I have another horror story to tell. My elderly mother was there at Genesis recuperating from a flareup of CHF. She was rather weak and unsteady of her feet. Her meds made her unsteady on her feet. Fearing a fall and a busted hip, I told her that she should not go to the bathroom without someone helping her get there. A couple of days later, she told me she asked for help late at nite and the nurses aide told her that she should just urinate on herself, and they would clean her up later. Needles to say, my footprints are probably still on the DON's desk from when I when in there and raised absolute hell!! I got an apology and she got help with no problem from there on out!
A bit of advise from someone who has dealt with many nursing homes in many locations. What you need to do is establish early on that you have a watchful eye on your loved one's care, and will raise hell if it not up to par. Have a cow over the first thing that is out of line. It will be passed around quickly to take good care of that particular person, because that pesky son/daughter/etc. will stop by at anytime, and raise hell if things are not right. Do just that, stop by at different times on all the shifts. Get known as a staunch and motivated advocate for your love one. They will get much better care.
I feel so sorry for the lost souls in these places who have no one to look out for them. They are the ones who really get screwed.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
3 comments:
I agree when you make your presence known that you could drop in there anytime night or day they are more heads up. It shouldn't be that way, but that is they way it is.
Some of the worst jobs only pay $6 an hour or a little more to start.
Unfortunately many can't be there all the time because of work, some work 2 and 3 jobs. Others just assume that the care is good and don't bother to check on their loved ones on a regular basis.
When my Mom went downhill she went fast and thankfully only had to be there a short while and as little suffering as one could expect. Mom was on a stomach feeding tube and wasn't even allowed water or an ice cube for fear of aspiration.
That really tore me up hearing my Mom begging for an ice cube and she couldn't have it. I visited before work, after work and sometimes during the work day, they never knew when I may show up and she did get good care.
I was complaining to a nurses aid one night because Mom couldn't even have an ice cube to savor like a steak. The aid told me that she wasn't aware of that and she had been giving Mom an ice cube on occasion.
I told that aid to forget what I had said and to give her an ice cube if she wanted one, there are some that really care, it's always a few that are lazy or just don't care that make the rest of the facility sound bad.
My grandmother was in several nursing home/rehab centers in town. For us, Genesis was the best. The worst was Health South, Chesepeake Rehab. She was there after hip replacement surgery. During the night a nurse helped her to the bathroom, then couldn't get her all the way back into bed and left her half out of bed. The next day she complained about leg pain. They put her in her wheel chair and left her there all day until one of my aunts came to visit after work. At this point my grandmother was crying. All day she was ignored. Finally the nurse on duty was concerned and called the doctor. She was taken to the hospital and had to undergo surgery. Her femur was badly broken below the hip replacement. It was so bad the doctors had to search for all the pieces and wire it together during surgery. Needless to say we did not go back there!
They need to past STRICK laws and heavy fines on those who hurt or
abuse the eldery or mentally challenged. I mean HEAVY FINES.
I pray that I don't have to go to a nursing home when I get older.
Not having any family - I will be there alone and nobody to cry help to. AKA...I will be the prime target of those who abuse.
Post a Comment