Thursday, March 21, 2013

Invading Workers' Privacy

If you haven't heard of the new CVS health policy - go here.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am outraged.  We need to put a stop to this corporate invasion of workers' private lives.  Another example: there's a hospital in Phila. that will be stop hiring smokers.   What next? No workers who drink iced tea?

I've written on this issue before, and it seems to be getting worse.  One report said CVS would also be insisting employees take steps to MANAGE their health.  Another report, if I remember correctly, said the percent of companies using some sort of punishment for not submitting to corporate health dictums has increased to around 20%.

We must not just shake our heads and think - oh, it's the OTHER guys and gals who are affected.  WE might be next.  Employment is employment, not a license to control employees off the clock.

Let's do what we can to oppose these invasive behaviors.  Be sure to post a comment if you hear of or are working on any action .

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Death of Lorraine Bayless

For sevreal days now, since I first heard the news, I can't stop thinking of the death of  87 year old Lorraine Bayless who was denied CPR by a staffer at the Glenwood Gardens residence facility.  This was in spite of desparate pleas from the 911 dispatcher. 

I can hardly believe this happened.  How could someone not only refuse to administer cpr but basically keep anyone else from helping as well?  In my opinion it was totally heartless.

The family says it was her wish to "die naturally".  First of all, there was NO DNR order on file according to all reports I've read.  If this really was her wish, why wasn't there such an order? I would think that would have been one of the first things done on admission. And did she really want to die collapsed on the floor with someone diverting all possibility of timely help?  It just doesn't seem right to me.

And of course we must not lose the big issue.  That is, this should NOT happen again. We need to make sure our elder facilities have decent policies and treat residents very well.