Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Calling an elderly person "Sweetie", "Honey" or "Dear" is now elder-abuse


Elderspeak involved speaking slowly... using terms of endearment such as "honey" or "sweetheart," and speaking to the adult as if he was an infant or young child. For that reason, elderspeak is also described as using communication that "infantilizes" the adult.  -Source
Not only is this type of speech condescending and disrespectful to older adults, it can be damaging to their mental health and well-being.
According to Becca Levy, a researcher on a study on the effects of elderspeak, by Yale University, the practice “sends a message that the patient is incompetent, and begins a negative downward spiral for older adults who react with decreased self-esteem, depression and withdrawal.   -Source

I would snicker except "Red Flag Laws" are looming on the horizon.

Does this mean I might be labeled as abusive and lose Constitutionally guaranteed rights if I call an elderly waitress "Sweetie"?

7 comments:

  1. If you are from The South everyone is "honey". So now they are denying me my heritage and culture?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That has been their plan all along: To make our culture illegitimate.

      The upside is that we can now call aggressors on the other side "rat-bastards" so we are not guilty of treating them like children and thereby triggering them.

      Delete
  2. For awhile there, our burg kept getting bomb threats to the court house. It was a constant. Many resources wasted on that, probably just from one guy getting screwed by "justice". Imagine the chaos that would ensue if Red Flag laws went Full Retard? It would not be very hard to keep the thin blue line occupied elsewhere. If still worried, just don't talk to anyone. Those fat old bastards are sucking up your tax dollars ( needed for diversity citizens ) anyway :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I’m ytping this from my hospital bed. Several of the staff use honey sweety” I admit i dont care for it, didnt like it at 50, still dont at 70. Came in for aortic valve replcement and had a small stroke on tablle, in the grander scheme of things, I’m not going to find anygrievence with people who are helping me. At this time my deficit is forefinger and thumb of dominant hand ers paralyzed and my brain is a bit scrambled. Last night i tried to make a comment about the chapter where kate does a home study. In late 90’s i was afoster home licensing sup for state aover a span of 20 years and a foster care supervisor untill i retired in 2013. I have no recollection of anyone not being associated with a public or private child caring agency who would by law be required to supervise the placement. I’m abit scrambled at moment

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry to hear about your health troubles.

      Regarding the Kate-Amish-Foster care home study.

      The last time I was on the receiving end of a home study, the actual language specified a bulb of a certain wattage above every exterior door and specified indoor plumbing.

      If a recently graduated social worker was fully indoctrinated in Progressive ideals, they would not be inclined to cut people who live their religion, people like the Amish, any slack.

      My belief is that the people writing the rules took shortcuts (i.e. specifying indoor plumbing rather than saying that raw sewage in the basement or crawl-space was forbidden) and in some cases the rules became a legacy. Specifying a 100 Watt bulb, for instance, does not technically comprehend the fact that the only 100 Watt LED lamps are so bright they are used to light parking lots.

      I admit to taking a few liberties with the sequence. My dilemma as a writer is to go into details that dilute the main current of the story or to use relatively few words to convey a bit of pertinent history.

      Thanks for calling BS. It keeps me on my toes.

      And I hope you feel better soon.

      -Joe in Eaton Rapids

      Delete
  4. Over the years i found social services had a progressive urban female slant. I was sharing with my wife, a story where protective services removed twin baby girls from thi woman drug addict, but wouldnt place with dad but drove those babys up to okemas or eton rapids, dont rember which to place with his mom. My foster care worker was upset because she knew when they went to court cps was going to recommend continued placement with grand mother. We called a meeting with cps about placement and beat down cps’s excuses and then i asked them will you recommend placememt wit dad? They pulled their trump card; “ we dont have time to do a study before court” I told them ok i will do it. Asked my worker to immediately do a background check, asked the young man if he could be home at 3pm today( it was 2 at the time) he could. Then i told cps, in the absence of any problems, we would be submitting a placement with dad recommendation. That yyoung man was not some marginal guy he was an army staff sergeant recruiter. He had his stuff together. Friend of court is horrible in its treatment of men, its as if men are useless after conception. They tried steam rolling my son during a divorce. If one of my people had done a report like that i would have met with the husband myself to verify. But luckily my boy had resources, we had a good lawyer, he’s handsome and looked very good in his lieutenants uniform(local fire department). He got 50% and equiable mony arrangement. Well I’ve nattered on enough for today. Blessings

    ReplyDelete

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