The view from the Idea Center

The circle of life can be cruel, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced at some point. The best memories we have from childhood are usually associated with someone who took care of us and made a conscious effort to give us those memories. Then we get older, into our careers, some with families of our own, and life tells us we have to take care of those who took care of us as they age.
 
It’s a constant battle for resources at that point. We have to work to keep our own lives and career going, but we also want to give our loved ones the best possible life in their remaining years.
 
That’s why stories regarding troubled nursing homes are so draining and infuriating at the same time. Six months ago, two Pennsylvania senators released a national list of problematic facilities and some were in Northeast Ohio. The Fairlawn Rehab and Nursing Center closed. Now, Summit County is attempting to tackle the problem with a task force.
 
The quote from Felicia Miller, who joined the task force after her mother was a resident at Fairlawn, is all too relatable. Miller didn’t know about the trouble with Fairlawn until she was taking care of her mother herself.
 
“It’s because she was afraid that I would come in and make a scene and then make it worse for her when I left,” Miller said.
 
Residents afraid to speak up means little chance for improvement. Other issues cited by the task force, like unresponsive facilities and concerns over sugar-coated tours conducted by management, contribute to the mounting challenges in improving our elder care.
 
The solutions are easier said than done: A dedicated, caring staff. Strict attention to what constitutes a sanitary facility. And a determination to give patients a dignified existence.
 
Can we get there? We’ll be watching the effort in Summit County.
 

I'm filling in today and Amy will see you
bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Glenn Forbes

Need to KnOH

Headlines from Northeast Ohio and Beyond

• Black Infant Mortality Rate Tough to Reduce — But Lorain County Did It
• CPL Union Workers Issue 10-Day Strike Notice
• Deal Could Take Many Schools Off Voucher List, As Group Threatens Lawsuit
• Shhh! The Impact Of Sound And The Health Benefits Of Silence
• Gallup Poll: Dissatisfaction With U.S. Abortion Laws On The Rise
• LIVE: President Trump's Impeachment Trial In The Senate

Your ideas

Veteran Cleveland broadcaster and historian – and now author – Mike Olszewski and his wife, Janice took ideatream’s Dan Polletta (and Clevelanders of a certain age) down memory lane earlier this week with a look inside their book, “From Captain Penny to Superhost: Tales from the Golden Age of Cleveland Children’s Television, 1950s-1970s.”

Did you spend your formative years in the Enchanted Forest with Barnaby and trying to do what mom said because Captain Penny reminded you daily? What are your favorite memories of local children’s television programming? Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.