Collaboration.We now live, of course, in a golden age of political harmony. We have congressional bipartisanship, compassionate conservatism  The of this article or section may be compromised by "weasel words".You can help Wikipedia by removing weasel words. and (its counterpart, I suppose) hardboiled liberalism, along with a willingness to listen to one another--to forgive, forget, move on. It's unlikely we will have a serious political argument in this country for years to come. And, by the way, did you know we have a bridge for sale here in Cleveland? (I can get it for you wholesale I Can Get It For You Wholesale is a 1962 Broadway musical, which became notable as the Broadway debut of 19-year-old Barbra Streisand, who was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. !) Seriously, probably no one in America understands better than the people in the long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. field that political contentiousness is still very much in fashion. Except for a brief warm-up during the mid-'90s, government policy toward long term care has tended to be more combative than creative. That's why it's so striking to see signs of genuine political collaboration in this field, without a trace of soft soap. A case in point is the lead article in this issue, in which you'll find representatives of the Kentucky assisted living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. industry, the legislature, a consumer organization and a state regulatory agency state regulatory agency A state body responsible for establishing professional standards, and for certifying professionals or organizations through appropriate documentation describing how they worked together to create a new law. For one accustomed to rancorous ran·cor n. Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will. See Synonyms at enmity. [Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin, rancid smell, from Latin debate over these issues, a collaborative enterprise like this is, well, astonishing-perhaps even inspiring. Maybe stories like this happen because assisted living is involved. Even though the field has plenty of problems of its own, there seems to be quiet but widespread agreement that society should not repeat the mistakes that have been made in regulating nursing homes. No matter how well Kentucky's new assisted living law works out, the story behind it raises hope for the future of long-term care policy making in this country. There are more examples similar to this. For instance, readers of NursingHomes/Long Term Care Management and its annual DESIGN issue know of our longstanding relationship with a group called the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological ger·on·tol·o·gy n. The scientific study of the biological, psychological, and sociological phenomena associated with old age and aging. ge·ron Environments (SAGE). Here the emphasis is on designers, facility owner/operators and government regulators working together to improve the design and functioning of long-term care facilities long-term care facility n. See skilled nursing facility. . This, too, has spawned success stories that inspire and raise hope. In both instances, we see people attempting not to impose their specialized world views on each other, but instead to talk things over, learn from each other, achieve compromise where possible and, in general, get good things done. In short, this can happen, even in long-term care. Will Washington take note? |
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