Haven't Had a Bad Day Since Leaving the Nursing Facility
Harold Anderson interviewed by Talley Wells. Recorded for StoryCorps in February 2014.
A brief synopsis of the StoryCorps story:
Harold Anderson lived in a nursing home for several of the most traumatic and stressful years of his life. He describes the patient care as practically nonexistent; the walls smelled like urine and the CA's blatantly violated patients' privacy. Harold was sick for the entirety of the time that he remained in the nursing home and also sustained a serious hip injury from being forced too roughly into the bed. He also did not receive the proper physical therapy for his knee injury that the hospital recommended.
While living in the nursing home, Harold was in "the deepest, darkest depths of despair. . . . Sometimes I felt like just getting in my [wheel]chair and riding on the highway, come what may."
Despite having several unhelpful social workers, Harold eventually managed to escape the nursing home with assistance from the ICWP (Independent Care Waiver Program), a Medicaid program that allows people with disabilities to be in the community.
Harold says that he hasn't had one bad day since rejoining the community. Experiencing such terrible treatment in the nursing facility has given him a greater appreciation for the life he currently has, and he has now become involved in several different types of disability advocacy. As he says, "Life is good."
Produced by Talley Wells with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. www.storycorps.org