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Barb, Have just read your post and will join in the discussion with/for another perspective.... 1. We are all aware of personality changes/psychological changes with the medications/PD.....and not being with any patient for a 24/7 period are probably not able to thoroughly understand the conditions or what they describe their conditions to be. I do think this must be considered if we are talking about Ivan or John Doe with PD. As Greg commented....the nurses tend to have a bit different view of Ivan's care. 2. We know only one side of the situation that existed in Portland.......and Ivan did request/take himself to the hospital many times. I thought I read that he was in a hospital near family member for the past several weeks. 3. Someone/some agency is paying the bill for Ivan's care right now. He is receiving 24 hour care and food/medication and heat and cleanliness to meet his daily needs. It may not be the choice he would make for himself....but sometimes it is must be understood that he who pays the bill makes some of the decisions. 4. Sometimes the other family members do not exist.....or cannot help for reasons that we are not aware of on this list.....and that is their family business. 5. My sister worked as a visiting nurse/visiting physical therapist for several years when her children were preschoolers. Then she went to work as a PT at a nursing home. Many of her patients at the nursing home were the same patients she had seen as a visiting PT in their homes. These PATIENTS complained in the nursing home....about food, temp, noise, newspapers, sunshine, etc. Jean's comment was "I used to see these same patients at home...and they had forgotten when they arrived at the nursing home that they used to complain and have fears at home also"... about food (inability to prepare/buy/delivery whatever)....heat/cool (expense/maintenance/ work to keep it going).....Loneliness, fear, nighttime, transportation, yard work, in home help. In other words......no matter where we are some of us will find reason to complain.......and others of us will not. In a perfect world we would all be maintained in the garden setting, in a home of our choice, with 24 hour care. The world is not perfect and neither are we. We do not know how many people with disabilities are treated with how many $ in Portland or Wahoo. We don't have the whole story....... Nursing homes referred to as incarceration......is really a bit much......and a bit irritating to some of us who have paid for years to have a parent well cared for in a nursing home. I have one family member within 800 miles, and four within 2000 miles and will probably have to accept a long term care facility for myself some day. Rita Weeks 56/11