Nursing Homes
By youdontsay
@youdontsay (3497)
United States
February 24, 2007 3:23pm CST
What can we as private citizens do to improve the quality of life in nursing homes? It is appalling the conditions in even the more expensive facilities. And those that are supported primarily by Medicare/Medicaid are so bad we'd be treating our elders with more respect if we shot them! What can we do?
2 responses
@mrsbrian (1949)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I worked in a nursing home for 15 years, now i dont know what area your nursing home is in but where i worked in Ohio i can assure you it was clean, no smell and the residents were cared for with respect and dignety.The pay i recieved was peanuts for the work I had to do but i loved every min. of it. Thses people became my family and we were expected to treat them as such or we could look for work elsewhere.There are many programs that look out for the elderly in the nursing home. I have never seen the state overlook one issue nor turn a blind eye to anything.
I guess I must have worked in a good home, but I know there are bad ones out there and its up to the familys to get things changed or get them shut down. start with the ombudsman in your area they will handle any issues you have.
1 person likes this
@youdontsay (3497)
• United States
11 Apr 07
Thank you. I'm sure there are some good homes somewhere. My mother was in and out of several. There were only two of all of them that I would have chosen for her had I know more about all of them. The best one was one we couldn't afford for more than six days. All of the others accepted medicare and her retirement insurance for the total amount. Some of the patients had no insurance beyond medicare. And many of them were too senile to know what was happening to them. It is heartbreaking to see our elders treated as refuse to be ignored by their families and warehoused in facilities that are over-loaded and under-staffed.
If it is up to the families of people without means, then it is pretty hopeless.
@pjsstars (33)
• United States
24 Feb 07
Get pictures( video cameras even better),get petitions,even picket the places if you can and let your congressman know that you wont tolerate these living conditions.Inspectors come in but they turn a blind eye in many cases.You can even take it to your local newspaper.
People are humans and they shouldnt in any way live under such conditions.Raise enough ruckus and someone will have to listen and do something about it.
1 person likes this
