Boomers' next thing
(KRT) - Baby boomers have revolutionized music, food, fashion, childbirth and sex. Finally, they're focusing on something important.
Nursing homes.
"I aim to close every nursing home in America," says geriatrician William Thomas, 44. "And I have 77 million allies. (Boomers) are going to resist being institutionalized on a massive scale."
Hell no, we won't go! But ... where else is there?
Right now, Thomas admits, there aren't many options. Either you can live alone, which gets boring. Or you can enter a "home." To younger folks, maybe a 180-bed institution looks like a place to make 179 new friends. But to elders, it looks like a place filled with 179 strangers - one of whom will be sharing the bathroom.
"Residents are expected to surrender autonomy and personal dignity in return for their reliance on the staff," writes Thomas in his electrifying new book, "What Are Old People For?" No wonder the residents get depressed. But what's the alternative?
Frat houses.
Or, as Thomas calls them, Green Houses. Same deal (minus the kegs): A group of people choosing to share a house and the activities of everyday life.
From (fortwayne.com)