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I'm going to strangle everyone at P's assisted living
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<blockquote data-quote="Hound dog" data-source="post: 550581" data-attributes="member: 84"><p>Terry</p><p></p><p>I've never worked assisted living. We had no such issues in the one mother in law used, it truly was a really good one. But yes, it was very expensive regardless. </p><p></p><p>I'm going to assume to some extent that staffing works like a nursing home. You're going to get those who love their job (regardless of pay) , those who don't mind their job but need the money, and those that hate the job and are only there to pick up a paycheck. All these places try to keep the latter group down as low as possible. But let's face it, these are not popular jobs for a wide variety of reasons, top one being that eventually all your clients are going to die. Emotionally that takes it's toll after a while. </p><p></p><p>I have worked in nursing homes and spent lots and lots of time in them even when not working in them. Even with a good Director who is working hard to keep staff at the highest quality, you're probably not going to see the issues like this get resolved this way. While those that love their job and those that don't mind their job would understand why you chose that route (because it would tick them off as much as you) the ones in it for a paycheck are going to be resentful as hades because odd are they're the one who left her in that condition (and they know it even if others only suspect) so will feel like you're personally attacking them and making trouble. </p><p></p><p>I have had families of clients come to me with similar issues over the years of varying degrees. Best advice I could give them from my point of view was to <strong>first</strong> try to at the very least warm up to every single direct caregiver their family member has. Thank them whenever you get a chance. Talk to them with a smile and respect. Maybe bring in an inexpensive treat for staff to enjoy once in a while or on holidays. Praise the hard work of staff that take good care of P, and I mean lavish it on. </p><p></p><p>I say this because in both assisted living and nursing homes, they're usually terribly understaffed. Staff often find themselves at a running pace for 8-12 hrs because there are so many clients and only one of them, if it is a bad day, it's even worse. It gets to the first two types of workers, but that last group only in it for the money......well they don't bother to try to keep up with the pace. But I've found time and again that even with the ones in the last group, if they are treated well by family and happen to like them, that individual client will get better care even from them. </p><p></p><p>I did this with mother in law when she was in assisted living. Shoot, there were times we visited with her care givers as much as her when they had the time. lol And I tried hard not to assume they were in the wrong when mother in law had a complaint. I listened to both sides and then made a decision. Often it was simply the case of one worker and too many clients and it took longer to either get mother in law whatever she wanted than she thought it should or whatever. Believe it or not, the way P was found that day can happen on a really bad day with not enough staff. In a good facility, it's a rare event, but it does happen. I also did this with mother in law in the nursing home, and really went the extra effort to do so because her level of care had gone up. Know what I mean?? On one hall mother in law's quality of care had gone down because the DON has switched some of the good staff to another hall to cover vacancies. After a few incidents I was not pleased with at all, I spoke to not only good members of staff that were still there, but also some of the ones that had moved (because I wanted to know why it had suddenly gone down)......and next thing I knew, mother in law was moved to where several of her (and my) favorite workers had gone. I doubt seriously this would've happened had I gone and officially complained. The staff had gone through their own channels because they really cared for mother in law and wanted her quality of care to go back up. </p><p></p><p>I'm not saying you should never go to the Director and complain. But this is a good route to try first if you can. (I can't recall if you're close to this facility or not) </p><p></p><p>I know when I was working in such places, I loved family that took the time to get to know staff and ask questions instead of assuming the worst. The places I worked, although I know the DON was working her tail off trying to keep staff, were always terribly short staffed. Far too often I'd have 20 (or more) clients all by myself. On a good day if I could find someone to help lift those I couldn't lift alone, this was fine and I could handle it. I often had, and did, take the time to do clients hair up extra special or paint finger nails and even sit and chat. On a bad day or a really bad day.........well let's just say they had to wait their turn to get to the bathroom because I couldn't split myself into parts and get them all there at the same time. (which is often how it goes) It wasn't often I didn't get to someone in time, but it did happen. I loved my job but it was utterly exhausting due to the under staffing. </p><p></p><p>Whomever you spoke to, well, that is the typical response. 1. because they're not going to admit to wrong doing until they investigate. She'll find out who had P that day and try to find out why she would be found by you in that condition. If the explanation is reasonable, the staff will be told to make more effort in their care. If the explanation is not reasonable, the staff will be reamed. It will depend on the situation and the staff members workload that day. (and if staff had help ect) But assisted living "appear" to have less staff available for those clients who are more able bodied. At least where mother in law did, and that is my only up close experience with them. They had more staff on the side that was more full care, like a nursing home. But only 2 staff per shift, plus a medication nurse, for heaven only knows how many clients in the assisted living part of the facility. I was a little surprised, but then I've noticed they have a constant ad for staff both online and in the paper, so guessing that is part of the issue.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hound dog, post: 550581, member: 84"] Terry I've never worked assisted living. We had no such issues in the one mother in law used, it truly was a really good one. But yes, it was very expensive regardless. I'm going to assume to some extent that staffing works like a nursing home. You're going to get those who love their job (regardless of pay) , those who don't mind their job but need the money, and those that hate the job and are only there to pick up a paycheck. All these places try to keep the latter group down as low as possible. But let's face it, these are not popular jobs for a wide variety of reasons, top one being that eventually all your clients are going to die. Emotionally that takes it's toll after a while. I have worked in nursing homes and spent lots and lots of time in them even when not working in them. Even with a good Director who is working hard to keep staff at the highest quality, you're probably not going to see the issues like this get resolved this way. While those that love their job and those that don't mind their job would understand why you chose that route (because it would tick them off as much as you) the ones in it for a paycheck are going to be resentful as hades because odd are they're the one who left her in that condition (and they know it even if others only suspect) so will feel like you're personally attacking them and making trouble. I have had families of clients come to me with similar issues over the years of varying degrees. Best advice I could give them from my point of view was to [B]first[/B] try to at the very least warm up to every single direct caregiver their family member has. Thank them whenever you get a chance. Talk to them with a smile and respect. Maybe bring in an inexpensive treat for staff to enjoy once in a while or on holidays. Praise the hard work of staff that take good care of P, and I mean lavish it on. I say this because in both assisted living and nursing homes, they're usually terribly understaffed. Staff often find themselves at a running pace for 8-12 hrs because there are so many clients and only one of them, if it is a bad day, it's even worse. It gets to the first two types of workers, but that last group only in it for the money......well they don't bother to try to keep up with the pace. But I've found time and again that even with the ones in the last group, if they are treated well by family and happen to like them, that individual client will get better care even from them. I did this with mother in law when she was in assisted living. Shoot, there were times we visited with her care givers as much as her when they had the time. lol And I tried hard not to assume they were in the wrong when mother in law had a complaint. I listened to both sides and then made a decision. Often it was simply the case of one worker and too many clients and it took longer to either get mother in law whatever she wanted than she thought it should or whatever. Believe it or not, the way P was found that day can happen on a really bad day with not enough staff. In a good facility, it's a rare event, but it does happen. I also did this with mother in law in the nursing home, and really went the extra effort to do so because her level of care had gone up. Know what I mean?? On one hall mother in law's quality of care had gone down because the DON has switched some of the good staff to another hall to cover vacancies. After a few incidents I was not pleased with at all, I spoke to not only good members of staff that were still there, but also some of the ones that had moved (because I wanted to know why it had suddenly gone down)......and next thing I knew, mother in law was moved to where several of her (and my) favorite workers had gone. I doubt seriously this would've happened had I gone and officially complained. The staff had gone through their own channels because they really cared for mother in law and wanted her quality of care to go back up. I'm not saying you should never go to the Director and complain. But this is a good route to try first if you can. (I can't recall if you're close to this facility or not) I know when I was working in such places, I loved family that took the time to get to know staff and ask questions instead of assuming the worst. The places I worked, although I know the DON was working her tail off trying to keep staff, were always terribly short staffed. Far too often I'd have 20 (or more) clients all by myself. On a good day if I could find someone to help lift those I couldn't lift alone, this was fine and I could handle it. I often had, and did, take the time to do clients hair up extra special or paint finger nails and even sit and chat. On a bad day or a really bad day.........well let's just say they had to wait their turn to get to the bathroom because I couldn't split myself into parts and get them all there at the same time. (which is often how it goes) It wasn't often I didn't get to someone in time, but it did happen. I loved my job but it was utterly exhausting due to the under staffing. Whomever you spoke to, well, that is the typical response. 1. because they're not going to admit to wrong doing until they investigate. She'll find out who had P that day and try to find out why she would be found by you in that condition. If the explanation is reasonable, the staff will be told to make more effort in their care. If the explanation is not reasonable, the staff will be reamed. It will depend on the situation and the staff members workload that day. (and if staff had help ect) But assisted living "appear" to have less staff available for those clients who are more able bodied. At least where mother in law did, and that is my only up close experience with them. They had more staff on the side that was more full care, like a nursing home. But only 2 staff per shift, plus a medication nurse, for heaven only knows how many clients in the assisted living part of the facility. I was a little surprised, but then I've noticed they have a constant ad for staff both online and in the paper, so guessing that is part of the issue. [/QUOTE]
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