Confidentiality

Before I continue with any further posts, I need to address the issue of confidentiality as it relates to purpose. Whenever someone is mentioned by name, whether it be an employee or someone for whom we provide care, I will not be using his or her real name. I will assign a name that is in no way related to the person in order to maintain privacy and confidentiality.

In addition to discretion, I also intend to maintain dignity and respect for everyone involved. That's why I will not share any stories that may be embarrassing for anyone (except maybe for me) and will tread lightly when it comes to the negative aspects of my job. For instance, there will be discussions of things such as adult briefs, bodily functions, and yes, even criminal behavior, but only in the general sense; I will never assign these topics to a specific person even though names are changed.

Why even bother telling these stories if I have to go through all of this, one might ask? Simple. One of the best means by which you can maintain your own mental health while working in the field is having the ability to share some of your experiences. Many people don't understand what this line of work entails and more often than not I feel as though I am beating my head against a wall trying to get the people the same rights and privileges that you and I take for granted. Unfortunately, many of those who don't know what this is like are the ones who make budgetary and legislative decisions directly affecting the disabled population. It seems that the general consensus among them is that "we need to keep the developmentally disabled from dying" instead of "we need to make sure that they are living." It is for this reason that I tell the stories.