Indifference at Nursing home

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Poor pay and benefits, shift work, and working in a nursing home-like working in a hospital-is a lot more physically demanding than people realize.
When you hear of people in their 60s, 70s, 80s being put into nursing homes it helps to remember that the "kids" are in their 40s, 50s, 60s and trying to get on with their lives, and so many people see themselves under no obligation towards parents and grandparents they correctly see to be lazy, selfish, self-centered, inconsiderate and immature.

 

[Rolex28]

all good reasons to do volunteer work at local facilities....they need good help

 

[BigBoy99]

A lot has to do with the home and its staff. Last week I left a Cardo Rehab. Nursing Home after 3 weeks and it was a very pleasant experience. Staff was excellent, explained everything, answered calls when made, good food, etc. I was very pleased and happy with my stay and would recommend it to others.

 

[bgrafsr]

These type stories infuriate Ruthie as that is not how she nor her nursing home operates. Her facility consistently gets high ratings from the state, the county and the residents' families.

It is sad but the fact is that not all staff have hearts for this kind of demanding, often difficult, long-term care work and focus on punching the clock. They don't always get weeded out.

My Wife has been a Nurse for well over 40 years. She now works part time at a rehab facility. Penny is very caring and takes care of her patients. She is not above pulling "bed pan duty" or other chores, if others are not available to do so. There are a few STNA's she likes to work with because they have the same work ethic as she has.

 

[Ziggy2525]

...
When my mother was in two different facilities in her last couple of years. My sister and I were constantly battling with the management over the conditions. We won, but it was exhausting.

My advice is to visit as often as possible. It doesn't have to be long, but try to get there a couple of times a week. It not only cheers up your loved one, but you'll keep the staff on their toes.

Great advice. If you’re not actively advocating for your loved ones, who will? IME, some nursing homes have great leadership and see their mission as providing compassionate care for people that can’t care for themselves any longer. Probably more nursing homes adopt that as a slogan, but are only in it for the money. Hard to tell one from the other unless you’re there a lot, and at different times.

 

[Bekeart]

Recover Center vs Just A Quite Place to Die

A lot has to do with the home and its staff. Last week I left a Cardo Rehab. Nursing Home after 3 weeks and it was a very pleasant experience. Staff was excellent, explained everything, answered calls when made, good food, etc. I was very pleased and happy with my stay and would recommend it to others.

You describe a home with the RECOVERY goal.
My friend is in:

JUST A QUITE PLACE TO DIE!

Warehousing seniors for their medicare payments.
Too many times the "clients" receive lower quality care than patients at a Veterinarian"s Office.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Nursing homes have a tremendous lobby in our state. In fact I know of at least one legislator that owns a bunch. They are set up to take advantage of the medicare system and are for profits. The biggest place to cut costs are the staff. Doesn't take much of a rocket scientist to complete the equation on this one

 

[GaryS]

Are you saying that one legislator owns several nursing home AND that nursing homes own a lot of legislators?

Nursing homes have tremendous lobby in most, if not all, states. Plus, they donate to Governor's campaigns so they have a lot of pull with executive branch offices.

Hospitals and even private ambulance services do the same thing.

Nursing homes have a tremendous lobby in our state. In fact I know of at least one legislator that owns a bunch. They are set up to take advantage of the medicare system and are for profits. The biggest place to cut costs are the staff. Doesn't take much of a rocket scientist to complete the equation on this one

 

[ace22]

this is a major sticking point with me!
my mother was in and out of a nursing home for rehab after a fall 5 times over a period of 5 years.
in between those short stays she was able to live her life at home and take care of herself.

on average i visited her every other day to check on her, sometimes more.
the staff were never great but ok the first 4 times.
the last time she was neglected and the staff lied to me about her rehab and when her insurance coverage ran out i had to have her return to her home. every time i visited they had her sitting in a wheelchair or laying in bed but told me her rehab was going ok.

she left in worse condition than when she went in. it wasn't until then that i found out she could no longer stand or walk and she had 2 large deep bed sores, one on her heel and the other at the base of her spine.
i had to move in with my now bedridden mother to take care of her. the only help i had was hospice at home that would come by every morning for 30-60 minutes then it was all on me until the following morning.

the stress and strain on me were almost unbearable. i honestly had doubts that i would survive the ordeal but continued to do the best i could.

that went on for 3 months until she was approved to go to 24hr hospice 30 miles away. i reverted back to visiting her every other day.

she lived there another month before she passed.

i spoke with doctors nurses, adult protective services, and a state omnibus nursing home official regarding the neglect that led to her coming out of the nursing home in worse condition than when she went in and basically the responses were shrugs or indifference.

it's been 5 years this month since she passed and it still bothers me when i think about it. i've tried to be brief here just covering the basics of what happened. naturally she wasn't going to live forever but nursing home neglect was a definite factor in ending her life.

and yes the nursing home lobby is very powerful.

 

[ace22]

another thing to add to my previous post.
i received a copy of the nursing home bill to medicare for her last month.

those crooks billed insurance 9k for "skilled care"

SKILLED NEGLECT is what it really was!

 

[Bekeart]

ace22: You have described the situation a friend's mother had at our local hospital recently.

She went in walking and feeding herself - both soon ended.
She had bed sores that nurses ignored until my friend rolled her mother over an pointed them out to the doctor.
Treatment was soon started.
After the time limit for medicare treatment payment was reached the hospital staff wanted to transfer the patient/victim to their nursing home. (Yes the one I mentioned.) They tried telling my friend how much better the nursing home care would be and how my friend would not be able to handle all the work - FECES of the MALE BOVINE!

My friend did as you did. Took her mother home and gave her proper care for the few months she had left.

I have sent a pointed letter about patient neglect to the Hospital CEO.