They have basically taken the money incentive out of them by paying about $1,000 per year for a retired teacher, police officer, nurse or other professional to function as a “godman” or guide for an elderly or disabled person.  They strictly enforce the law that godmen are only to function to the extent necessary and that they are to provide a least restrictive environment.

With all of the psychotropic drugging, forced nursing home placement, locked down nursing homes forced on wards, hundreds of complaints I have heard, there simply is no doubt our US system needs to be overhauled.  In Sweden, the wards come to court and are questioned about what they want and the family is respected.  In the US, the wards are prevented from coming to court, are routinely drugged, homes sold without consent, nursing home placement is forced,  psychotropic drugs are forced on the wards, and little is done to stop this, with court tied in attorneys raking in huge profits on larger estates, tied in service agencies making outrageous fees, the providers and attorneys are are “secret lists”, the ward can only have an attorney from the “secret list”, allegations of deals in advance and deals made fill the 18th floor of the Daley center.  Something has to change, and radically.

Joanne

Click to access self-determination.herr.pdf