First of all, not all Long Term Care facilities are bad. There are a lot of good facilities out there and it takes patience and knowledge to find them.
The first thing you need to know is that not all Long Term Care facilities are equal. You have some run by big corporations who are in it to make money. Others are run by Not For Profit organizations. Both have a corporation running them but they all have the same basic principles, or at least we hope they do.
I have worked in Long Term Care facilities for a long time. I have seen good ones and bad ones. It hurts me to see what some facilities consider adequate care when it is very inadequate. Staffing is below par for most facilities, yet the state governments only require a certain number of staffing per so many residents. An aide has a very tough job taking care of residents when they have anywhere from 15 to 20 residents who are depending on that one aide. If the states would realize that it takes at least one aide per 6 to 8 residents, then the care would be much better in all facilities.
The states have also come up with what is called making a facility “ restraint free”. The state considers restraints as inhumane and undignified. Well, if a resident has the right to fall, then let the states make it easier for the facilities to take care of their residents so that they do not fall.
There have been so many cutbacks in state Medicare and Medicaid programs that now the facilities have to cover some of the costs which Medicare and Medicaid once covered. If a resident needs special items like Attends then either the facility or the family must pay the cost. Residents who are obtaining services like Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy can only get these for a specific amount of time. These are residents who could possibly go home at a later date and be able to take care of themselves again. A resident needs to go to the hospital via ambulance, the facility or the family must pay the cost. It used to be covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
When you decide that the time is appropriate to put Mom or Dad in a Long Term Care facility, the first thing you must do is take a tour. During your tour, talk to the administrator, the Director of Nursing, the Nurses, the Aides and most importantly talk to the residents. Most facilities will have either the Director of Nursing, or the person representing Social Services guide you through the facility. If for any reason they do not let you talk to staff or residents, then be assertive and find out why.
There are websites available that let you see how a facility rates among other facilities in their area. All you have to do is type in Nursing Homes in your browser. Look for sites that give you information on how a facility rated in a state survey. These sites will give you information so that you can see how adequate the care in that facility is. Look long and hard and find out as much as possible about the facility you are considering before making a choice.
