Available at: Amazon.com
I was recently reading a book which is 'a social worker's guide to nursing homes' by Elise Beaulieu, not the entire title, but a link is here. She tells of the rules and new regulations but doesn't seem to touch on the reality of the career, or short time in those places. I say short time because it's such a stressful job that most social workers quit after year one.
What makes it a stressful job? Well when owners and corporations want you to knuckle under to their regulations and rules, plus federal and state rules and regulations, it's hard because all those often conflict with each other.
Owners and corporations want you to think 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' meaning them. In reality, the hands that fee you and them are the people living there, paying to be there and lining everyone's pockets. But the First pockets to be lined are the owners of the facilities. Make no mistake about that fact.
Institutions have become such big business that they spring up all over, from prisons for adults (both state and federal), county jails, group homes (which are nothing more than kid prisons or prisons for people with developmental disabilities). These are billion dollar industries.
The book I mentioned also says nursing home social workers get a salary of $37,000 to $70,000...........Boy oh Boy, I'd like to work where she works. Sorry, but usually if a social worker breaks $30,000 in one of those places, they are doing well. She also mentions it's a predominately women's field. Know why? The pay is so damned crappy.
Don't believe everything you read.
