Humanism, Politics, and Nursing Homes

Staffing shortages continue to affect the nursing home industry, and most importantly the elderly who fill them. Many are wondering whether enough is being done to ensure the best possible care for our loved ones. Technology is improving and the baby-boomers are aging. The need for elderly care is about to be exponentially increased and prolonged. Are we ready to pay for it?

Staffing problems are largely due to low wages. In for-profit facilities, these wages come out of the budget of a corporation. This is an industry that has a profit margin that ranges at around 1%. Any in business knows that a 1% profit margin will turn off any investor in a heartbeat. Corporations in this industry in the United States are also obligated to pay the highest corporate tax rates in the world. In short, extra money for higher wages is difficult to fit into the budget.

Such a problem naturally leads to the discussion about the government's role in funding healthcare. This debate has been going on since the introduction of the idea of healthcare itself. In the case of nursing homes, the Liberal arguments tend to support publicly funded healthcare, whereas the Conservatives typically support privately funded healthcare. This is one of the many distinctions of political dialogue that can be traced back to the Romantic Period of the 18th and 19th centuries.

This debate has been the cause of much tension because of the high stakes in healthcare. As someone who works in a skilled nursing facility, I feel an immense sense of responsibility as people's loved ones have been placed in our care. The realization of intrinsic human value started in the Renaissance and was revived in the Reformation with Christian Humanism. Discussion about caring for the weak would not have taken place without these historical revelations.

An issue such as shortages in staff in nursing homes would only exist if it was preceded by the rhetorical influence of Humanism and political ideologies on medical research.