Greetings! The goal of this blog is to comment on conditions, care, and circumstances in Nursing Homes & Extended care facilities. I believe Eldercare is an issue which should have many watchdogs, commentaries, and stakeholders. I am but one, except I am reporting from the inside! As a 57 yr. old quad with most of my faculties in good order, I am preparing to move to my 3rd facility in as many years, my eyes are open, head clear, and laptop is charged. No aspirations of becoming an authority here, but an inside view might helpful for those seeking care for their loved ones. As the new administration takes on the problems of our great nation, perhaps we may examine whether Obama-care may, or may not be the best for your “Momma’s” care!
Tags: Healthcare, Seniors
December 20, 2008 at 3:50 pm |
Read your blog. If you saw the list you will notice California was not on it. Why are you moving to another facility? I have been in a lot of facilities as a air ambulance transport nurse. Some are beautiful and very clean and you wouldn’t want your animals at others. Every facility needs someone like you looking from the inside out. Keep them in check and god bless you.
December 21, 2008 at 7:45 am |
Thank you Tina for the kind words. The reason I’m moving is because the facility is changing focus from long term, skilled nursing to a subacute care and short-term, quick turnaround recovery and therapy type of facility. I am actually touring another facility on Monday as a potential move.
I hope I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew with this blog, but I feel that something of this nature is needed.
Thank you, and keep in touch. Bob
December 20, 2008 at 4:00 pm |
Hey Bob!
This is a great idea you have here, I had been working Florida long term care facilities for many years in the capacity of Social Services Director in facilities as small as 60 to 300 beds. I later moved onto consulting for federal and state regulatory compliance in skilled nursing facilities and sub acute care institutions. I was essentially a patient care / administrative liasion, while ensuring all regs were being followed. I loved the work, the residents and the sense of accomplishment. It really was more of a vocation than an employment opportnity for me.
I can appreciate your attempt here, and hope that only good becomes of it. What does administration think of your blog? I can easily empathize with your situation, and look forward to further communication with you.
Congratulations for all the good things you have in mind to do.
Cheers,
Ken
December 21, 2008 at 7:38 am |
Thanks Ken,
I’m in a 105 bed facility right now. Things here are run pretty well and my complaints are very few, but I do have a few pointers on at run place like this. Basically because I was in the IT field for the last six years. I see a lot of room where computerization can really cut some time and increase the personal service that staff can give to the patients. We have an excellent social services director here, and she works very hard to make sure that everyone is well taken care of so I can appreciate what you did for those years. As far as administration issuing an opinion on my blog. They actually don’t know anything about it yet. I am actually the only patient here with the computer. Apparently I am somewhat of an anomaly, because I’m only 57. Have a pretty clear head on my shoulders, and I can speak up if something is wrong. Unfortunately that’s not the case for many patients here and I fear they are the ones most likely to get abused or taken advantage of. However as I said this is a well-run facility. The downside is, is that they are going to acute-care and life-support type clientele and getting out of the skilled nursing.
I hope I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew with this blog, but so far so good. Thanks for your comments, Bob
December 22, 2008 at 6:02 pm |
Hi Bob
I’m so happy to see your blog! I am a writer for Action Pact, an organization that does education and consulting on culture change in long-term care (that is working to transform institutions into true homes). Yours is a much needed voice and a wonderful supplement to the new CMS five-star nursing home rating system site. I’ve addressed both in my latest blog: http://www.actionpact.com/weblog/index.html
I look forward to your future posts.
February 25, 2009 at 10:47 pm |
Hi- Can you give me some advice please.. I was looking around on the internet and came across your blog.. My mother is about to placed in a skilled nursing facility (hopefully temporarily). She is only 67, but was found “down” in her own apartment in early December. She spent almost a month in the hospital and moved in with me at end of Decemeber. She has had 4 hospitalizations since then- COPD exasberations and congestive heart failure. Her COPD is end stage and she seems to have some sort of dementia caused by too much CO2 in the blood/brain..She also has bad osteoporosisand a fractured vertabra – is in a lot of pain.. Anyways, the doctor is pushing for the SNF instead of her coming home with me again.. I want to keep her home, problem is -her pain is not controlled and she is very weak and not really functioning on her own at all. BTW I am married with 3 kids, she has her own bedroom and bathroom, and I do not work outside the home. What do you think is best for her? I think she should be with me if only her pain can be controlled. Please help!
March 27, 2009 at 4:19 pm |
Bob,
I was thrilled when I discovered your blog. To have someone from the inside sharing his experiences in LTC facilities has the potential to educate the public and LTC healthcare providers alike. As someone who is working at the state regulatory level, I applaud and appreciate your efforts. I admire both your courage and your confidence in your right to be heard. As far as biting off more than you can chew, I think you will find many cheerleaders out here who will encourage you and who are praying that you will not keep silent. Your voice will help those who are most vulnerable in LTC facilities and who often have no voice/advocate other than those who regulate LTC, and that simply is not enough. You can be their voice to alert all of us to what they need by just sharing your own experiences.
I presume that by now you have settled into a new home and pray that you are well on your way to developing loving relationships with your caregivers and administrative staff. Continue to use your open eyes, your clear head and your laptop to speak for yourself and those around you when you see things that need to be changed in your facility (and more than likely in the LTC industry as a whole). Paradigms will shift from where we currently are toward customer service, customer satisfaction, seeing each human being as having value and deserving of individualized, person-centered, and loving care, ONLY IF we are willing to engage in and are open to honest dialogue that scrutinizes the way we (society as a whole and more specifically, in LTC ) view elders and persons with disabilities AND the way we are currently caring for them in most LTC facilities.
I beleive that your voice will go a long way in helping us to see clearly what IS and also provide an excellent opportunity for such dialogue. Thank you for being willing to speak up and out. I look forward to seeing how your blog develops. Blessings to you, Bob.
March 27, 2009 at 4:29 pm |
Confuzed&Sad,
Have you asked your doctor about Home Health for your mother to assist you in her care? You should certainly expect your doctor to make every effort to get your mother’s pain under control. You could ask him to refer you to a pain management specialist, a doctor who’s specialty is managing chronic pain. If he is not wiling to do so, I encourage you to seek the opinion and care of another doctor for your mother’s sake. There are so many options available in the area of pain management, that I would not give up taking care of her at home if that is the primary motivation for nursing home placement. If the purpose is only to stablize her on a pain management program and then to bring her back home with you, you might want to get a second opinion to see if there are other options available to you and your mother.
Blessings to you for being willing to take care of your mother and make her a part of your household. I pray that you find the answer that will deal with her pain and will also be what is best for your mother and for you and your family.
June 24, 2009 at 4:05 pm |
Bob, I just want to let you know how much your input is needed. I am the DON in a LTC facility and we are aggressively working on culture change. I have to say I was surprised and saddened by the fact that our first hurdle was our residents attitude. They almost all made the same observations to me when I visited with them about what they wanted to see changed. Almost all said “nothing” this is a nursing home, old folks home, etc. and it is what it is, it’s fine, it’s ok, you don’t need to change anything. In other words they all came here expecting to be institutionalized and that was ok with them. How sad, no wonder people say they never want to end up in a nursing home.
Now I have to say that with the first bit of remodeling we did, which was a shower room they all quickly jumped on board. We could not get color on the walls and floors fast enough for them which was terrific and they are begining to understand that decor isn’t the real issue, just one of the percs. They are finally starting to relate to culture change and giving us more of their thoughts on how we can make our facility more like home for them individually instead of the group as a whole.
That’s where you could play such an important role, let your facility as well as the rest of us know what you and the others living in your home want. Everything you want, not just what you think can be attained. You never know what you can get until you share those desires with us.
Keep up the good work! We all appreciate it.
October 17, 2009 at 12:57 am |
Hi everyone,
I am Badbobs oldest daughter.
Yesterday, Oct. 15 2009, he passed away from respitory faliure due to pneumonia. It was due to poor care in the nursing facility that he moved to after the above mentioned. I promised him to take action for all that has happened. I do not want to see another person suffer the way he and my family have. I can be reached at jennifer_loving@sbcglobal.net if anyone would like anymore info.
BadBob’s #1 daughter,
Jennifer Loving