Certified again and on my Soapbox

                

  Not that I was worried because after this many years if I haven't got it down pat by now, God help my patients.  It is good to go over though and we have to do this every 2 years.  Of course we go to codes all the time, but they change occasionally when they find something that works better.  The best of care, because we care.

             

   I got this joke in my email and thought I would share.  It is so true.  Think about this when you are tempted to go overboard on Christmas.

         

 

A friend and his wife decided that letting their young son open all his gifts at once on Christmas morning always turned into present overload. So last December they decided to hold back the big gift -- a bike -- until after lunch. Unable to figure out how to wrap it, they tied a balloon to the handlebars.

Christmas Day arrived, lunch was eaten, and then the boy's mother announced, "Look what else Santa brought you." And with that, my friend wheeled in the bike. "Yippee," the boy shouted. "A balloon!"

    I did that with my niece.  I bought her a beautiful doll, just lovely with the prettiest dress.  It came in a shiny gold box.  My niece loved it.  Happily she tossed the doll aside and played with the box the rest of the evening.  I could have saved myself 20 dollars and just bought a shiny box.  When asked later what her favorite present had been she grabbed the box.  I was so proud.

              

   Reading today about the horrible problems with nursing homes.  Most of them are for profit, run in the black and give the most sub standard care.  To cheap to pay the help well, the turn over is high and patient ratio is extremely unsafe.  Imagine taking care of 20 to 30 patients alone!  

          

   In the past there were retirement homes.  Real homes run by either a family or the town.  Most had no more the 10 clients that they knew by name.  Of course most people stayed at home with families but for those with no families they had these homes.  Then the government got involved.  Put all of those places out of business by over regulating them.  Sure some needed some help, but most did not.  Think OSHA and all their rules.  How could it possibly be they can find infractions every single time?  It costs businesses millions to do all the things required and most of them were places that had great safety records before OSHA ever stepped in the place.  How can someone sit at a desk and decide how it should run without ever stepping in the place?   

        

    Now we have large nursing homes.  Nothing is stacked too close to the ceiling, the railing are exactly 22 inches off the floor.  There is a smoke detector every 20 feet and a fire extinguisher in every hall.  More smoke detectors then staff.  People go there to recover and get minimal care for their huge bill.  And it is huge for what they get.  It would be cheaper to hire a full time home health aide, but insurance won't cover that.  The care would probably be better.  I can't tell you all the stories I have seen of the neglect and poor care from some of these homes.  You can't blame the staff, they do as best they can with the few help they get.  Frequently they are staffed by agency help who have never been there before and don't know the patients.  That is when they are lucky enough to get the extra help.

        

  I hear some states are going back to the group home type retirement home.   The government still puts unrealistic regulations on them but it is homier and the home takes much fewer patients.  Not every state has done that yet though.  Most of here on the boards are the baby boomers.  This is the type of care we are going to get.  We need to speak up now and demand better care.  Some humane societies treat their dogs and cats better then we treat our elderly.  Its criminal.

        

   Well boy am I on my soap box again.  But the elderly are not useless things to be tucked away and forgotten except for on holidays and birthdays.  Tips for making sure your loved one gets as good a care as possible in one of those places.  Don't go at the same time everyday or every week.  Vary your visits so the staff doesn't know when to expect you.  Trust me, if you come everyday at 11 they will make sure she or he is up at 10:45.  Visit more then once a day if possible.  Call and ask how everything is going.  Check toothbrushes to see if they are dry and don't look like they have been used.  Don't yell at the staff, ask to talk to the owners of the home.  Check you loved ones skin condition.  Are they getting pressure sores from not beingturned?  Write your congressmen and state officials and tell them you want your elderly cared for correctly.  Ask how many staff members are on duty each and every shift and what they do when they have call in's.  Protect your family members because they did it for you when you weren't able to.  Ask to have your family member weighed weekly and check to see what the weight is.  If your loved one is losing weight ask why.  Learn how to check skin turgor to see if your loved one is dehydrated, a very common problem, and get you loved one something like a sippy cup they can easily hold onto and not worry about spilling.  I know there are more great tips out there.  Pass them on.