{"id":18516,"date":"2015-12-22T12:59:28","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T20:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=18516"},"modified":"2015-12-22T14:13:49","modified_gmt":"2015-12-22T22:13:49","slug":"open-thread12222015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2015\/12\/22\/open-thread12222015\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–12\/22\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

The news is mostly good.  The shirker and elevation paid off, and George went on, without difficulty, both yesterday and today.  Despite horrid weather, the trip to TriMet was uneventful.  The lady explained why they have to measure chairs.  Sometimes they send lift-equipped Taxis, if that’s more convenient for them, nut different taxis have different capacity ramps.  Measuring lets them know which vehicles they can send.  In my case, they can send any.  My home health care begins today with a visit from my PT.  She will probably arrive. before I finish this article.  What I want most is my bath aide.  I’m, getting a bit ripe.  The news news is that the evil Patty Monster mashed my kitty butt!<\/font><\/p>\n

Later:  PT and OT have come and gone, and the RN will be here in less than two hours.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fantasy Football Report<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"16Playoffrs\"<\/font><\/p>\n

Congrats to the winners.  The bottom four seeds all won, except for me, of course.<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From Daily Kos<\/a>: <\/font>State of Kansas mental health facilities and have seen a rough year under Governor Sam Brownback<\/a>. Continued budget cuts and problems with overcrowding left facilities like Osawatomie overwhelmed, forcing many employees to work repeated double and triple shifts in order to keep the facility within operating requirements.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.khi.org\/news\/2014\/aug\/18\/kansas-mental-health-system-under-increasing-stres\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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With the patient count so high, many of the hospital’s direct-care staff were pressed into working one, two and sometimes three overtime shifts a week.<\/font><\/p>\n

“The place is over census and understaffed,” said Rebecca Proctor, executive director at the Kansas Organization of State Employees, a labor union that represents many state hospital front-line workers. “Conditions there are really, really bad<\/strong>.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Angela de Rocha, a spokesperson for Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, confirmed that the Osawatomie hospital’s patient count on July 15 was “an overall high for the past 10 years.”<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

On Friday, the The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services informed the state of Kansas it will cease sending federal funds to the facility. Citing failure to meet compliance standards funding for new patients will end today, December 21, at the end of business day.<\/p>\n

This is especially heinous, considering that Kansas has so many Republicans that the need for mental health services is as extreme as Brownback's pseudo-Christian response to that need.<\/font><\/p>\n

From YouTube<\/a>: <\/font>Your Holiday Guide to Dealing with Uncle Bob<\/p>\n