar in your cup of tea and they occasionally tell your friends about that time you ran around naked on the front lawn you decide it's time someone else took responsibility for them, right.
What has happened to us are we really that selfish Me, Myself and I is that all we really think about now what ever happened to respecting our elders, and when did Australians stop caring?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
How do we fit into the mould
I usually watch the Style Network on Television. On this particular weekend I was in the shower and a thought occurred to me about all of the shows I watch, why do we want to change people so much?
Is it because we want everyone to fit into a "mould" that is set by a group of other peoples standards.
I offer you an example; A woman who looks like a modern day Betty Paige is not taken seriously at her childrens parent teacher meetings because the cookie cutter parents deem her to not be a sensible or a mature enough person to share her opinions based upon her looks, cue; enter the typical metrosexual host to tell her that she needs to change her look to be taken as a serious mother (please stop me here if you have lost me but don't you find this a little contradictory of societies views of us all being individuals) after much coaxing the woman gives in to a complete stranger who claims to be the next biggest thing in the fashion industry by letting go of her unique look, which also comes with her personality.
Then the "transformation" take place first they go through her home and private drawers to get rid of clothes that may remind her of her former self, next they make her destroy her possessions and finally they give her a brief lesson in how to dress herself after being able to do it for the past 30yrs not before sending her off to buy a whole new her.
This may be a self esteem issue but it certainly sounds to me like it's the other people that should change the way they look at life.
Is it because we want everyone to fit into a "mould" that is set by a group of other peoples standards.
I offer you an example; A woman who looks like a modern day Betty Paige is not taken seriously at her childrens parent teacher meetings because the cookie cutter parents deem her to not be a sensible or a mature enough person to share her opinions based upon her looks, cue; enter the typical metrosexual host to tell her that she needs to change her look to be taken as a serious mother (please stop me here if you have lost me but don't you find this a little contradictory of societies views of us all being individuals) after much coaxing the woman gives in to a complete stranger who claims to be the next biggest thing in the fashion industry by letting go of her unique look, which also comes with her personality.
Then the "transformation" take place first they go through her home and private drawers to get rid of clothes that may remind her of her former self, next they make her destroy her possessions and finally they give her a brief lesson in how to dress herself after being able to do it for the past 30yrs not before sending her off to buy a whole new her.
This may be a self esteem issue but it certainly sounds to me like it's the other people that should change the way they look at life.
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