Several weeks ago, a member of the Army Of Good (forgive me, I have forgotten her name) e-mailed me to suggest giving gift cards to each of the Mansion aides to thank them for their good and hard (and underpaid) work on behalf of the elderly residents they serve so faithfully.
I loved the idea, and ran it by the Mansion brass, and they loved it also.
So I’m running with it, proposing that we raise money to give each of the Mansion’s 13 aides a $50 Amazon Gift Card in time to use for the holidays in any way they wish.
Amazon makes it easy, I can buy the cards online and print them out myself and give them personally to each of the Mansion aides. I know this will not only be a great help to them over the holidays but also some recognition, which they rarely get in our country.
They are among the lowest paid workers on the health scare scale. And they work as hard and conscientiously as any people I have ever seen working anywhere.
It is my privilege to see them work day after day, soothing the residents, providing many the only love and attention they ever get, working hard to make sure they get what they need, and doing the hard and dirty work no one else wants to do.
Working with the extreme elderly is no simple or ever easy thing. So I hope you’ll help me to do this. There are 13 aides in the Mansion, to get each of them a $50 Amazon Gift Card will cost $650. I will need your help.
If you wish to contribute to the Mansion Aides Gift Card Project, please send your contribution to me, Jon Katz, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected]. Please mark your payment to “Gift Card Project.”
Once I get to $650, I’ll let you know. If there is any overage, I’ll put into the Mansion fund account. It will be put to good use.
I think this is a very worthwhile thing to do, these are wonderful people who need some recognition, and wouldn’t mind the money either. Our mothers are in their good and loving hands.
In our country, athletes make tens of millions of dollars, but people who work long and difficult hours caring for our elderly citizens often get little more than the minimum wage. I hope we can give them a holiday boost of appreciation and recognition.
Would it be easier for the staff to use Walmart gift cards rather than Amazon?
No, I think it would be easy for them to use either one, but we’re doing the Amazon cards, at their request.
How about the Cambridge Staff nd why the hell cant the company pay for it as a reward not be raised….
How about it, J, I don’t work at the Cambridge facility. Feel free to give the staff there some gift cards if you want to raise the money, I’m sure they are deserving. Is anyone stopping you? I don’t tell the company how to spend its money, not my business..While you’re at it, how about Granville and Schuylerville and Saratoga? They all have great staffs and could use the gifts…
There are two assisted living facilities in Cambridge owned by the same owners..The Mansion and The Cambridge…located in the former Cambridge Hotel.
This is a very nice idea but why is it just for the aides at only the Mansion?
Because the Mansion is a Medicaid facility and people there have little money and the staff is small. The Cambridge facility is private and costs a lot more and the people are wealthier and have many more activities. And also, because I want to.
From what I understand when I read ur article this is not about how much money the residents have, it is about recognition and the little pay that both the facilities pay their staff.
The facilities are owmed and run by the same owners and the staff get the same amount of,pay.
This is about recognizing good…selfless work by caring staff…and the Cambridge staff often covers shifts for the Mansion staff when they are short if coverage.
It just seems right to raise the money for both staff at these two facilities.
Why not try…what would that hurt?
Just a thought.
Thx
Jenny, I don’t work at the Cambridge facility, and I do not feel any obligation whatsoever to raise money for gifts for people I don’t know or work with. If you think that’s a good thing to do, then do it.
This not only breaks my heart but pisses me off to no end. He’s basically saying that because our residents can afford to stay at The Cambridge (which most struggle) that they’re not important. I find this offensive to our residents more then us aides. What has this town come to? How have nice, kind people changed so much??
Melissa, he’s saying no such thing. I don’t work at the Cambridge, and I have no idea what the staff is like, I’m sure they are great. I know the Mansion staff well and work with them and will make my own decisions about who to give gifts to. If you think the Cambridge staff deserves reward, I hope you will raise money for them and give them any gift you choose.
It would simple enough to apologize for slighting the workers at the Cambridge Hotel, but I am morally opposed to apologizing to people for things I have not said or done or thought. That is a kind of cowardice, I can’t go for. I don’t know the workers there, and have nothing bad to say about them, and have said nothing bad about them. This is a grossly unfair hysteria, and I reject it completely. I am glad I am recognizing the Mansion aides, and if anybody else wants to take umbrage at that, go to it, it’s the national sport to be aggrieved. I will not be intimidated by it, or enable it. My words speak for themselves, as always. I defy anyone to find a quote from me saying the Cambridge Hotel workers are not hard working or caring, or are in any way inferior to anyone else. If any of you can find a quote like that, I will be happy to apologize for it.
Melissa, your comments are simply not honest or accurate. I have said no such thing anywhere, not in the world, not in my piece, not in my thoughts, not in my reply. To say that Medicaid residents are different than paid for care residents is the truth, and I can’t imagine that you don’t know that. I have never demeaned or denigrated anyone at the Cambridge Hotel, I’m sure they work as hard and care just as much. But I don’t do therapy work there, I just don’t know them and thus do not feel called to give you or them holiday gifts. You can read whatever you want into this, but your statement is really just false from top to bottom. I resent, it is actually offensive.
As an aide at the Cambridge I find the comments you’ve made in response to the inquiries about the staff there, thoroughly offensive. Whether the residents at The Cambridge are self paying or Medicaid funded as absolutely zero bearing with the work of us aides. And I’m offended by the insinuation that because we work in the Cambridge that we aren’t considered important enough to you and your fund raiser. I personally put in on average 50 hours a week if not more caring for my residents in every conceivable manner. Bathing, toileting, serving meals, laundry, dispensing medications and offering companionship. It matters not in the slightest where their money comes from. And it has nothing to do with the work of us aides. We ALL get paid the same small salaries with the same benefits and schedules at BOTH buildings. Medicaid funded residents have no bearing on our salaries. Or work duties. We ALL work just as hard and the Mansion employees make the same salaries as we do at the Cambridge. I’ve never asked for recognition for the work I do. Because I love it. You have to to work in this field because it’s certainly not for the money! But to suggest by your comments that because the Mansion is Medicaid paid that the aides there work any harder and for any less than I do because I work in the Cambridge is downright offensive. To me and every aide no matter where we happen to be employed!
I’m sure you are wonderful, Sarah, but I don’t know you or work with you and don’t feel obliged to give you a holiday gift. When I write about Medicaid, I am writing about the residents, not the staff, obviously, and there is great need there, and I am happy to try to alleviate it. I would never ask for financial support to give money to people I don’t know. I have watched the staff there at the Mansion for months and am overwhelmed by their dedication and care. And it is not exactly big news to say Medicaid facilities have residents with fewer resources than private pay-for-care facilities. As your threatening and obnoxious tone, I am not the least bit afraid of your posting your comments anywhere you want, it’s a free country and I welcome all kinds of feedback, much of it a lot worse than yours. Say whatever you wish anywhere you want, I am happy to be raising money for the Mansion aides and will follow through with it, whether you approve of it or not. And I do not feel obliged to give you a holiday gift. You are free to post here any time, I am not afraid of your messages.
P.S. I want to be honest and say I have no apologies of any kind to make for wanting to recognize the work of the Mansion staff. They are wonderful people who deserve some recognition and I am very proud to be offering some. I have never done therapy work in the Cambridge Hotel, and do not know the staff there, except for the very very good people I’ve met who sometimes work both places. I’m not giving gift cards to workers in other elderly care facilities either. I am not in any way obliged to raise money for everyone in both facilities, especially as I hardly know any of them. These comments are neither accurate nor fair, and I am quite happy to be doing this project. If any of you want to slug it out with me I’m at [email protected]. Happy to get your messages, and thanks for the work you do.
America in 2018. I think only in America at this time and place would someone be attacked in this outraged and grieved way for raising money to reward health care workers for working hard and well. Wow. This is a part of being public in America now, and sadly, I have learned to live with it, as has any other person who writes openly or speaks freely. Fortunately, my readers understand what I am doing all too well and have supported this project fully. Thanks to those of you who got it.
I have no wish to slug anything out with you nor would I accept a gift from you. Nor did I ask for one. I was simply replying to your rude remarks on behalf of every aide you’ve offended today and your lack of knowledge or caring that you have. But rest assured if you ever find yourself in a similar situation as any residents in assisted living or nursing homes, I’d still care for you just as hard and with respect as I do all my residents because that’s the ethics I have.
Sarah, I have never made any kind of remarks about the workers at the Cambridge Hotel, I don’t know you or them. I am trying to reward the workers I do know at the Mansion. I’m sure you do great work, and I am baffled by your hostility and cruelty. Your attacks are neither accurate nor fair. If you don’t know that Medicaid patients are different from paid-for-care patients, then I rally don’t know what to tell you.
My idea of ethics is to be truthful, Sarah, and your comments do not in any way reflect what I wrote or believe. I challenge you to quote me anywhere saying the Cambridge Hotel residents don’t work hard or are uncaring. That looks like a lie to me, not honesty. I’m glad to hear that you are caring, but I will have to take your word for it, I don’t see any truth or caring or respect in your comments today. Where I come from it is not ethical to manufacture quotes of other people. I am still waiting for you to show where I said this awful things you attribute to me. I imagine I will be waiting a good long time. Being ethical isn’t just claiming to be ethical and respectful, you have to actually BE ethical and respectful, even when it is uncomfortable.
The “Care” they receive is the same Jon. No matter how their funds are supplied. We care for everyone with the same respect. If your fundraiser was for the residents their wouldn’t be so many up in arms. I’m not at all talking about Medicaid vs self pay (which is from their social security and pensions that they worked all their lives for and have to spend their retirement on living costs because they don’t qualify for Medicaid) this article was about the aides. And the comments you’ve made. I’m not the only one who took it as because they work in that building they are deserving of your gifts and kind gesture. Medicaid has squat to do with the quality of care that a good aide gives. No matter their financial circumstances, all the residents receive loving, quality and compassionate care. The same quality meals are served in both buildings. The same laundry services and activity services. The same therapies and the list is endless. Medicaid doesn’t always mean less.
Sarah, some wise words in there, at long last. But once again, you are responding to arguments and claims I never made or believed, you just have invented a righteous cause to spout on about, there are no quotes or facts – not one – to support it. Where are these quotes from me claiming that Mansion care is inferior. Your statement is in no way relevant or responsive to anything I wrote, think or believe.
I believe the residents of the Mansion often have little resources and require some additional assistance, which I have been trying to offer them when I can. I have often been told that pay for care residents have more personal resources than Medicaid residents. You can deny it all you want, or dance around it, I think is true. I have never said a thing about the Cambridge Hotel, the workers, or the residents. I have only been there once and do not know you or the staff, and unlike you, I do not invent meanings and assumptions and feelings to match the chip on my shoulder. Medicaid has a lot to do with the care of the Mansion and many other elderly care residents, all people in this world are not equal, some have more money than others. We all know that is true, it is no judgement on any aides of any kind. And it has nothing to do with my giving gift cards to the Mansion residents. I’ve asked you repeatedly now to show me the quotes where you can support the claim I said the Mansion is inferior and the Cambridge Hotel staff either is or is not inferior, depending on which quote you are inventing at the moment. This on top of your personal insults. I am sure other people followed your unthinking and grossly unfair lead without stopping to think about it either. A bunch of jerking knees. I’m done with this, we are just going in circles.I’m sure we both have things to do. I do not agree with a thing you said, and do not accept your gross distortions about me and my beliefs. They are wrong, and I hope you will one day be big enough to see it. That would be ethical. I mean you no harm and have never questioned your dedication and professionalism. I’m sorry you did that to me, it was hurtful from someone who insists she is caring. Let’s move on, we both have more important things to do, and I am delighted to say I have now raised the money for gift cards for the Mansion aides, and this says absolutely nothing other than that they do wonderful work and deserve some recognition. Even you can’t distort that.
You very carefully implied without coming right out and saying it in your responses to comments and inquiries. We will have to agree to disagree. I know the quality of care in both buildings. It’s sad you don’t and that you judge the Mansion as inferior just because it’s medicaid. With that said I’ll be ending this pointless feud. We obviously disagree on the meaning behind your words. Thank you.
I disagree strongly on your right to make up meanings for me that are simply false, without ever speaking to me or asking me to clarify what I said. Your assumptions are grotesque and dishonest, and I am sorry to see you clinging to them without a shred of evidence to support them. For the third time, please tell me or quote where I said I judge the Mansion as “inferior” because they are a Medicaid facility. And this is different from your last quite disgusting claim that I said Cambridge Hotel aides are inferior and uncaring. I see you’ve dropped that and moved onto another invention, that I believe the Mansion is inferior, when you’ve just said in your other comments that I believe it is superior. Please get your distortions right. I know the meaning of my words, and you have no idea what you are talking about, nor do you have the slightest regard for the truth or for fairness while pretending to be ethical and superior. Yuk. I wish you the best in your work, I am sure you work hard on behalf of the residents there, I have no doubt of it. If they are anything like the Mansion workers, you and they are stellar. My wish for you is that you stop lying about me and my meaning, if you really care I’ll be happy to sit down with you anytime and tell you what it is I feel, I drive by the Cambridge Hotel almost every day. I won’t hold my breath.
I think that’s what is bothering everyone the most. That you are facilitating a “fundraiser” of sort for aides in one facility versus another facility. You are, and I hope it doesn’t happen, potentially putting a wedge between the two facilities. I know for a fact the aides at these two facilities do not expect any kind of monetary accolade. My question is, as long as this money isn’t coming from your pocket why not raise enough for both facilities whether you personally know them or not? The people that are donating DO know the aides at both facilities so just share the donations. I thank you for putting this together and recognizing the aides in one facility. If we didn’t live in such a small town where everyone knows everyone this may not be such a big decal.
Wendy, thanks for the thoughtful note. I admire you for trying to defend and explain the indefensible. Your fair observation deserves a thoughtful response, sorry for the length. This online nastiness is an important issue for me, I think it needs to be aggressively challenged, it is literally killing off free speech and thought and driving countless people on the Internet underground. When someone is attacked this way for simply trying to recognize heroically hard working health care aides during the holidays, something is really wrong with our culture.
First off, I don’t do therapy work at the Cambridge Hotel, so I cannot raise money to support people I don’t know. I wouldn’t ask my readers to do that. Secondly, I am not obliged to raise money for every assisted care facility in the area because I work in one. I’ve done therapy work in Saratoga, Glens Falls, Granville, and Vermont, and I will not ask people to give me many thousands of dollars to recognize all of them, as worthy as they are. If you wish to raise money for the Cambridge Hotel people, then go ahead and do it, I’ll be happy to contribute. I’m sure they deserve it. (But wouldn’t you have to also give everyone at the Mansion and the Adult Home in Granville the same amount? Somebody might get theirnoses out of joint and blast you online.)
I raise money to help the Mansion residents all the time. Am I insulting the Cambridge Hotel every time I do it? That’s an awfully strange argument to me. I’ve been doing therapy work at the Mansion for a couple of years and helping the residents when I can. Is this an insult to the Cambridge Hotel residents? Am I putting a wedge between all elderly care residents in the region because I am helping one in another? I am not objecting to their wish for recognition, or their deserving some. I am sure they are as dedicated and loving as the Mansion aides, I hope they get all the recognition they deserve. I cannot provide it for everyone.
I am reacting to a handful of people who are outright lying about what I said, and I will repeat my offer for the sixth time: If anyone can produce any quote, words or deeds of mine that suggested that the Cambridge facility and its staff are in any way inferior to the people I work with, or that I even mentioned the Cambridge Hotel in any way, I will happily apologize. The people posting on the site had no idea what they were talking about, there is no evidence they even read my piece, they struck me as just another social media mob following an angry leader. The comments about me were not at all about their desire for equal recognition, they were profoundly dishonest and false.
Of course the aides don’t seek or expect any extra monetary rewards (they would sure like to have more money in the bank), that is the very point of honoring them. None of them has ever asked me for anything.
People have the right to their opinions, but not to make up their own facts. This is not a disagreement, it seems to me to be another thoughtless online assault. Some things are just wrong. They might try reading what I wrote before they hit the send button. Nobody ever tried to contact me – I go by the Cambridge Hotel several times every day, I answer my e-mail and my phone. If anyone had a concern, they could have and still can contact me at any time. They are making a poor argument for their cause, whatever it is, even though I have no doubt they are deserving. It takes a special person to do that work, that is why I am trying to give some recognition to the Mansion residents. I hope you or someone else does it for the Cambridge Hotel aides.
Yesterday, I offered to stop by the Cambridge Hotel and talk to anyone who wanted to discuss this with me, in people are upset with me in any way. No takers. I’m not holding my breath.
It is not anyone’s business who I choose to support or raise money for, I think this is still a free country. But I am happy to talk about my work with anyone, I am ferociously transparent, I disclose every thing I do on my blog.
But these few people (I thank the Cambridge Hotel aides to messaged me to apologize for those posts, I appreciate that) have no right to try to bully me or manufacture false quotes without making the slightest effort to talk to me or even read what I wrote. We set out to do something kind and good, and these few aggreieved people are throwing manure on it. They owe these good people an apology. I hope this answers your question, if not please feel free to e-mail me, I’m [email protected] and quite reachable. I’ll be happy to talk with you anytime.
OMG I cannot believe the responses you have received, Jon, for wanting to give gifts to the Aides at the Mansion. I get the concept that those living at a Medicaid facility do not have the means that those living in a more “private” facility do. The point is and you tried over and over to get this thought through: You have helped those living at the Mansion and in doing so, have become acquainted with the staff and aides with whom you work closely to provide the little necessities they need. I am sure all Aides would love a gift card; my daughter has been an Aide for 42 years and never received a gift card. It would be a nice gesture, but does her world end if she didn’t receive one? No, because she cares for all her residents and that comes first. For all of you who seem to be so upset that Jon is not doing this for all Aides in the vicinity, please, I beg you, start a mission to provide gift cards for those you feel are being left out. It would be wonderful if everyone of them could get one and deservedly so. ONE man cannot do it all, even with the Army of Good behind him. Please don’t attack me for my opinion. I am 80 years old, crippled with RA, have Congestive Heart Failure and nothing any of you can say can affect me very much. Please give this man a break; he is doing the best he can with what he has for the people he has been in close association with for some time. This country is in bad enough shape right now with families turning against family all in the name of politics; hate is everywhere. Let’s not buy into it. If you can’t support Jon in his effort because you feel it is unfair; then get a bunch of friends together and work to get these other Aides gift cards. Of course they deserve it!
Thanks Sandy, I appreciate it, and I will admit this is hurtful stuff. I don’t understand people who invoke ethics and then manufacture quotes and comments. I appreciate your note, and I will certainly continue in my work with the Mansion, they are wonderful people and I have come to love the residents as well as the staff.
Ok I think people are missing the point. Jon is simply trying to make a genuine generous gift to the aides he knows at the facility he goes to. Would you give gifts to people from a satellite office from your work you never met? Same thing. I think it is a lovely idea to acknowledge the aides that you interact with all the time that you see giving of themselves to the mansion residents. ♥️
Thank you, Tina, that is the point.
Then why doesn’t Jon give them it out of his pocket ? Why does he always ask others for something he wants to do. Seems a bit strange to me. If I thought they needed a gift than I wouldn’t ask everyone else to donate money I would buy them myself. Just saying!
Well, Gloria,I don’t have $650 in my pocket. Do you ever donate to needy people, or do you just expect others to do it for you. I’m sorry you don’t believe in any kind of charity or generousity, but I do. You are in good company here, lots of mean spirits. I suppose you don’t send help to hurricane victims either… Just sayin…
Gloria, thats a simple one.I don’t have $650. Do you? I hope you are not around when a hurricane hits somebody. I can just imagine your e-mail. “Seems a bit strange to me I thought if they need help than I I wouldn’t ask anybody to donate money, I would just send a billion dollars myself.” I guess you are just too clever for me, you rascal.