Comments on: Can You Pledge to be Compassionate? http://justadvice.com/2010/03/16/can-you-pledge-to-be-compassionate/ Uncommon Common Sense Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:21:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Opal http://justadvice.com/2010/03/16/can-you-pledge-to-be-compassionate/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Opal Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:50:44 +0000 http://justadvice.com/?p=502#comment-73 After observing a similar sort of oversight -- albeit one that, fortunately, did not result in death -- by the staff of a care facility, I came to the conclusion the problems we're seeing are the result of both overwork and a general lack of concern. Many nursing employees really do seem to care, but adequate manpower at their facilities is non-existent. And other caregivers, who are also undoubtedly overworked, seem to add insult to injury by lacking the type of work ethic that would lead them to stretch as far as they can. I'm sure there are quite a few people -- particularly those who have not lived as long as some of us have -- who will disagree with what I'm about to say, but I believe the impersonal approach and lack of accountability that raise our ire increase in direct proportion to population growth, electronic advancements, and litigious mindsets. There are, of course, other contributory factors, but I can well remember a time when a business call resulted in a conversation with a real individual, and not with a menu or a voice mail message. Those were the days when people, for the most part, were held accountable for their behavior on the job and were easily replaced when they failed to perform. I guess the kind of growth we're seeing is a double-edged sword. It's one that we, unfortunately, find hard to live with, but it's also one that we refuse to live without. After observing a similar sort of oversight — albeit one that, fortunately, did not result in death — by the staff of a care facility, I came to the conclusion the problems we’re seeing are the result of both overwork and a general lack of concern. Many nursing employees really do seem to care, but adequate manpower at their facilities is non-existent. And other caregivers, who are also undoubtedly overworked, seem to add insult to injury by lacking the type of work ethic that would lead them to stretch as far as they can.

I’m sure there are quite a few people — particularly those who have not lived as long as some of us have — who will disagree with what I’m about to say, but I believe the impersonal approach and lack of accountability that raise our ire increase in direct proportion to population growth, electronic advancements, and litigious mindsets. There are, of course, other contributory factors, but I can well remember a time when a business call resulted in a conversation with a real individual, and not with a menu or a voice mail message. Those were the days when people, for the most part, were held accountable for their behavior on the job and were easily replaced when they failed to perform.

I guess the kind of growth we’re seeing is a double-edged sword. It’s one that we, unfortunately, find hard to live with, but it’s also one that we refuse to live without.

]]>