Praise for institutionalization from a senior hospital official?

ADI Negev [Image Source]

I always open the Facebook page of ADI (previously known as Aleh) with the dread that I will see photos of yet another prominent influencer visiting its very well-appointed facilities. Those images would naturally be accompanied by some adulatory speech delivered to the place's founder and CEO, Doron Almog.

And so it was today. Right down to the predictable hyperboles: 

ADI staff members and volunteers... are fully dedicated to every child and young adult and possess the wonderful gift of being able to see the hope and the ability within every disability. We are so grateful to ADI for their incredible work and wonderful partnership! [Archive link]

The culprit this time was Prof. Ofer Merin, director general of Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem.  His 'offense' against people with disabilities was committed earlier this week.

It is always infuriating when medical professionals in particular laud ADI for violating the rights of people with disabilities by isolating them from the community, locking them up in a large, closed institution. 

Here's what I want to say to them every time I see such a thing:

I mean, really, what did you learn in medical school??? Are you that clueless about experts' views of institutionalization and the damage it wreaks?

Advocates for the human rights of people with disabilities fervently hope that once our new government unveils its position regarding institutionalization and pursues it, Professor Merin will prove to be but an anomaly. 

The new Minister of Welfare, Yesh Atid's Meir Cohen, an educator, a former two-term mayor of the southern city of Dimona and previously a Minister of Welfare between 2013-2014 has yet to address activists' demands for the transfer of those locked in institutions to in-community living in small group homes or with their families. 

Haya at home this week

He will face a challenging job finally propelling Israel's citizens with disabilities into the 21st century..

And while he's at it, he might see to re-educating all of Israel's "Professor Merins"!

Back here at hone, we are persevering with the Ketogenic Diet and still praying that the decrease in seizures will deliver an improvement in Haya's functioning. So far, no sign of that. 

The dietician promised to raise the carbohydrate component of our recipes to attempt to energize Haya. But she (the dietician) is away sick this week so the new recipes haven't arrived yet. 

I have bought another toy to practice pressing on buttons and eliciting sounds and music. At this stage, we need to press Haya's fingers for her. My dream is that she'll learn to do it herself - really quite modest as dreams go, don't you agree?

So, maybe one day?

I haven't resumed her speech therapy sessions yet though our health fund (kupat holim in Hebrew) did agree to subsidize 12 of them. 

At this stage, I am simply not confident Haya will be responsive enough to make it worthwhile.