There are many instances where you may need to seek out nursing services for a loved one. Sometimes Alzheimer’s and dementia patients require around-the-clock maintenance to remain out of harm’s way. Other times, elderly patients are unable to feed themselves, get to the bathroom, remember their medications or clean the house any longer. Finding an assisted living facility can be an agonizing decision for the family, so it’s especially important that they find the right establishment to find that peace of mind. In this article, National Senior Citizens Law Center Attorney Eric M. Carlson will tell you what to look for in an elderly care center, what sort of problems to expect and what to do should an issue arise.
Staffing is, hands down, the biggest factor when it comes to the quality of elderly care received, Carlson says. “Annual turnover for nurse aides runs at 100 percent or higher. Nurse turnover rates are also high at 50 percent annually,” he explains, adding that existing staff may be asked to work double shifts, which contributes to declining quality in care. To ensure the most attention and get the best value, you should look for a home with low staff turnover and a high aide-to-patient ratio. Ideally, one staff member will work with five or six patients at most. If administrators are reticent to share turnover rates with you, ask how long the employees have worked there to gauge who you’re dealing with. The best nursing home health care generally comes from places where the aides have been there for at least two or three years. That way you know these people genuinely want to be there and have a positive attitude toward their patients.
Secondly, if you have a loved one who needs elderly care for Alzheimer’s or dementia, then examine your options because not all places are created equal. “Some nursing homes are trying a different approach, commonly called resident-centered care, which offers a homelike environment that works to meet a resident’s preferences, such as eating frequent snacks, waking up later, or being able to take walks,” says Carlson. “These homes work harder to try to get people up and find activities that work for them as individuals so they are not sitting around in wheelchairs watching The Price Is Right every morning. They stress intellectual and physical stimulation, exercise, calming music and pets for therapy.” The best elderly caregiver will approach patients with dementia slowly, call the person by name and talk kindly to facilitate better communication, despite the disease.
“Many nursing homes follow procedures that are in conflict with the federal Nursing Home Reform Law, which has been in effect since 1990,” warns Carlson. Far too often he sees trouble getting Medicaid-eligible patients re-admitted after their hospital stays, even though they are entitled by law to the elderly care facility’s next available bed. He adds that families can contact their state ombudsman who will provide advocacy for residents free of charge. For more information, visit the National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center at www.itcombudsman.org. “I know at the time it is a difficult period and people feel unsupported, and it’s baffling to them that this possibly could be happening,” says the attorney, “but nursing homes need more consumer pressure. A lot depends on consumers knowing more about them and not being intimidated talking to these people.”
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Tags: Alzheimers care, assisted living, geriatric care, neuropsychiatrists, nursing home, nursing homes