Insist on Optimal Care

During a routine walk through of a long-term care facility, I came across an elderly woman who is severely physically challenged. Her body is so contorted that she is unable to reach for items around her she may need. During my previous visits to the facility I noticed that her water had been placed on the opposite side of the table and her can of Ensure was set even further away than the water. The last time I saw her she had a pill sitting in her mouth that she was unable to swallow because her water was out of reach. She was discouraged, thirsty, and unable to take her pills. This makes it painfully clear that this woman requires assistance from staff members that need to be more aware of her needs.

Another gentleman resident expressed his frustration that his portable urinal was not emptied on a regular basis. Instead, the urinal sat on his bedside table getting full as the day goes on. The last time we spoke he reported that the nurse accidently dropped his urinal, which dumped all of its contents on his bed and table. Disgusted, the man exclaimed, "I told the nurse that if the urinal was taken care of like it should be, this would not have happened!"

It appears many staff members are approaching their jobs mechanically, hurried, and are not stopping to check on the needs of the resident that aren't always obvious, but are certainly fundamental to providing quality care. It is so important for family members to be involved with their loved one's care. Take time to observe the actions of staff and insisit the resident is having their needs and wants met. It can have a positive effect on the life and care of your loved one as well as other residents in the long-term care facility.

As Ombudsmen, we go into long-term care facilities, meet with the administration and address these types of systemic issues. The woman, who has difficulty reaching her water, is now receiving a cup holder to put on her wheel chair so she can reach it more easily and staff is receiving more training to meet her needs. As for the gentleman, the staff are now receiving training to ask the resident if there is anything else they can do before they leave the resident's room. This addresses the issue of a full portable urinal that needs to be emptied, and issues such as bedding that needs to be changed or a resident who has not been dressed for the day. After approximately a week, I'll go back and see what progress has been made and how communication and care has been improved. It is our hope that these issues are resolved quickly and the quality of life for the residents will be optimal.

A Living History

During my last facility visit I met a woman named Ruth. Born in 1913, Ruth came across as rather cantankerous at first, but as our conversation continued, Ruth warmed and took me on a journey of days gone by.

Ruth couldn't remember what she had for breakfast that day or if she takes medications on a regular basis, but the mist over her memory lifted as she recalled her childhood with clarity. Ruth took me back to the 1920's. I could hear the smooth rhythms of the band play as she spoke of the dances in her farming community. I felt the salt on my skin as she regaled me with stories of swimming with her friends in the Great Salt Lake, and the dirt under my fingernails as she described the labor and joy of digging sugar beets with her father.

I will remember that day with great fondness as I sat and talked with Ruth about her early years. There were no complaints made that day, just a reminder that there are valuable sources of history living among us.

To the reader of this blog, I challenge you to take an afternoon and visit with an elderly person. Through their story you might just find you are swept away to a different place and time.