Back in the 70's. I was living in Spokane and running a Snack Bar in the Spokane City Hall. Governor Evans really pushed the concept that the folks in institutions were too isolated and should be moved out into the communities. So they did. Much of what I saw broke my heart. Predators moved in and grabbed many of these people who were totally unequipped to fend for themselves. One fellow was "given" a job in a nursing home. His room was a small alcove next to the furnace. He worked six days a week for room and board and usually they gave him chores on his day off, "because he needed to keep busy".
My relief operator was a fellow who had lived many years at Lakeland Village and knew many of these people and they loved him dearly and came into my shop looking for him. One day a young couple wandered in asking for Harold. They had a baby of about 6 months of age. As they came up to my counter their smell actually caused me to reel back. Then they sat the baby smack down in the middle of my counter. "Squish!" When they learned that Harold was not working today, and I had given them sandwiches and cartons of milk, they headed off laughing and singing and dribbling baby poop as they went.
Curious Carl
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