Let’s Work Together on Health-Care Matters

Re “Laguna AIDS Refuge Cited” (May 3): I would like to commend Ahimsa and the staff for courageously providing care for persons with AIDS when other facilities make excuses for not doing so.

Since Ahimsa opened its doors in November of 1988, I have personally visited the facility and found the environment to be clean and most of all staffed by incredibly caring individuals.

Have you ever visited a convalescent home or other skilled-care facility? The smell of urine is often overwhelming; not so Ahimsa. The patients appeared well cared for and in good spirits.

Providing quality care in this day and age is extremely expensive, and hiring good help is very difficult. Ask any acute-care hospital where wards are being closed because of the nursing shortage. Instead of attacking their efforts, it would behoove us to roll up our sleeves and ask what can we do to help Ahimsa provide quality care.

We are in the midst of a health-care crisis not just related to AIDS. The medical needs of many residents are not being met; the Medi-Cal system is in disarray; the thousand points of light in Orange County are being stretched to their limits.

Let’s not waste our time and energy bad-mouthing people like Sharon Lucas and Ahimsa. Let’s work together to solve these problems.

PEARL JEMISON-SMITH

Garden Grove