Cook and Janitor of Nursing Home Kept Working without Pay Because 'If We Left, They Wouldn't Have

How the hell can you close down a nursing home and have all the staff leave when there are people still there? They couldn't at least make arrangements to transfer those people to some place where they can be taken care of? I hope the people running that place get sued to the point of bankruptcy. They shouldn't be allowed to run a business and especially not one where they're responsible for other people. Kudos to these two young men that picked up the ball when it was dropped.

Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez stayed after the nursing home shuttered, working without pay or the help of any other staff

A California nursing home that shuttered last fall lost most of its staff, leaving its residents behind, except for two people — cook Maurice Rowland, and janitor Miguel Alvarez.

Their story has been highlighted by StoryCorps and NPR and it’s worth a listen, even though it will break your heart.

link

See... When Meryl Streep received the Presidential Medal Of Honor, these folks should have been standing right IN FRONT OF HER. Seriously.

People like these are true heroes. They do it because ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Not because people are watching, not because they are forced to, not because they are getting paid very well. No. Simply because it's the right thing to do.

Kudos to every one of them and kudos to all of those out there that are doing the same thing with no thanks and no pay to be had anywhere. You all are truly a blessing to humanity and something many more of us should strive to emulate every day that we draw breath.

a reply to: N3k9Ni


Simply touching story!!

Now this is what sets a good example for others to follow

Putting your fellow man before yourself, without question
Like Kanga said, because it's the right thing to do....pay or no

Now they are truly worthy of an award!!

originally posted by: N3k9Ni

How the hell can you close down a nursing home and have all the staff leave when there are people still there? They couldn't at least make arrangements to transfer those people to some place where they can be taken care of? I hope the people running that place get sued to the point of bankruptcy. They shouldn't be allowed to run a business and especially not one where they're responsible for other people. Kudos to these two young men that picked up the ball when it was dropped.

Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez stayed after the nursing home shuttered, working without pay or the help of any other staff

A California nursing home that shuttered last fall lost most of its staff, leaving its residents behind, except for two people — cook Maurice Rowland, and janitor Miguel Alvarez.

Their story has been highlighted by StoryCorps and NPR and it’s worth a listen, even though it will break your heart.

link

God almighty. I scoured that website praying to find the words "satirical website" and "not real stories"...

but didn't.

I have no words that would allow me to remain within the T&C.

sod bureaucracy

a reply to: sn0rch

I didn't even have to look for that because it has happened in my hometown before. I've also read about it happening in another state before this one as well. It should be criminal on so many levels that folks would never see the dawn of the sun for the rest of their days IMO.

It's damn sad to be sure, but this is not a one time incident. Remember Katrina? Those people just left all of those other people to die in that one home and I do believe they wound up being charged in that case. While that might be some small justice, it doesn't bring back those loved ones.

In a perfect world none of us would ever need a home like that for our loved ones, but sometimes the people are so bad off there is no safe way for the family to care for them. Those families then struggle and are full of guilt over that already (not all of course, but a lot) then something like this happens...

Disgusting and beyond the pale. Truly.

a reply to: N3k9Ni

I'm probably right up front when it comes to the "Murica, Rah, Rah!" front. But these type of people is the reason why I do so.

I know it happens the world around.

I really need to win the lottery so I can put these people in charge of this home. (Yes, I really would do so after vetting them)

Bless them!

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

I find it just so heart breaking. we hear of horror stories here, where entire old folk homes have their entire pensions taken, and yet are fed one roast chook spread out amongst them all, because the scavengers who run it are heartless..

but this .. just rips into me.

I had no idea they could do that. With katrina, I have no idea, so many people suffered.

but just due to funding, bankruptcy, to leave people ? How did these two guys even find the right meds, the access to food.. there is so much I wish was not going on in this world.

it makes me want to withdraw again..

a reply to: sn0rch

I know what you mean. I had to deal with incompetence when my grandmother was in one and even more of it when my father was in one. It makes me beyond angry.

This is the Katrina link
www.inclusiondaily.com...

There were a bunch of sickening rumors going around about other things as well, but is never found out of those were true or not. They aren't too hard to believe when you know what goes on in a lot of these places.

The whole system concerning these homes sucks so bad I can't even wrap my mind around it either. To see such depravity, and cold heartedness makes me just physically ill. I don't understand how some folks can sleep at night. I really don't.

I generally try to not let things on the internet upset me, but when I read this I was so angry I had to let it out even though no one else was here.

Lewis Black would have been proud of me.

a reply to: MarsKingAQuestion

I'm glad those two got the recognition they deserve. I probably should have put that stuff in my OP, but, at the time, I had to stop myself from saying things that might get me banned.

a reply to: N3k9Ni

I find the idea of closing a nursing home, without arranging alternative care for residents who remain there, utterly abominable! You cannot just lock up, sod off, and leave the elderly and infirm to just die off in their rooms, covered in their own filth! That is not acceptable! That is nothing short of barbaric. The bastards should be flogged!

On the subject of the two stoic and gallant individuals who remained behind to look after everyone, these gentlemen ought to be damned proud of themselves, and the deserve every plaudit and commendation that they receive. It is a bloody travesty that they were put in that position, and I suppose the only positive thing that has come out of any of this, is that we know the identities of at least two of the most upstanding and kindly folk one could hope to encounter. It takes a certain kind of person to remain in that situation, taking no pay!

Can they post the owners of the place.

People, like these two gentlemen, who made personal sacrifices and took action based on principle and moral responsibility, are men to be praised and held up as examples for the rest of us.

I wish I had been there to help and will be looking for the opportunity to do a similar service for people in my community. Volunteering isn't my cup of tea as I have much work to do for myself, hard physical work that leaves me pretty sore and drained, but this is a very inspiring story that will play on my thoughts for quite a while. I'm normally available to help my friends on a phone call, friends that I want to help or owe the help, but I should expand that circle.

There are bad cases of old peoples homes and homes for disalbilities... I worked in a home for severe learning disabilities, it was one of the best and most difficult jobs I have ever done. I had to leave in the end as the hours were rotten, split shifts, work 4 hours on then 4 off then another 4 on, just made the day so much longer.

But the place was really good and the people were really looked after and were seen as the owners of the home! It was their house and you are a guest kinda thing. Was really nice to see. Stories like this and the ones of abuse I just can't wrap my head around. There was a really bad one in the UK recently. It was a sickening thing to watch.

There is good and bad in everything I guess, we probably don't see the good as much as we should. Kudos to the 2 guys, glad they were willing and able to help!

EDIT: Oh... They only hung around till the police and fire brigade showed up... Still good but yeah XD

They are the people who will save us all

a reply to: springtime

No, they have no power to do anything, this kind of story is going on all over the place for years in every city in the modern world.

Them continuing to work without pay is actually causing the place most of the time to continue to operate in this fashion.

They know the employees who care, and treat them the worst, eventually they burn out and go away, I have seen this firsthand.

These people are heroic yes, but are they going to save anything, not a chance.

Where were the residents' families? I am just as shocked that no family members moved these people as I am that the nursing home admin just left them.

The article is pretty short on details, I'm curious about the medications? They left all the meds there? That seems very odd considering those guys could have wiped out their opiate and benzo cabinet, or one of the patients/residents if nobody was expected to be around.

I'm not being suspicious of these guys at all, obviously they did a good thing, I'm just really suspicious about the circumstances in which the home was shut down in the first place, and the procedures followed for doing so. Closed down medical facilities don't usually have their meds still in place, and as the details in the article were slim, I'm really wondering exactly what happened.

Maybe a singe doctor or nurse or someone was supposed to stay behind and take care of things, and they got hurt/injured and couldn't make it to work? Something seems odd about this story. I can believe medical people bailing on patients, but not bailing on their drugs! Securing medications seems to be the first thing on their minds in situations like these.