What’s it like to be constantly observed?

For this exercise, please imagine what it would be like if you lived with someone who will make tea for you, take you to the shops, come over and chat to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Sounds good doesn’t it?  Well it might sound better if the person doing this is one of your choosing, maybe someone attractive or who you get on with and you could ask them politely to push off when you wanted some time on your own.

Sadly, you are living with a carer you didn’t really choose, they often change every eight hours and sometimes some group called “the agency” send someone over, in fact you’ve never met them before and they only seem to know your name and nothing else about you and you think he’s called “bank” or something.  It doesn’t matter though because “bank” won’t be here next week or perhaps even tomorrow.  He’s off to see another “client” or someone who uses stuff.  He must be important though because he often turns up dressed in some sort of uniform.

Imagine living in an environment where your every hour was documented. Not only did people check and note whether you slept well, but whether you'd had a bath, brushed your teeth, shaved, whether it was your period or leading up to, whether you’d had a good poo or whether you’d engaged in any “sexualised” behaviour.  Imagine there was a plan to manage your “sexualised behaviour” which was designed to stop you having any pleasure?

What if years ago you used to get angry because you couldn’t do things you wanted to and got frustrated?  How might it be if you were labelled as “challenging” from that point until the day you die?  Even though the reason you were angry was that you weren’t allowed to go to the toilet when you wanted or have a cup of tea when you wanted. 

Let’s imagine it’s you!

Scenarios you might relate to

1. The tram you take is replaced by a bus service which makes you late for work 3 weeks in a row.  Your manager writes it down in your work file.  Seems reasonable doesn’t it, after all they might need to monitor timekeeping as you’re paid by the hour. 
1. Now imagine that you were then labelled as poor timekeeper until the day you retired and nobody took into account it was the tram that was the issue not you?  What if for some reason you had moved jobs, but they still referred to you as a poor timekeeper?  In fact, you weren’t even aware that you were changing jobs until the day you were just dropped off at a different workplace (day centre).
2. You are seen shouting and getting angry at someone because they are about to break your favourite object.  It gets reported by a person you vaguely know to your boss, then it goes in your personnel file and the recommendation is that you attend anger management sessions to deal with your anger issues, but no one tells you why?
1.  Now imagine that if you don’t “control” your anger you won’t be allowed to go to the pub tonight or for a drive over the weekend.  In fact not only does it go in your file, but, anyone who has a vague responsibility to you also knows about your “anger issues”.  They might even have a meeting between some people (multi-disciplinary team) you’ve never met to discuss what’s best to do with you.
2. You’ve also noticed that not only do you have one carer but often a much bigger carer comes with them to “help out”, he’s not quite as friendly as your usual carer though and you don’t trust him.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could avoid him?

How would someone view you if the information they received about you was written many years ago and had never been changed or updated?  Imagine if as a 45 year old, all the documentation about you was written when you were 25 years old?  What would it say and how would it be different?

What if you disagreed with these assessments of your personality, but had no ability to change the documents?

Welcome to the world of adult residential care!