From: M.A.
The Toughest Decision
SHOULD MY LOVED ONE BE PLACED IN AN ASSISTED COMPUTING FACILITY?
For family members, it is often the most difficult and painful decision
they will face: to accept that a loved one - a parent, a spouse, perhaps
even a sibling - is technologically impaired and should no longer be allowed
to live independently, or come near a computer or electronic device without
direct supervision. The time has come to place that loved one into the care
of an Assisted Computing Facility. But naturally you have questions. So
many questions. We at Silicon Pines want to help.
WHAT EXACTLY IS AN "ASSISTED COMPUTING FACILITY"?
Sometimes referred to as "Homes for the Technologically Infirm",
"Technical Invalid Care Centers," or "Homes for the Technically Challenged,"
Assisted Computing Facilities (ACFs) are modeled on assisted living
facilities, and provide a safe, structured residential environment for those
unable to handle even the most common, everyday multi-tasks.
Most fully accredited ACFs, like Silicon Pines, are an oasis of hope and
encouragement that allow residents to lead productive, technologically
relevant lives without the fear and anxiety associated with actually having
to understand or execute the technologies themselves.
WHO SHOULD BE IN AN ACF?
Sadly, technology is advancing at such a dramatic rate that many millions,
of all ages, will never truly be able to understand it, putting an undue
burden on those friends and family members who must explain it to them. But
unless the loved one is suffering from a truly debilitating affliction, such
as Reinstallzheimers, the decision to commit is entirely personal. You must
ask yourself: "How frustrated am I that my parent/sibling/spouse is unable
to openan email attachment?" "How much of my time should be taken up
explaining how RAM is different from hard drive memory?" "How many times can
I bear to hear my dad say,'Hey, can I replace the motherboard with a
fatherboard? Ha ha ha!'"
To make things easier, we have prepared a list of Warning Signs which we
encourage you to return to often, or, if you can't figure out how to
bookmark it, print out. Also, please take a moment to read "I'm Glad I'm in
Here! - A Resident's Story."
MUST IT BE FAMILY, OR CAN I PLACE ANYONE IN AN ACF?
Several corporations have sought permission to have certain employees, or
at times entire sales departments, committed to ACFs. At present, however,
individuals can be committed only by direct family or self-internment. The
reason is simple: there are not nearly enough ACFs in the world to
accommodate all the technologically challenged. For example, there are
currently only 860,000 beds available in ACFs, but there are 29 million AOL
users.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
ACF rents range from free up to $12,500 per month. The disparity is
currently a point of contention in the ACF industry. Many residents are
covered through government programs such as CompuAid or CompuCare, but
reimbursement rates are low and only cover a portion of the fees.
Exacerbating the situation are the HelpDesk Maintenance Organizations
(HMOs), which often deny coverage, forcing residents to pay out of pocket or
turn to expensive private techcare insurers such as BlueCache/BlueScreen.
Offsetting the costs are technology companies themselves, many of which
subsidize ACFs. Firms such as Microsoft,Dell, Qualcomm, and America Online
will pay up to 100% of a resident's monthly bill, but there is a catch.
ISPs, for instance, require residents to sign service contracts lasting a
year or more. Microsoft, meanwhile,prohibits the installation of any
competitive software, while Priceline requires that residents buy shares of
it's stock, which seems onerous but saves residents on lavatory tissue.
HOW OLD MUST I BE TO HAVE SOMEONE COMMITTED?
Until very recently, you had to be 18 or older to legally commit a family
member. However, the now famous British court case Frazier vs. Frazier and
Frazier has cleared the way for minors to commit their parents. In that
case, 15-year-old Bradley Frazier of Leicester had his 37-year-old parents
committed to an ACF in Bournemouth after a judge ruled Ian and Janet Frazier
were a "danger to themselves and the community." According to court records,
Bradley told his parents about the I LoveYou virus and warned them not to
click attachments, then the next day his parents received an I LoveYou email
and clicked on the attachment because, they explained, "it came from someone
we know."
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN AN ACF?
First, make sure it's a genuine Assisted Computing Facility, and not an
Assisted Living Facility. To tell the difference, observe the residents.
If they look rather old and tend to openly discuss bowel movements, this is
probably 'assisted living.' On the other hand, if they vary in age and say
things like, "I'm supposed to figure that out? I'm not Bill Gates you
know!," this is probably 'assisted computing.' Also, at a well-run ACF,
residents should lead full, independent lives, and should be allowed the use
of many technology devices, including telephones, electric toothbrushes, and
alarm clocks. However, only a facility's Licensed Techcare Professionals
(LTPs)
should perform computational or technological tasks such as installing
programs or saving email attachments.
And LTPs should NEVER answer residents' questions because studies have
shown that answering user questions inevitably makes things worse. Instead,
residents should simply have things done for them, relieving them of the
pressure to "learn" or "improve."
CAN A RESIDENT EVER GET OUT?
No.
OK, THIS SOUNDS PROMISING. HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
For your enlightenment, we offer extensive information on Silicon Pines
and the ACF lifestyle, which can be found by clicking one of the links in
the navigation bars found at both the top and bottom of this page. But
whatever you decide, keep in mind that due to demand, ACFs now have long
waiting lists. WebTV & AOL users alone will take years to absorb.
We look forward to your response. Thank you.
----- Tamara P Duvall Lexington, Virginia, USA Formerly of Warsaw, Poland http://lorien.emufarm.org/~tpd/
To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
