From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Thu May 31 2001 - 12:38:13 MDT
>From: "Tarynn M. Witten, Ph.D., FGSA"
>
>HE 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 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 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
>multitask. Most fully accredited ACFs, like Silicon Pines, are oases
>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.
>
>For more on Silicon Pines, we hope you'll take the time to Click Here.
>
>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
>debilitated 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 open an 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, 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 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 Compucaid or
>Compucare, but reimbursement rates are low and only cover a portion of
>the fees. Exacerbating the situation are the HMOs (Helpdesk
>Maintenance Organizations), 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 percent 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 its 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 Nigel and Janet Frazier were a "danger to themselves and the
>
>community." According to court records, Bradley told his parents about
>the ILoveYou virus and warned them not to click attachments, then the
>next day his parents received an ILoveYou 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 goddamned 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 subscribers alone will take years
>to absorb.
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