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			ALMOST HOME

Tell us what you think about ALMOST HOME.

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04/10/2008

I enjoyed your program of Almost Home. I believe it is very important for nursing home facilities to take advantage of volunteers to meet the emotional needs of their residents. My husband, my two teenagers, and I have the privilege to visit a nursing home twice a month to bring a church service to the residents. They elderly enjoy singing with us and listening to the message. I visited in an occasion when a professional singer was performing and I saw more activity in our service than in the presentation of this man, even though he was a great singer and musician. The difference was that in our service the elderly sing along with us. Thank you for your program.

Usen Nkere
Houston, Texas

The despair of despairs is going through life only to die alone.

Margaret Huyck
Chicago, IL

Play it soon! and play it again -- this is an excellent perspective on how we can make institutional long-term care more elder-friendly. It won't be easy, but this is a subtle, articulate look at what must be done to have places where we ourselves wouldn't mind living when we can no longer make it on our own. This has been an OWL issue for a long time: preserving a sense of dignity until the very end. All of us need to think about the options, and plan for what we want.

Coreen Hall
Phoenix, Arizona

Your show tonight about old patients in a nursing home in Wisconsin really touched my heart. To see how the old still needed love even when their spouse didn't come to see them, they would reach out amongst them selves Or the gentleman that would put his wife's make-up on really made me feel good inside. I would like to be able to see how they're all progressing in the future. May God bless you and yours

Stuart Bishop
Payson, AZ

We watch very little television, apart from Jim Lehrer and Frontline, but Almost Home by Independent Lens was of the same remarkable quality. Congratulations to all who had a part in preparing it.

Camilla Lubking

I just viewed the film on Nursing Homes. Oh My God! You got it so right from every aspect. A great teaching tool. Great work!!!†I am a Nursing Home Administrator and Registered Nurse-have been for years and years. This is the best and most insightful work I've ever seen on this subject. Thank you a thousand times.

Donna

Both my parent's have been in an assisted living environment since 2003.† My father passed away a year ago but my mother, who has Alzheimers, still resides at the home.† I could relate to just about everything in your story!† My brother and I are co-guardians and co-conservators for our mother (and our father, when he was alive) and it has been quite an undertaking!†

Lin Awe
Rockford, IL.

I was enthralled by your film. About ten minutes into it, you were talking about Baby-Boomers, like myself, needing to think about their future. I believe you are so right that many are in denial. The black and white pictures of clients intercut into your film were so stark. Suddenly, I was shocked to see my white-haired Grandmother in a chair about to get her hair washed. She was quiet, calm and looking up at someone to her left and then dead into the camera's eye. It was maybe 6 or 8 seconds but time slowed for me. She was at a nursing home here in Rockford Il. and died in 1987. I was shocked and happy to see her. Thank you for the gift.

Washington, DC

This film has the power and potential to change the way long term care facilities really care for people. All of us would want to be cared for in a place like St. John's. But....who will be able to pay for it?

Mark Bastian
Wausau, WI

How refreshing to see coverage of nursing homes focusing on positive stories! I'm a 13-year nursing home administrator, and have worked on two similar projects. Peabody Manor in Appleton, Wisconsin and Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh, Wisconsin are two premier projects which focus on small communities, home touches, giving as well as receiving care, and other innovations. Thanks again for the positive coverage!

Joan Dickey
Davis, CA

My husband suffered fom Alzheimer's and lived in a nursing home for six months before he died. Much of the film resonated with me. I would hope that more nursing homes could adopt similar models, but I'm afraid that economics will be a major stumbline block. My husband was on medicaid. The best nursing home in our community did not accept medicaid patients because of the low reimbursement rate. We had to settle for a second tier home because I could not afford a top tier home, similar to St. John's.

rmorgan
Bowling Green KY

I have watched the Almost home video 2x now and it was the most excellent documentary I have ever seen. It was a realistic portrayal of life in a nursing home from almost every perspective and presented both the value of and the challenge in providing person centered care. I am a District ombudsman and I will be using the video a lot as I train staff and volunteers. I also train physicians from the University of Louisville as part of their month long rotation in rural medicine rotation conducted by the South Central Areah Health education Center. I get them for one day to present information to assist them in dealing with their patients in LTC. I have already shown the video with very positive feedback. I plan on making it a standard part of my physician training.

Linda Breuckman
Columbus, WI

I enjoyed "Amost Home" from beginning to end !!! I have my own home care business to help keep clients in their homes and I work PRN in a nursing home as a occupational therapy assistance. I love the idea of team work, and the need for all to help the residents. I can not walk past someone in need and say "It is not my job", I told my supervisor I may not have 90% productivity for therapy because a resident, aide, or family member may need me more.

Thank you so much for airing "Almost Home". I'm from a family of 8 children trying to come to terms on what would be best for Mom and Dad. Mother has AlzheimerÌs and Father isn't very mobile. My Mom was always the main caretaker for both Father and the family. Father still expects Mom to carry on as she had before dementia took over. We had a chance to get them into a CBRF unit at the New Glarus Home - but because it was only a 1 bedroom and they insisted they would stay at home, we bypassed our perhaps only opportunity to get into one of these units. The folks no longer drive as we took the keys away. Mother was the driver and had many near misses due to her diminished capacity. All of my brothers and sisters were supposed to watch tonight's airing. I hope they did. The New Glarus Home is very similar to St Johns on the Lake. I wished we had made the choice for them. We had the chance to "try out" the CBRF and let that chance go. I think both Mother and Father would have flourished in the home. This is and has been their community for decades. I only hope there is still a chance for them to acclimate into the home and enjoy life with other members in their age group before all that is left is a vegetative state for both. I always thought the CBRF was a good choice, but after watching your show, I am more adamant that giving them the stimulation offered by the home would prolong both their mental and physical life much longer than just "surviving" at home.

Patty
Lodi, WI

As a caregiver in the same nursing home for over 26 years, I take great pride in what I do each day. I love and respect all,I have been privileged to spend time with over the years. I know the system needs to change and I feel responsible, only it is not my fault, I am committed to improved quality of life. Does society care about the people who work for the elderly. Brad did not mention anything about the value of what we do. Or the wage that is provided to caregivers. We want quality but who is willing to talk about that. Where are we going to find staff to be so committed? who is willing to pay for trained, qualified, caring staff?

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