SUSIE MALLETT

My visitors today

Tuesday 1 February 2011

What's in a name?

"Roses for Geli" by Susie Mallett, 1998

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Or would it?

I have had the following comment on my little book, from an old and dear friend in Germany who has long-standing MS and is a long-standing conductive lifestylist:

I'm coming back to your very interesting and nice-to-read book Susie Mallett's Conductive Education and Lifestyle, especially to the article on page 31, 'Training'. You don't like the word "training", probably associating training dogs. Makes sense.

I was thinking.

Isn't the work that conductors do needed because of medical problems, and isn't it precisely for the treatment of medical problems in Germany that the Krankenkassen have been established?

So why is the work of conductors in Germany not paid by the Krankenkassen? Because the name of this work does not ring well in the Health Ministry-trained ears of the Krankenkassen, who do not like Education, Ausbildung, Förderung, Erziehung etc., saying that they were not set up to do this.

As the rehabilitation of children or adults following a medically caused disability, whether from birth or acquired, definitely is the business of the Krankenkassen, I should think, that it would be worthwhile that the professional people in the driving cabin of the worldwide CE-train should discuss at a professorial level the question of whether CE should,at least in the German language, have a name expressing exactly this:

that CE is a rehabilitative treatment (Behandlung) that aims for and leads to better functioning in life, after or while having a medically caused disability, by learning how to live with it.

The Krankenkassen system is good for solidarity with the those with medical conditions, and this is what people want it to be. So it is incomprehensible that those patients who need CE to learn how to function with a neurological problem should be excluded.

If the name "Konduktive Förderung" is the only barrier to Konduktive Förderung's getting into the financial heaven of acceptance by the Krankenkasse, then why not just change the baby's name, if "Förderung" is so disliked as a definition, at least in this one country?

Notes

Krankenkassen are the health insurance companies that pay, or do not pay, for medical services in Germany

I did not translate this, my friend wrote to me in English. Thank you taking the trouble and energy to do that.

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet -

Juliet:
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man.

O, be some other name!

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owesW

ithout that title. Romeo, doff thy name,A

nd for that name which is no part of thee

Take all myself.

Romeo:

I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;

Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

2 comments:

Susie Mallett said...

My old friend has added a footnote to what he wrote to me earlier:

Of course "lifestyle" is probably a name that hits the point, but for acceptance by the Krankenkasse system the name would have to express something that doctors do; something like "Behandlung" (treatment), what it actually also is. Maybe a mixture of Behandlung and relearning (Wiedererlangung) of lost skills.

The international professionals who know the situation in Germany must think about it. Certainly in the long run they should aim for getting CE into the Leistungskatalog that says what is paid and what is not by the German Krankenkassen, because this is where it should belong in future.

Anne said...

Hi Susie. I have go disagree that simply changing the name would make all the difference. Especially in Germany it has been tried to make the krankenkassen pay for it- unsuccessfully. There was even a really expensive study in 2003 that pushed for Ce being a treatment and as such to be put in the Leistingskatalog. Again this was rather unsuccessful. Giving it a different name would not have changed the outcome. I think we need to try to push more towards pushing it was what it is and distant ourselves fro
Treatment and therapy. Or we will continue to make it more confusing and misunderstood. Plus now there is some funding through the sozialaemter, not a lot but it's a start and this way it's more where it should be.