Options aren’t obvious to all, so it’s ok to ask
July 17, 2016
By: Mark Harvey
Email: harvemb@dshs.wa.gov
From time to happy time, as we meander through the mysteries of “help” in America, I employ the rather common phrase, “…it isn’t rocket science.”
I think most of us use this phrase to suggest that, whatever “it” is, isn’t hopelessly unfathomable (as is the case with “rocket science”) and that most of us probably can figure “it” out, given a reasonable level of intelligence and, perhaps, a hint or two.
So, picture this: A handful of rocket scientists sitting around in their rocket scientist suits, slugging down coffee, talking about…Right! Rocket Science! It isn’t “rocket science” to them, because they understand “rocket science!” It’s “obvious” to them! What do they say to each other? “Well, it isn’t as complicated as health insurance?”
I, of course, have no idea what they say to each other because I almost never go for coffee with rocket scientists, but here’s the point: Pretty much everything is “obvious” to somebody, and so “they” tend to assume that, because they know “it,” then “it” is obvious to everybody.
Well, it isn’t.
Or the other side of this same mental coin can be that, because we and the crowd we hang out with don’t know “it,” that there is no “it” to know – Honest ignorance – Which can lead to unfortunate assumptions, such as “The world is flat,” resulting in more than one historically unfortunate, navigational faux pas or “Let’s just hide under this all-metal object until the lightning storm passes,” resulting in…rocket science?
I don’t know, but the point is that we don’t know what we don’t know, so it’s easy to make mistakes or miss opportunities.
One way that comes up in my business is the scenario where somebody – Or “family” – Has been taking care of, or watching over, or helping somebody (let’s say “Mom”), and things are getting worse and they’re running out of ideas or energy or money or “family,” so they leap to the assumption that all that’s left is (you guessed it), the NURSING HOME! – An option that’s usually greeted with the same general enthusiasm that we typically reserve for colonoscopies or power outages – Bummer.
Here, finally, is the point: There are a million ideas, options and possibilities between changing Mom’s light bulb and slamming her into a nursing facility at a cost approximating a 5-year lease on Vermont – Really! So when I, and a handful of people who do what I do, go out to slug down coffee, guess what we talk about? Right! Rocket Science!
No, I was kidding: We talk about this stuff, because it’s what we do – We understand it – It’s “obvious” to us. So, if we’re not careful, we can begin to assume that “it” is obvious to everybody.
Well, it isn’t.
So we, and you, can begin to assume that you will call any of the numbers at the end of the column and ask about things like “Medicaid” or “personal emergency response systems” or “in-home care” or “Respite” or “transfers of assets” or or or…Which is rather unlikely, if you’ve never heard of any of those things.
Honest ignorance – Not stupidity, honest ignorance.
…and so, Mom goes from home to “Happy Haven,” not passing “Go” and sure-as-heck not collecting $200.
Bummer.
Here’s my idea: You (and/or Mom) are not required to know this stuff – We are required to know this stuff. You are required to know what’s “wrong,” or what you think the “problem” is, or might be, or could be someday, like tomorrow. So, you tell us your story, and then we’ll tell you about stuff that might help, or get you where you want to go or keep you from going somewhere that you don’t want to go, and then you can decide what you do or don’t want to do.
Fair enough? Especially when this part is free?
Good.
Is there a magic answer to everything that will just please-the-heck out of everybody and we’ll all live-happily-ever-after-Amen? No. There also isn’t an “express lane” to Saturn, but that doesn’t mean that Rocket Science doesn’t work.
So, the other day I went out for coffee with a handful of quantum physicists, and you know what one of them said? “Well! It certainly isn’t as complicated as trying to roast a turkey…!”
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