08/31 OT: Wednesday Whatchamacallit

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 5:00am

Image from page 120 of "History of art" (1921)

whatchamacallit

So yeah, might as well lead withCovid-19 again

Misinformation, disinformation, and non-information abounds. Scientific American recently published an article entitled Nine COVID-19 Myths That Just Won’t Go Away. ( https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nine-covid-19-myths-that-just... ) It's a fairly quick read which is a nice review and refresher, with a relatively short section devoted to each item. One that I thought they could've expanded on more is Myth 7: Spikes in cases are because of increased testing. . I hope that nobody truly believes that tests cause or spread the virus and are probably just echoing the great leader's words. Many, however, have probably bought into the implied fiction that we are detecting cases that would've otherwise gone unnoticed dur to our massive testing regime. This is, at best, afactual, and pretty substantially bullshit. Were we going door to door and/or setting up booths in malls and supermarkets, such a hypothesis might become vaguely tenable, but we are not. Far and away the vast majority of those tested are tested because they are symptomatic. They would not have otherwise gone undetected, they are not asymptomatic types that we never would have known about, they are being tested because they are already presumed to be sick. OK, enough of that.

Meanwhile, treatment prospects keep appearing Also from Scientific American Costa Rica Readies Horse Antibodies for Trials as an Inexpensive COVID-19 Therapy. ( https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/costa-rica-readies-horse-anti... ) Costa Rica, it seems, has an institute with a lot of experience using equine antibodies to develop and produce snake bite antivenoms that have been saving lives around the globe for over 50 years. They have also developed antivenoms for scorpions and spiders and treatments for botulism, rabies and diptheria. The general technique may also have promise against H5N1, H7N9, and MERS, the latter of which is a coronavirus. THIS is probably the money paragraph:

To test the efficacy of the equine antibodies, a few vials were shipped to George Mason University’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases (NCBID). “We wanted to determine if the SARS-CoV-2 virus could be neutralized by the horse-produced antibodies,” says Charles Bailey, a professor of biology and executive director of the NCBID. “The test we performed on the samples is called a plaque reduction neutralization test, PRNTest. We exposed the antibodies produced in horses, at various dilutions, to the SARS-CoV-2 virus growing on cell culture. The virus was neutralized.” The results of the research are expected to be published in the near future. (my emphasis)

Small scale human trials ae now underway and should be finished by September.

This, of course, is a treatment and not a vaccine. It is also cheap and that is a real problem. That may be fine for most of the world, but no US company is likely to get seriously on board for the meagre level of profits to be had unless they can somehow obtain a monopoly allowing them to gouge on a horrific scale, and I don't see how that is at all likely to occur. The FDA could, of course, withhold its blessing because "not invented here" or "not produced here" and wait for Gilead or some similar outfit to come out with its own version that it could gouge for, but could you trust it?
BR

Cop Stuff

THE JUNK SCIENCE COPS USE TO DECIDE YOU’RE LYING - https://theintercept.com/2020/08/12/blueleaks-law-enforcement-police-lie... "exposes" the fact that tons of police and police agencies are learning ascientific "techniques" from assorted quacks and applying them in deciding who is lying when. It explains that these have so scientific basis. In passing, it also takes a quick look at a favorite technique of US cops that is more or less designed to extract false confessions from the innocent.

The problem is that there is no solution to the problem. As we know, police and prosecutors aren't really interested in the truth, facts, guilt or innocence, or other such petty concerns. The courts pretty much aren't either. There is nothing in the Constitution or the law requiring police and prosecutors to rely upon science or logic, nothing. So, while this is useful information and yet another reason to never talk to those people, there is really no solution proffered nor any that I can imagine.

Is blockchain counter-productive bullshit, or merely useless bullshit?

Blockchain, the amazing solution for almost nothing - Blockchain technology is going to change everything: the shipping industry, the financial system, government … in fact, what won’t it change? But enthusiasm for it mainly stems from a lack of knowledge and understanding. The blockchain is a solution in search of a problem.- .By Jesse Frederick at The Correspondent ( https://thecorrespondent.com/655/blockchain-the-amazing-solution-for-alm... ).

I've understood for a while that mining a single bitcoin took an obscene and ever growing amount of energy. This is obviously problematic. I know that bitcoin has its advocates, but something dependent both on an infinite supply of energy and on a lot of third party computers as a primary medium of exchange doesn't really make me enthusiastic. Other than that, however, I've mostly ignored blockchain beyond getting a minimal familiarity with what it is. I've certainly never been aware of the massive hype that it will revolutionize everything, and wouldn't have bought that idea anyway because "vast energy consumption".

This article is something of a slog, but it clearly lays out, before getting anywhere near the environmental impact of the process, that blockchain really isn't some sort of wonderful tool, that 92% of the 86,000 blockchain based projects that had been started by the end of 2017 had been abandoned by that date. Why? Going right to the source, the article tells us:

Why are they deciding to stop? Enlightened – and thus former – blockchain developer Mark van Cuijk explained: “You could also use a forklift to put a six-pack of beer on your kitchen counter. But it’s just not very efficient.”

Also, the promised anonymity (where promised) isn't real. The security isn't so perfect either, as it is estimated that about 15% of all the bitcoin ever mined had been stolen at some point.

Then we get to the environment, talk about using a forklift to handle some beers:

And then there’s the environmental problem. The environmental problem? Aren’t we talking about digital coins? Yes, which makes it even stranger. Solving all those complex puzzles requires a huge amount of energy. So much energy that the two biggest blockchains in the world – bitcoin and Ethereum – are now using up the same amount of electricity as the whole of Austria. Carrying out a payment with Visa requires about 0.002 kilowatt-hours; the same payment with bitcoin uses up 906 kilowatt-hours, more than half a million times as much, and enough to power a two-person household for about three months.

And the environmental problem is only going to grow. As miners put more effort into solving the puzzles (ie, building more of those dark server caves in Alaska), the puzzles will automatically become more difficult, requiring more calculation power. It’s an endless, pointless arms race in order to facilitate the same number of transactions with more and more energy.

And for what? Mostly for nothing. Remember, this is just a jumped up database. For most conceivable uses it would be radical overkill. Even with bitcoin, making a simple bookkeeping entry takes vast amounts of energy, but bitcoin is special. But what is it about bitcoin? Its inventor was bothered because banks can just take money from your account if they wish. But do they? How much of a problem is this. More importantly, outside of the USA, which is perverse and corrupt, if you do not use the US Dollar, how much does this happen? The author really pooh poohs this, but in the US it is sadly all too real. If you have dollar accounts the US government can order them to be seized or frozen for a great number of reasons, mostly bogus, and should other than a minor bank fail, well, sorry about that. Bill Clinton's Bank deregulation plus the prohibition of regulations on derivatives of assorted types, plus the 2005 bankruptcy act plus Dodd-Frank mean that you're screwed. Arguably the FDIC will try to pay you the amount of any insured deposits, but beyond that, it serves to liquidate the bank in a prompt and orderly manner and you stand with unsecured creditors. Thanks to the vast exposure today's banks have via rampant speculation and gambling in futures and such, all of which are the highest priority creditors, you will get zip shit. You come after every single gambling debt that they have. Possibly you don't even get your insured deposits, because the FDIC's reserves are pretty puny. The answer, if you use the US Dollar and bank in the US, is to choose small banks, not the big guys. The small banks mostly avoid the gambling and don't have that much in outstanding deposits.

I said it is a slog, but I think it is good to read it all the same, it gives one a lot of clarity on a lot of things.

Splendid Isolation

Ever stumble across a URL that you are curious about or find interesting but you aren't sure that it is safe? You can, I am told, by BoingBoing, isolate it. You just go to this site: https://isolation.site/ which calls itself "ISOlation.SITE", enter the full URL into the box provided for that purpose and click the button that says ISOlate it. It should load, but, I am told, be incapable of transmitting any virus or malware to you. I have tried it in FireFox and Chromium running Ubuntu20.04.1 LTS and tested sites did load and operate normally.

be well and have a good one.

It's an open thread, so have at it. The floor is yours
.

Tags:

Open Thread

COVID-19

covid disinformation

covid treatment

cops

blockchain

isolation

Vote

Comments

Submitted by mimi on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 6:11am

I would call it the photo of the kings' palaces in the sky with

empty pants and all of them let down. Nothing in there of interest ...

ok, going to do gardening now. Have a good day, 99%ers.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:46am

Good morning mimi. Gardening, it would seem to me, is

@mimi
quite likely to be far more interesting that most things. Enjoy your day.

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by lotlizard on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 12:29pm

Dutch kids’ paean to backyard gardening

@mimi
from TV special Kinderen voor Kinderen 11 (1990), produced by Dutch public broadcaster VARA, then still a bit influenced by its original socialist, workers’ movement roots. Now subsumed under BNNVARA after having been forced into a merger.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNIZ_K9DPZU]

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 1:38pm

Good morning lot. Gardening is definitely a useful

@lotlizard

skill, I wish I was better at it, and wish I had done more to make our yard a garden when I was a lot younger.

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by mimi on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 3:59pm

don't know what makes me smile more

@lotlizard
the kids singing or the dancing dutch woooden clogs. Thx.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by QMS on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 6:33am

Thingamajig

The importance of keeping a log...

[video:https://youtu.be/j-DeL7T-CvY]

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:55am

Good morning QMS. Fantastic, very important indeed, Thanks.

@QMS

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by MrWebster on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 12:38pm

Very nice. Nominated for best actors awards.

@QMS Could not stop watching.

Submitted by MrWebster on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 12:40pm

Very nice. Nominated for best actors awards.

@QMS Could not stop watching.

Submitted by mimi on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 4:26pm

I bet you that the camera man and the video edtitor

@QMS
started a long conversation will all those critters, a noisy bunch in the chaotic tranquility. I hate writing a log of my daily activities, but your log is convincing me that something funny might come out of it.

I try to build 'an artificial river runs through' setting with the water circulating into a pond and back for oxygen. The well's pump would run solar-panel powered to move the water.
from the deep well's ground into an artificial river bed in the garden.

I want to raise trout and tench. So far only a pipe dream, heeavily opposed be saner folks among those who surround me. But "wir schaffen das" Merkel-Angie whispered in my ear...

Heh, I want to have rabbits, chicken, fish, lambs, goats, pigs and a hedgehog family. May be some beehive (beeyard). And my own seeds. Yep. I am working on it. Trust me.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by eyo on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 8:31am

does anybody really know time it is

8 31 tempus fugit
does anybody really care. i cant imagine why.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgF_ycCmF18 width:420]
bzzzzzt

hello somebody. im interested in reading an essential workers field report anyone seen such a thing. bueller. not here.

North Coast wine industry now faces smoke taint threat during annual harvest

Some growers may have crop insurance that could cover losses, although such policies are not widespread in the region, said Jeff Okrepkie, who writes policies for wineries at the George Petersen Insurance Agency in Santa Rosa.

Wineries that don’t have estate vineyards could be left exposed in trying to secure grapes elsewhere as a result of smoke taint. That will be especially problematic in regions where there have been extensive smoke exposure — such as the Rockpile wine region near Lake Sonoma — that may leave few alternatives to source fruit for this year’s vintage, Okrepkie said.

“The people who buy those grapes ... there’s no recourse for them,” he said. “There’s a ripple effect. There is so many things that can go wrong,”

bla bla bla etc.. notice more women pulling the big loads now where did the guys go. driving the robot pickers i guess. i dont know. those arent smoke masks i see in the photos. jhfc

delores huerta is sitting on her donors cash somewhere doing nothing for farm workers around here. maybe central valley is better but i doubt it. she just came around for some kind of cesar chavez day promo then gone back to her hovel in dc or where ever the union bosses go now. hello somebody. bobby kennedy is rolling in his grave you bastards. california still killing migrant workers mercilessly now for wine instead of table grapes. pandemic plus toxic smoke plus crowded house plus.

i guess the cannabis industry is not too happy either unless smoke terroir becomes the new thing. wait for it. anything to make a buck exports await. just like ireland when the landowners grew exports instead of edible food for their starving poor. got rid of 25 percent of their useless eaters thats the capitalist path forward. california so progressive so competitive its gonna beat that number. 30 percent population dead and gone within a decade. cant wait. good luck

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:16am

Good morning eyo. You know how it is spring forward,

@eyo

summer leap ahead, or something like that. Oh well, does anybody really care.

Perhaps smoky taint can become a thing, something akin to Bamburg's famous rauchbier. Ya never can tell. The article seems to forget that a lot of estate vineyards are in the smoke zone and some even in evacuation zones. Ah well.

be well and heal and have a good one.

8 31 tempus fugit does anybody really care. i cant imagine why. [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgF_ycCmF18 width:420] bzzzzzt hello somebody. im interested in reading an essential workers field report anyone seen such a thing. bueller. not here. North Coast wine industry now faces smoke taint threat during annual harvest Some growers may have crop insurance that could cover losses, although such policies are not widespread in the region, said Jeff Okrepkie, who writes policies for wineries at the George Petersen Insurance Agency in Santa Rosa. Wineries that don’t have estate vineyards could be left exposed in trying to secure grapes elsewhere as a result of smoke taint. That will be especially problematic in regions where there have been extensive smoke exposure — such as the Rockpile wine region near Lake Sonoma — that may leave few alternatives to source fruit for this year’s vintage, Okrepkie said. “The people who buy those grapes ... there’s no recourse for them,” he said. “There’s a ripple effect. There is so many things that can go wrong,” bla bla bla etc.. notice more women pulling the big loads now where did the guys go. driving the robot pickers i guess. i dont know. those arent smoke masks i see in the photos. jhfc delores huerta is sitting on her donors cash somewhere doing nothing for farm workers around here. maybe central valley is better but i doubt it. she just came around for some kind of cesar chavez day promo then gone back to her hovel in dc or where ever the union bosses go now. hello somebody. bobby kennedy is rolling in his grave you bastards. california still killing migrant workers mercilessly now for wine instead of table grapes. pandemic plus toxic smoke plus crowded house plus. i guess the cannabis industry is not too happy either unless smoke terroir becomes the new thing. wait for it. anything to make a buck exports await. just like ireland when the landowners grew exports instead of edible food for their starving poor. got rid of 25 percent of their useless eaters thats the capitalist path forward. california so progressive so competitive its gonna beat that number. 30 percent population dead and gone within a decade. cant wait. good luck

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Lookout on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 9:20am

All the college kids have to be tested

and their results have boosted Alabama's cases...most of course are asymptomatic. So I think increased testing is revealing more cases. That being said, cases are increasing at a decreasing rate, deaths are dropping as are hospitalizations.

Costa Rica is also a HCQ proponent and has a very low death rate.
https://ticotimes.net/2020/04/22/costa-rica-using-hydroxychloroquine-for...
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/costa-rica/

As to blockchain, my understanding is the advantage is it is unhackable. Many banks are using it... https://medium.com/predict/comprehensive-list-of-banks-using-blockchain-...
Might be a good technique for voting, too.

Bitcoin can be stolen from storage on your computer. Most people are now using wallets similar to a thumb drive. You're certainly correct about the absurd amount of energy needed for mining. However it will go on for only another 100 years or so...

Currently, around 18.4 million BTC has been produced, equivalent to minting 87.6% of the maximum supply in just over a decade. But it will take another 120 years before the last Bitcoin ever is minted, due to the gradual reduction that occurs every four years as a result of the halving process.

https://decrypt.co/33124/what-will-happen-to-bitcoin-after-all-21-millio...

I'm certainly no expert, but I developed an interest from Max Keiser and find the idea intriguing. I think gold and silver is the way most older folks hedge against the USD, but bitcoin is the choice of young folk.

Well thanks for the OT and y'all have a good day...another wet one here as Laura gets close to land fall.

Edit to add. You seem to be a few days ahead of yourself el 8/31 is next Monday. No biggie but thought you might want to know.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:29am

Good morning Lookout. Interesting about the college kids,

@Lookout

they could drive a testing based increase. Here I think they're pretty much all staying home still. A neighbor's kid was supposed to go to USC, but they're using video, and the kid isn't about to spend that kind of money for video classes, so no go.

blockchain is pretty much unhackable, but also uncorrectable. Make a posting error and it is forever. It will be interesting to see just how long banks keep using itgiven the obscene energy costs. I could see using merkle trees, but that's a different thing altogether.

Thanks for tipping me off that I've already finished Monday's OT, now I can relax a bit.

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Anja Geitz on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:02am

Using horse antibodies

To neutralize the virus sounds pretty ingenious to me. The work scientists are doing is very encouraging. The money big pharma wants to make from this is not.

—

There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:30am

Good morning Anja. Exactly what you said. Thanks for

@Anja Geitz

dropping in.

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by ggersh on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:22am

Stay safe everyone

of course that's not possible for everyone

https://www.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/igybbn/malaika_jabali_if_...

—

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:33am

Good morning gg. Thanks for the link. Cops and

@ggersh

white supremecists, fascists, nazis and that whole crew are allies, it just gets a little more widely known each day.

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by mimi on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:26am

Help. Caring for a family member sliding into dementia,

makes me sick. I met my limits.

Question: If someone is diagnosed of medium dementia, and the care-taking person can't handle the care anymore, because the demented family member is refusing any touching, refusing any hygiene keeping tasks (washing hair, not taking any shower, extreme water phobia, flipping out when a drop of water falls from a tree leaf after a rain on the patient, refusing to wear incontinence products to help prevent urine leakage into bed and clothing and upholstery on the furniture, those refusals have had their effects on me. Because of the lack of washing hygiene, extreme dry skin (caused probably through chain-smoking addiction), strong itching of skin, constant scratching of the skin til skin starts bleeding etc ... I have lost my wits.

I am not allowed into the room to take care of new bed linens or washing clothes that stink of urine. The patient expresses verbally aggressive behavior against me, when trying to clean up.

When I see tha patient opens letters, but doesn't understand the content (like paying for a bill or giving information to government or health insurance inquiries) it takes several pleas by me to get the permission to open and read them. This is often not granted and I have to sneak in to read them behind the back. The reasons I bring forward for needing to read those letters to manage everything, is met with aggressive verbal refusal or put_down.
I have full patient care and financial mangement authorization ((given while the patient had not yet visible dementia syndroms, written by and signed in fron or a notary), but that ends apparently, when asking for the permission to admit the patient to a care-taking facility against the patient's will.

Not knowing when and who decides about a complete - what we call in German "Geschäftsunfähigkeit" -, which is the legal incapacity of contract of a patient, I am lost.

I am told that a care-taker can not enforce anything against the will of a patient. But what to do if the patient's will is the intention to block anything and everybody from taking care of the patient's health, personal hygiene, food, general cleanliness of the house and personal bedroom environment and all managerial tasks, which you have to take care of in a large house and garden?

The situation makes me sick and I have lost now two times my patience and nerves and yelled at the patient. I can't understand, why the patient even doesn't accept to get help washing the hair. Unless she/he gets so aggressive against others or her/himself, that tha patient literally tries to harm/kill/attack someone physically, it seems there is no legal mechanism to ask for admission in a residential care home for those elderlies and mentally challenged, those, who are demented but not yet physically aggressive to their care givers. The patient is not physically sick, just psychologically and unwilling to move the body and the hands aside from drinking, eating, swallowing and walking from bed to toilet to TV chair and ten steps into the garden.

I can't get her/him to accept treatment from any medical doctor or any therapist. The patient refused twice to be brought to a hospital for longer-lasting medical exams. Twice during the last one and a half years we felt it necessary to call the Red Cross to bring her into a hospital. She was then checked out in the hospital and being released with the diagnosis that she has no physical conditions that indicate any health problems.

I can't understand the laws. Doctors literally tell me I have to wait til she physically becomes a threat to her own life or that of others, for them to admit her in a facility. My logic tells me, that will be probably too late.

Is someone around here, who could help me find and understand the legal situation for a caretaker who needs care for her care-taking responsibilities, before it is too late?

Any doctors in the house? We had once two writing here. One was made to go, I believe, and the other seems to be gone on its own. I regret that. I would need some advice now. I need to know how to get a guardian for the patient against the will of the patient.

I hope I will not suffer any dementia when I grow older. And I hadn't in mind to sacrifice mz own old age's well-being for the care of the patient Nobocy around who even knows all of it, and if they were to know, they would certainly not wanting to know and take a hike instead of supporting me finding a solution, that would 'set me free again'.

Hell. [video:https://youtu.be/55s3T7VRQSc]

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:38am

Good morning mimi. I wish I could help or even offer

@mimi

advice, but that is well beyond my knowledge and abilities. i don't even know what can be done here in such a case. I know that people can sometimes get others committed to care facilities under similar circumstances, but that is all I know, and here such facilities are expensive unless one can finagle state assistance.

be well and good luck.

makes me sick. I met my limits.

Question: If someone is diagnosed of medium dementia, and the care-taking person can't handle the care anymore, because the demented family member is refusing any touching, refusing any hygiene keeping tasks (washing hair, not taking any shower, extreme water phobia, flipping out when a drop of water falls from a tree leaf after a rain on the patient, refusing to wear incontinence products to help prevent urine leakage into bed and clothing and upholstery on the furniture, those refusals have had their effects on me. Because of the lack of washing hygiene, extreme dry skin (caused probably through chain-smoking addiction), strong itching of skin, constant scratching of the skin til skin starts bleeding etc ... I have lost my wits.

I am not allowed into the room to take care of new bed linens or washing clothes that stink of urine. The patient expresses verbally aggressive behavior against me, when trying to clean up.

When I see tha patient opens letters, but doesn't understand the content (like paying for a bill or giving information to government or health insurance inquiries) it takes several pleas by me to get the permission to open and read them. This is often not granted and I have to sneak in to read them behind the back. The reasons I bring forward for needing to read those letters to manage everything, is met with aggressive verbal refusal or put_down.
I have full patient care and financial mangement authorization ((given while the patient had not yet visible dementia syndroms, written by and signed in fron or a notary), but that ends apparently, when asking for the permission to admit the patient to a care-taking facility against the patient's will.

Not knowing when and who decides about a complete - what we call in German "Geschäftsunfähigkeit" -, which is the legal incapacity of contract of a patient, I am lost.

I am told that a care-taker can not enforce anything against the will of a patient. But what to do if the patient's will is the intention to block anything and everybody from taking care of the patient's health, personal hygiene, food, general cleanliness of the house and personal bedroom environment and all managerial tasks, which you have to take care of in a large house and garden?

The situation makes me sick and I have lost now two times my patience and nerves and yelled at the patient. I can't understand, why the patient even doesn't accept to get help washing the hair. Unless she/he gets so aggressive against others or her/himself, that tha patient literally tries to harm/kill/attack someone physically, it seems there is no legal mechanism to ask for admission in a residential care home for those elderlies and mentally challenged, those, who are demented but not yet physically aggressive to their care givers. The patient is not physically sick, just psychologically and unwilling to move the body and the hands aside from drinking, eating, swallowing and walking from bed to toilet to TV chair and ten steps into the garden.

I can't get her/him to accept treatment from any medical doctor or any therapist. The patient refused twice to be brought to a hospital for longer-lasting medical exams. Twice during the last one and a half years we felt it necessary to call the Red Cross to bring her into a hospital. She was then checked out in the hospital and being released with the diagnosis that she has no physical conditions that indicate any health problems.

I can't understand the laws. Doctors literally tell me I have to wait til she physically becomes a threat to her own life or that of others, for them to admit her in a facility. My logic tells me, that will be probably too late.

Is someone around here, who could help me find and understand the legal situation for a caretaker who needs care for her care-taking responsibilities, before it is too late?

Any doctors in the house? We had once two writing here. One was made to go, I believe, and the other seems to be gone on its own. I regret that. I would need some advice now. I need to know how to get a guardian for the patient against the will of the patient.

I hope I will not suffer any dementia when I grow older. And I hadn't in mind to sacrifice mz own old age's well-being for the care of the patient Nobocy around who even knows all of it, and if they were to know, they would certainly not wanting to know and take a hike instead of supporting me finding a solution, that would 'set me free again'.

Hell. [video:https://youtu.be/55s3T7VRQSc]

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Lily O Lady on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 3:50pm

My understanding is that you are in Germany.

@mimi

In the US, municipalities have zoning laws which might apply if urine and feces are a health hazard. So that might be a thing. We didn’t have any experience with anything like this the two times we lived in Germany on the economy. So all I can go on is a vague suspicion of what might be in effect here in the US.

We cared for my blind, somewhat demented after-in-law, but there were two of us and we brought in help part time. He wasn’t as difficult as you describe, but could still be difficult, especially toward the end.

makes me sick. I met my limits.

Question: If someone is diagnosed of medium dementia, and the care-taking person can't handle the care anymore, because the demented family member is refusing any touching, refusing any hygiene keeping tasks (washing hair, not taking any shower, extreme water phobia, flipping out when a drop of water falls from a tree leaf after a rain on the patient, refusing to wear incontinence products to help prevent urine leakage into bed and clothing and upholstery on the furniture, those refusals have had their effects on me. Because of the lack of washing hygiene, extreme dry skin (caused probably through chain-smoking addiction), strong itching of skin, constant scratching of the skin til skin starts bleeding etc ... I have lost my wits.

I am not allowed into the room to take care of new bed linens or washing clothes that stink of urine. The patient expresses verbally aggressive behavior against me, when trying to clean up.

When I see tha patient opens letters, but doesn't understand the content (like paying for a bill or giving information to government or health insurance inquiries) it takes several pleas by me to get the permission to open and read them. This is often not granted and I have to sneak in to read them behind the back. The reasons I bring forward for needing to read those letters to manage everything, is met with aggressive verbal refusal or put_down.
I have full patient care and financial mangement authorization ((given while the patient had not yet visible dementia syndroms, written by and signed in fron or a notary), but that ends apparently, when asking for the permission to admit the patient to a care-taking facility against the patient's will.

Not knowing when and who decides about a complete - what we call in German "Geschäftsunfähigkeit" -, which is the legal incapacity of contract of a patient, I am lost.

I am told that a care-taker can not enforce anything against the will of a patient. But what to do if the patient's will is the intention to block anything and everybody from taking care of the patient's health, personal hygiene, food, general cleanliness of the house and personal bedroom environment and all managerial tasks, which you have to take care of in a large house and garden?

The situation makes me sick and I have lost now two times my patience and nerves and yelled at the patient. I can't understand, why the patient even doesn't accept to get help washing the hair. Unless she/he gets so aggressive against others or her/himself, that tha patient literally tries to harm/kill/attack someone physically, it seems there is no legal mechanism to ask for admission in a residential care home for those elderlies and mentally challenged, those, who are demented but not yet physically aggressive to their care givers. The patient is not physically sick, just psychologically and unwilling to move the body and the hands aside from drinking, eating, swallowing and walking from bed to toilet to TV chair and ten steps into the garden.

I can't get her/him to accept treatment from any medical doctor or any therapist. The patient refused twice to be brought to a hospital for longer-lasting medical exams. Twice during the last one and a half years we felt it necessary to call the Red Cross to bring her into a hospital. She was then checked out in the hospital and being released with the diagnosis that she has no physical conditions that indicate any health problems.

I can't understand the laws. Doctors literally tell me I have to wait til she physically becomes a threat to her own life or that of others, for them to admit her in a facility. My logic tells me, that will be probably too late.

Is someone around here, who could help me find and understand the legal situation for a caretaker who needs care for her care-taking responsibilities, before it is too late?

Any doctors in the house? We had once two writing here. One was made to go, I believe, and the other seems to be gone on its own. I regret that. I would need some advice now. I need to know how to get a guardian for the patient against the will of the patient.

I hope I will not suffer any dementia when I grow older. And I hadn't in mind to sacrifice mz own old age's well-being for the care of the patient Nobocy around who even knows all of it, and if they were to know, they would certainly not wanting to know and take a hike instead of supporting me finding a solution, that would 'set me free again'.

Hell. [video:https://youtu.be/55s3T7VRQSc]

—

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Submitted by mimi on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 4:47pm

thanks, Lily O Lady,

@Lily O Lady @Lily O Lady
I really didn't expect anyone here to knowi the details in the German laws about it. Just needed to vent, as not understanding the borderline between psychological-based verbal abusiveness and physical abusiveness towards care-takers, makes me sometimes furious and angry. The hot steam needed to get out of my system.

Thanks for listening and responding.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by Lily O Lady on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 6:37pm

Does Germany has respite care? It’s meant to

@mimi

give caregivers a break.

—

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Submitted by mimi on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 3:57am

I don't know, but if it would exist, it would be just for

@Lily O Lady
the care-takers, who are licensed to be official care-takers and who get paid. Most folks have family members, who act as care-takers. The licensed ones are often way too expensive to hire. Nursing home care can be also too expensive for many folks, and the nursing home care is sometimes not the best one either.

If you have nobody among your family or friends, who are willing to help, or if just don't have any family and no friends left, or you are too poor to pay for the official care services, you are just the collateral damage that rots away in its own helplessness. Few people see what is going on in the darkness of homes or shelters. It may be better, because I know official care-takers, who just are too traumatized about what they find and see.

I hope I don't get Altzheimers, that is for sure. Or any form of other of dementia.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by Lily O Lady on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 9:02am

In the US respite care is meant for non-professional

@mimi

family members who are caring for someone. It is to help with the stress of constantly caring for a family member. I’m surprised that the US offers more support to family member home carers than Germany does. It comes under hospice in the US.

—

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 8:56pm

Good evening lol. Thanks for jumping in.

@Lily O Lady

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by snoopydawg on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 12:51pm

Finally some mandates for nursing homes

This is LONG OVERDUE that nursing homes must provide protections so people don't become infected. 8 months after Washington state started seeing outbreaks in care centers there and warning how vulnerable elderly people are to COVID. As I stated in last night's EBs Pritzker is still allowing people who are either infected or not tested into them which is criminal in my opinion. Others have posted the stats on how many of the deaths across the country are from nursing homes. Utah recorded 9 deaths yesterday and 4 of them were from long term care facilities. And it is not only the elderly who are being infected. Marie said that 54,000 care center workers have died from COVID. As usual it is low paid and people without health benefits that are carrying the weight of this epidemic. Poor diets and lack of yearly health exams leave people with underlying conditions that are ripe for getting sick.

The Trump administration on Tuesday issued new COVID-19 requirements for nursing homes and hospitals, prompting immediate pushback from beleaguered industries.

To check the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will require facilities to test staff regularly or face fines.

The move comes months after the White House first urged governors to test all nursing home residents and staff. With residents, nursing homes are being required to offer them coronavirus tests if there is an outbreak or if any show symptoms.

Officials also reinforced a reporting mandate for hospitals. It included the possibility of cutting off Medicare and Medicaid funds to facilities that fail to report certain COVID-19 data daily to the federal Health and Human Services department. Hospitals responded with a sharp rebuke, calling the move “heavy-handed” and raising the specter of loss of vital services for local communities in a pandemic, less than three months before Election Day.

Long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they account for 42% of the COVID-19 deaths, with more than 70,000 fatalities reported by the COVID Tracking Project.

“Our recommendations for testing in nursing homes go back as far back as March and April,” said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. “What’s different about today is that this is now a requirement ... we want to make sure every single nursing home is complying.“

That Pritzker is doing this now after seeing what happened in NYC is criminal. Instead he will probably join Newsom, Cuomo and other states governors giving them immunity. In fact the GOP loved what Cuomo wrote for nursing home immunity they used it to write up their corporations immunity bill so that it effectively guts worker's compensation laws. Think this will just be used for the current epidemic. Me neither. It will be here to stay.

The corporate coup continues rolling along unabated.

—

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 12:57pm

From the comments

@snoopydawg

Mehthistateisodd, as a healthcare worker in a long term care facility, we are absolutely not refusing to comply. The is a delicate balance between what's reasonable and what's not. We have so many strict policies in place, including one that restricts family members from visiting their loved ones. We get so much push-back every day from distraught family members, from residents who are dying of depression and isolation. It's heartbreaking but we don't budge from what is required of us, despite sometimes being treated terribly by people who think we made those rules. We already have been testing staff once a month. It's not fun getting that stick shoved through your nose to the back of your throat every month. It's not fun telling family members they can't come in to say goodbye to a loved one who is dying. We have had zero cases of COVID with our staff and residents so far. Don't make assumptions that we refuse to comply. Just try to understand that it is so much extra thankless work that we don't get paid extra for.

One more.

I agree with sabrered assessment of what is happening in long term care facilities. I have a family member that works at one of the VA facilities. They are tested every 2-3 weeks. They have had 6 employees test positive but because of the precautions taken, no residents have gotten COVID. This indicates to me that the PPE requirements ARE working. They include both a mask and a shield for a 12 hour shift. They are also NOT allowed to travel or are required to not come to work for 2 weeks. They are screened at the beginning of every shift to further ensure compliance with all requirements. All long term care facilities are always hiring so if anyone who thinks they can do this job better, I'm sure they can get hired once they get certified, drug tested, vaccinated and pass a back ground check.With that said, getting tested when the results don't come back for several days does no good. Dr Giroir who is part of the COVID task force has said for several weeks that all long term care facilities ARE testing at least once a week AND that they have rapid testing (15 minute results) at all facilities. This is absolutely not true. The fact that 8 months into a pandemic the administration is going to penalize facilities who don't comply even through they don't have the testing resources that have been promised by Dr. Giroir, who is in charge of testing, is ludicrous.

I agree that this is ludicrous. And abhorrent. It just seems that the elderly were treated as disposable and were allowed to die. Sure saves money for Medicaid and social security doesn't it? Not that I am cynical or anything....

This is LONG OVERDUE that nursing homes must provide protections so people don't become infected. 8 months after Washington state started seeing outbreaks in care centers there and warning how vulnerable elderly people are to COVID. As I stated in last night's EBs Pritzker is still allowing people who are either infected or not tested into them which is criminal in my opinion. Others have posted the stats on how many of the deaths across the country are from nursing homes. Utah recorded 9 deaths yesterday and 4 of them were from long term care facilities. And it is not only the elderly who are being infected. Marie said that 54,000 care center workers have died from COVID. As usual it is low paid and people without health benefits that are carrying the weight of this epidemic. Poor diets and lack of yearly health exams leave people with underlying conditions that are ripe for getting sick.

The Trump administration on Tuesday issued new COVID-19 requirements for nursing homes and hospitals, prompting immediate pushback from beleaguered industries.

To check the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will require facilities to test staff regularly or face fines.

The move comes months after the White House first urged governors to test all nursing home residents and staff. With residents, nursing homes are being required to offer them coronavirus tests if there is an outbreak or if any show symptoms.

Officials also reinforced a reporting mandate for hospitals. It included the possibility of cutting off Medicare and Medicaid funds to facilities that fail to report certain COVID-19 data daily to the federal Health and Human Services department. Hospitals responded with a sharp rebuke, calling the move “heavy-handed” and raising the specter of loss of vital services for local communities in a pandemic, less than three months before Election Day.

Long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they account for 42% of the COVID-19 deaths, with more than 70,000 fatalities reported by the COVID Tracking Project.

“Our recommendations for testing in nursing homes go back as far back as March and April,” said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. “What’s different about today is that this is now a requirement ... we want to make sure every single nursing home is complying.“

That Pritzker is doing this now after seeing what happened in NYC is criminal. Instead he will probably join Newsom, Cuomo and other states governors giving them immunity. In fact the GOP loved what Cuomo wrote for nursing home immunity they used it to write up their corporations immunity bill so that it effectively guts worker's compensation laws. Think this will just be used for the current epidemic. Me neither. It will be here to stay.

The corporate coup continues rolling along unabated.

—

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 1:35pm

Good morning Snoopy. Thanks for the info. This

@snoopydawg

particular statement is completely indisputable:

The corporate coup continues rolling along unabated.

be well and have a good one

This is LONG OVERDUE that nursing homes must provide protections so people don't become infected. 8 months after Washington state started seeing outbreaks in care centers there and warning how vulnerable elderly people are to COVID. As I stated in last night's EBs Pritzker is still allowing people who are either infected or not tested into them which is criminal in my opinion. Others have posted the stats on how many of the deaths across the country are from nursing homes. Utah recorded 9 deaths yesterday and 4 of them were from long term care facilities. And it is not only the elderly who are being infected. Marie said that 54,000 care center workers have died from COVID. As usual it is low paid and people without health benefits that are carrying the weight of this epidemic. Poor diets and lack of yearly health exams leave people with underlying conditions that are ripe for getting sick.

The Trump administration on Tuesday issued new COVID-19 requirements for nursing homes and hospitals, prompting immediate pushback from beleaguered industries.

To check the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will require facilities to test staff regularly or face fines.

The move comes months after the White House first urged governors to test all nursing home residents and staff. With residents, nursing homes are being required to offer them coronavirus tests if there is an outbreak or if any show symptoms.

Officials also reinforced a reporting mandate for hospitals. It included the possibility of cutting off Medicare and Medicaid funds to facilities that fail to report certain COVID-19 data daily to the federal Health and Human Services department. Hospitals responded with a sharp rebuke, calling the move “heavy-handed” and raising the specter of loss of vital services for local communities in a pandemic, less than three months before Election Day.

Long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they account for 42% of the COVID-19 deaths, with more than 70,000 fatalities reported by the COVID Tracking Project.

“Our recommendations for testing in nursing homes go back as far back as March and April,” said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. “What’s different about today is that this is now a requirement ... we want to make sure every single nursing home is complying.“

That Pritzker is doing this now after seeing what happened in NYC is criminal. Instead he will probably join Newsom, Cuomo and other states governors giving them immunity. In fact the GOP loved what Cuomo wrote for nursing home immunity they used it to write up their corporations immunity bill so that it effectively guts worker's compensation laws. Think this will just be used for the current epidemic. Me neither. It will be here to stay.

The corporate coup continues rolling along unabated.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by snoopydawg on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 1:13pm

Myth 7

Myth 7: Spikes in cases are because of increased testing. . I hope that nobody truly believes that tests cause or spread the virus and are probably just echoing the great leader's words

I have seen 3 headlines today saying that states are slowing down testing and so it's not surprising to see the numbers going down. Governor Herbert R-Utah said that his goal is to open the country after the numbers go below 400 daily. Lo and behold the next day the numbers went from over 500 to under 400 and they have stayed there since. But there are still lots of problems with companies reporting results. Link if you're interested.

Congress says it's too dangerous to hold their conventions with people attending and yet it is apparently not too dangerous to send kids to school. Or maybe they just think their lives are worth more than those who aren't them?

I don't think this is something to brag about:

Overnight ratings for night one of the conventions. Six networks combined, 10-11p ET:
Democratic - 14.6
Republican - 11.6

—

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Submitted by Lily O Lady on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 4:07pm

Testing has slowed down

@snoopydawg

in Georgia. The K thru 2 kids are going to school face to face. The rest of the kids are going on a hybrid schedule, part on-line, part face to face. Mask wearing among the general population is spotty. I kinda think people have become fatalistic, especially considering how long it has taken to get results, sometimes two weeks!

—

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Submitted by magiamma on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 1:53pm

hola el

et al

from the smokey left coast. who hoo. Slowing down here a bit but, boy howdy, it ain't over yet, by any means.

This came into my mailbox today, in case anyone is interested. Local artist, friend of my drawing partner, Bela.

In any case, it's nice to know folks are doing things like this.

https://mailchi.mp/e7b2d2728456/santa-cruz-fire-relief-fundraiser-your-2...

CA fire print.jpg

Prints are available for sale on my ETSY site for $25 each including shipping and handling.

Proceeds will be split between Santa Cruz Animal Shelter housing evacuee animals that cannot stay with their owners and The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County which is assisting evacuated residents.

—

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 08/26/2020 - 2:59pm

Good afternoon magi. Air quality here was at the good -

@magiamma

moderate bundary for much of the morning, it is now at 87, up high in the moderate zone, but still moderate.

Thanks for dropping by

be well and have a good one.

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --