Colonialgirl
Hawkeye
The local VA hospital did a good job for me both times I was in for something over several days.
Bob, if you witnessed "rough treatment" report it to the state agency that regulates nursing homes. Patients are rarely able. Families, as you stated, fear retaliation. But now that Nita is with God you can and should take action.My beloved wife, Nita, spent several weeks in nursing/rehab facility and that nearly killed my soul. The paces were nightmares. The facility was dark and foreboding in its décor. The furnishing looked as if they were from the Salvation Army, old and scarred, and mismatched. The nurse call light went unanswered for twenty to forty minutes.
And Nita begged me not to complain as she feared retaliation from the staff. And this fear was not unfounded from my observation. Several times I witnessed rough treatment to helpless patients.
And even worse, while the furnishings were new and better, hospital care was not much better.
Bob Wright
My mon also spent a bit of time on two ocassions in rehab facilities. Only one very small step up from "convalescent" homes. In each case we got her out as soon as she was able. In additon, two of my sisters are RN's. They made darned sure the staff knew it. I ask several pointed questions and they understood I had some sort of background. Didn't tell them it was in the 70's.My ML was in a nursing home for a year and a half, and I would have to say she received pretty good care and was well looked after.
Now I'll tell you why my wife (a nurse) and her sister never missed a day of not going to visit. I don't mean 15-30 minutes, they always stayed a couple of hours at least.
My BL and I would visit two or three times a week also. My wife always spoke with the duty nurse & if there were any concerns they made sure they were addressed before they left.
The people working there always knew her daughters would be in to visit so I believed that had a lot to do with it.
What saddened me the most was the people who would put their parents in there and then hardly ever came to visit let alone call and check on them. It was a damn shame pure & simple!
My wife and her sister knew every patient in my ML's wing on a first name basis, and they looked forward to the girls coming in just to have someone to chat with. Made their day also!
It's a damn shame the way the elderly are treated in some of those places.
Terry
I think this is what's needed most of the time. When my father-in-law first went in to the facility he's at there were plenty of issues. My wife who is not on the medical side but has worked as management in medical fields most of her life started showing up at random times several times a week starting to address issues, things changed. If you piss her off she will professionally and mostly politely gnaw your face off and then start on your supervisor's.My mon also spent a bit of time on two ocassions in rehab facilities. Only one very small step up from "convalescent" homes. In each case we got her out as soon as she was able. In additon, two of my sisters are RN's. They made darned sure the staff knew it. I ask several pointed questions and they understood I had some sort of background. Didn't tell them it was in the 70's.