Page 107 - Vibrant Living Scrapbook

“Side Effects of Institutional Care”
Not only are many positive outcomes commonly experienced in the Household Model, it also has shown us that many of the “problems” we were “treating” were really what Marilyn Oelfke calls “side effects of institutional care.”
Some examples:
• The perceived need to administer psych
drugs for “difficult behaviors” most often is caused by imposing institutional schedules that impede residents’ individual schedules.
• Supplements often are not needed when people’s preferences are honored and they eat what and when they want.
We need to re-examine our perceptions about cause and effect. Are we seeing what is really going on or are we falling back on the institutional answer?
Community Learning Circle Question
What are some side effects of institutional living?
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