I know what you mean -If it happend I get a job there so I would love to be Equal for them during smoking . I dont care what they Think cause it wasnt fair . But I never smoke LOL so I can take them go outside good enough ! you know ! big smile
Agree with you that Deaf with multiple disabilities/minority status are not well served by the community or the Deaf majority.
However, a point about smoking. The every two hours schedule might have been a stop-smoking program; perhaps the person was a chain smoker and the program was designed to lessen or help the person to cut down eventually.
It would have been great if the staff person could adjust his/her own smoking breaks so to join the client in the cut down. That's part of being humane.
Wowie, You are right!!!! I works for group homes as relief. I have seen all the clients complain thier staff tell them what to do or no smoking etc.. I told the staff they should go smoking with clinets same time or same hours whatever. I always go with client while they are smoking outside and i am just chatted with them.I will tell them to read the deafread.com
I'm saddened to hear this story. I work at the group home with mental-ill clients. What I would do in this situation? 1) Re-direct the client into something else - playing cards, watching TV, and going out for a walk. 2) Encouraging the client to drink, munch on some snacks or something for oral stimulation (toothpick, etc..)till it's 7 pm for her smoke.
For you as the eyewitness, I would encourage you to report this to the supervisor. Yes, it's the fact that people do oppress others, especially with the disabilities.
Quoted by Anonymous "For you as the eyewitness, I would encourage you to report this to the supervisor. Yes, it's the fact that people do oppress others, especially with the disabilities."
I was one of the staff present during this incident and I witnessed it. You know me too well since I'm a smoker myself.
When it was time for that individual to have a cigarette break, I was the one who offered this individual a company. It was pretty upsetting to see another staff who oppressed this individual. :(
Thank you for bringing this up and to have everyone recognize this sort of oppressions a Deaf person would do to another Deaf individual.
Hi there, I understand what you are saying. I worked in different group homes for the deaf, there is a mentality where the staff has to be strict with the clients in order for them not to manipulate staff in getting what they want. In some way, it is good and other way, they can become too oppressive. Like for example, one client who got her SSI check, she wanted a staff to give her money (she was a drug user), staff wouldn't give her money, she had a major temper tantrum. Another staff intervened and told this staff to give her money to placate her. Was it right or wrong? I am not sure.
As for smoking, the group home staff tends to hold clients' cigarettes in a locked drawer and gives out when they want them. Some of them have poor spending habits and will spend all of their money on cigarettes so staff have to keep track of their cigarettes so that they can have enough and be able to pay the rent and utilities. I am not sure if that is the case with this client or not. If the staff had given her a cigarette at 6:30 pm instead of the usual 7 pm, would she have asked for another one at 7 pm, thus running out of cigarettes and then she would have a major temper tantrum because she could not afford to buy a box of cigarettes at the end of the month.
Would you have felt comfortable in talking with her case manager about your concerns and see what she says?
One more thing, it is always helpful to check out with staff because sometimes things are not what they seem to be.
I work with small disabled children, some of them have to be forced-fed, otherwise they would NEVER eat. In restaurants, we have to be extremely careful because people may see us "forcing" kids to eat and call the police and accuse us of abusing these kids and then we have to explain to them that these kids have to be fed in order to be able to learn and function in school.
Maybe it is the same thing with the clients at group home, the psychiatrist or doctor has orders for the clients to reduce smoking or maybe the case manager wants to help clients learn how to save money and budget accordingly so that they can be more independent and possible live on their own. If they were smoking cigarettes all day, they can easily go broke and not be able to pay their rent/utilities.
I hope I am making sense. Of course there are some ruthless and mean staff who will oppress clients but then there are good and kind-hearted staff who want the best for their clients. So it helps when you can find out more information and then you can make a good judgement call if the staff is oppressing a client or not.
In this state where Diane, a few commentors who've left some comments on this vlog and myself... We are strong believers in Human Rights. We must follow the Human Rights policy under the Department of Mental Retardation and the Department of Mental Health.
If an individual is being oppressed in any way, that is violating the policy. In order to avoid the violations, some individuals need to have their behavior plans or goals to be approved by the Department of M.R or M.H. or through a clinican.
Human Rights in this state is very strong, unlike most other states.
Lee, Thanks for very much! I was planning to type or vlog but you beat me. Michelle, I want to remind you the Human rights is very important. I don't think you have had experienced with the Human Rights issue.
Some clients have serious medical issues and under their doctor's order. Clients, doctors and clinicians are carefully work together on their smoking plans. It is not easy thou because some clients have limited intelligence. -- Again clients still have rights to smoke -- even disregard doctor's order and even a few left of cigs and no money. Still staffs and clinicians' job encourage or remind them to cut down smoking. Like all of us. We are adults. If broke then no ciggies for us and clients. We are treated the same.
One of the staffs went out smoke while client who has a breathing issue was frustrated and waiting til 7 pm. She knows her smoking plans and she wants to cut down. (She is high functioned but somewhat complicated) It is not fair to her. It is considered as an oppression. The staff on duty should've waited til 7 pm as a teamwork. That client dislikes the staff (she is not the only one) Unfortunately she hasn't gotten fired yet! Hopefully one day she will!
I think I was impulsive and realized that i used the wrong word about force feeding -- I tried to think of the right word so Ill use spoon feeding instead as that could be mistakenly construted. Sorry about this.
Anyway, I do understand your concern about staff going out and smoke and leaving the client standing there and having to wait until 7 pm to smoke. You thought it was not fair and I agree with you on that.
I just wanted to present another picture that sometimes group homes or schools may do something that may look like that they are robbing the client of their independence or whatever when in reality, they are not and it is always a good idea to double check before jumping into conclusions.
I used to work at group home. It was very challenge and learning experience for me! I learned to respect every person. They taught me that every person does have their intelligence.
Anyway. I remember that they set the rule that we, staff, were not allowed to go out smokin' unless one of them want to smoke then s/he and I could go outside together. This would help them to feel 'same' as us.
I am sorry that you had to see that situation. It can be upsetting sight.
Kathryn
P.S. Happy note: I stopped smokin' since 2005, May 2.
Thanks for bringing it up. (I was catching up with Vlog news)
I did go through with my experience at Gallaudet University and work.
Giving an example, I remembered that a deaf-blind man was holding his tray while he was standing and waiting for help. NO ONE helped him at all. He became angry, upset and signed, " Why did not you help me?!" himself toward deaf people in the cafe. I saw him very upset! and I came toward him for help.. I realized that deaf people did not want to help him for interpreting food labels, drinks and other.. It was shocking to me.. They seemed back off..
Another example, they left deaf with wheelchair or disability alone.. They seemed not care about other..
I am not surprised that deaf people did oppress other deaf people. Why? "FAVORISM"
18 comments:
I know what you mean -If it happend I get a job there so I would love to be Equal for them during smoking . I dont care what they Think cause it wasnt fair . But I never smoke LOL so I can take them go outside good enough ! you know ! big smile
Thanks for read what I say
Sara or Shrimpy
Agree with you that Deaf with multiple disabilities/minority status are not well served by the community or the Deaf majority.
However, a point about smoking. The every two hours schedule might have been a stop-smoking program; perhaps the person was a chain smoker and the program was designed to lessen or help the person to cut down eventually.
It would have been great if the staff person could adjust his/her own smoking breaks so to join the client in the cut down. That's part of being humane.
Hi
Wowie, You are right!!!! I works for group homes as relief. I have seen all the clients complain thier staff tell them what to do or no smoking etc.. I told the staff they should go smoking with clinets same time or same hours whatever. I always go with client while they are smoking outside and i am just chatted with them.I will tell them to read the deafread.com
thank you for bringing this up!!
CMS from Boston
I'm saddened to hear this story. I work at the group home with mental-ill clients.
What I would do in this situation?
1) Re-direct the client into something else - playing cards, watching TV, and going out for a walk.
2) Encouraging the client to drink, munch on some snacks or something for oral stimulation (toothpick, etc..)till it's 7 pm for her smoke.
For you as the eyewitness, I would encourage you to report this to the supervisor. Yes, it's the fact that people do oppress others, especially with the disabilities.
Thanks for sharing!
That would be called A U D I S M :)
Anon - I already did *grin*
Quoted by Anonymous
"For you as the eyewitness, I would encourage you to report this to the supervisor. Yes, it's the fact that people do oppress others, especially with the disabilities."
Diane
Diane,
I was one of the staff present during this incident and I witnessed it. You know me too well since I'm a smoker myself.
When it was time for that individual to have a cigarette break, I was the one who offered this individual a company. It was pretty upsetting to see another staff who oppressed this individual. :(
Thank you for bringing this up and to have everyone recognize this sort of oppressions a Deaf person would do to another Deaf individual.
LJP
Hmm,pardon my ignorance. What does DA mean? Thanx.
Anon,
DA is an ASL abbreviation for disability.
There's no need to feel like an ignorant. ;)
LJP
Hi there, I understand what you are saying. I worked in different group homes for the deaf, there is a mentality where the staff has to be strict with the clients in order for them not to manipulate staff in getting what they want. In some way, it is good and other way, they can become too oppressive. Like for example, one client who got her SSI check, she wanted a staff to give her money (she was a drug user), staff wouldn't give her money, she had a major temper tantrum. Another staff intervened and told this staff to give her money to placate her. Was it right or wrong? I am not sure.
As for smoking, the group home staff tends to hold clients' cigarettes in a locked drawer and gives out when they want them. Some of them have poor spending habits and will spend all of their money on cigarettes so staff have to keep track of their cigarettes so that they can have enough and be able to pay the rent and utilities. I am not sure if that is the case with this client or not. If the staff had given her a cigarette at 6:30 pm instead of the usual 7 pm, would she have asked for another one at 7 pm, thus running out of cigarettes and then she would have a major temper tantrum because she could not afford to buy a box of cigarettes at the end of the month.
Would you have felt comfortable in talking with her case manager about your concerns and see what she says?
One more thing, it is always helpful to check out with staff because sometimes things are not what they seem to be.
I work with small disabled children, some of them have to be forced-fed, otherwise they would NEVER eat. In restaurants, we have to be extremely careful because people may see us "forcing" kids to eat and call the police and accuse us of abusing these kids and then we have to explain to them that these kids have to be fed in order to be able to learn and function in school.
Maybe it is the same thing with the clients at group home, the psychiatrist or doctor has orders for the clients to reduce smoking or maybe the case manager wants to help clients learn how to save money and budget accordingly so that they can be more independent and possible live on their own. If they were smoking cigarettes all day, they can easily go broke and not be able to pay their rent/utilities.
I hope I am making sense. Of course there are some ruthless and mean staff who will oppress clients but then there are good and kind-hearted staff who want the best for their clients. So it helps when you can find out more information and then you can make a good judgement call if the staff is oppressing a client or not.
Michele,
In this state where Diane, a few commentors who've left some comments on this vlog and myself... We are strong believers in Human Rights. We must follow the Human Rights policy under the Department of Mental Retardation and the Department of Mental Health.
If an individual is being oppressed in any way, that is violating the policy. In order to avoid the violations, some individuals need to have their behavior plans or goals to be approved by the Department of M.R or M.H. or through a clinican.
Human Rights in this state is very strong, unlike most other states.
LJP
Lee, Thanks for very much! I was planning to type or vlog but you beat me. Michelle, I want to remind you the Human rights is very important. I don't think you have had experienced with the Human Rights issue.
Again Thanks LJP *hug*
Diane
Melissa
Some clients have serious medical issues and under their doctor's order. Clients, doctors and clinicians are carefully work together on their smoking plans. It is not easy thou because some clients have limited intelligence. -- Again clients still have rights to smoke -- even disregard doctor's order and even a few left of cigs and no money. Still staffs and clinicians' job encourage or remind them to cut down smoking. Like all of us. We are adults. If broke then no ciggies for us and clients. We are treated the same.
One of the staffs went out smoke while client who has a breathing issue was frustrated and waiting til 7 pm. She knows her smoking plans and she wants to cut down. (She is high functioned but somewhat complicated) It is not fair to her. It is considered as an oppression. The staff on duty should've waited til 7 pm as a teamwork. That client dislikes the staff (she is not the only one) Unfortunately she hasn't gotten fired yet! Hopefully one day she will!
Diane,
My pleasure. :)
That's right. Human Rights is extremely important. Hopefully, this issue will become nationwide someday.
Keep vlogging!
*hugs* back to you.
LJP
Oh boy.
I think I was impulsive and realized that i used the wrong word about force feeding -- I tried to think of the right word so Ill use spoon feeding instead as that could be mistakenly construted. Sorry about this.
Anyway, I do understand your concern about staff going out and smoke and leaving the client standing there and having to wait until 7 pm to smoke. You thought it was not fair and I agree with you on that.
I just wanted to present another picture that sometimes group homes or schools may do something that may look like that they are robbing the client of their independence or whatever when in reality, they are not and it is always a good idea to double check before jumping into conclusions.
It is interesting....
I used to work at group home. It was very challenge and learning experience for me! I learned to respect every person. They taught me that every person does have their intelligence.
Anyway. I remember that they set the rule that we, staff, were not allowed to go out smokin' unless one of them want to smoke then s/he and I could go outside together. This would help them to feel 'same' as us.
I am sorry that you had to see that situation. It can be upsetting sight.
Kathryn
P.S. Happy note: I stopped smokin' since 2005, May 2.
Hi,
Thanks for bringing it up. (I was catching up with Vlog news)
I did go through with my experience at Gallaudet University and work.
Giving an example, I remembered that a deaf-blind man was holding his tray while he was standing and waiting for help. NO ONE helped him at all. He became angry, upset and signed, " Why did not you help me?!" himself toward deaf people in the cafe. I saw him very upset! and I came toward him for help.. I realized that deaf people did not want to help him for interpreting food labels, drinks and other.. It was shocking to me.. They seemed back off..
Another example, they left deaf with wheelchair or disability alone.. They seemed not care about other..
I am not surprised that deaf people did oppress other deaf people. Why? "FAVORISM"
Thank you for your reading. Keep it up.
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