Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Penta Flower Photo by S. Watson
When “i” is replaced by “we”, even illness becomes wellness.
Author Unknown
Author Unknown
This segment will be about Grandma’s experience in rehab and the important roles family members and medical professionals and staff played in her care. As mentioned earlier, we were able to get a referral to the rehab center that appeared to have one of the best reputations in the area. I found an excellent doctor to care for Grandma by asking a friend for the name of her elderly father’s doctor. Even though I had contacted the rehab center before Grandma was admitted and I had told them I wanted this physician to handle her medical needs, when we arrived at the rehab center a different doctor had been assigned to Grandma’s case. It took several days before the doctor we requested was able to see Grandma. Her doctor carefully reviewed her blood work and requested additional testing of his own. Grandma’s kidneys were not working at a good level and she still had a higher than normal white blood cell count. The doctor adjusted her medications and after an evaluation by the center’s physical therapist, Grandma began her physical therapy. It pays to be persistent to get the care that you want for your loved one.
It was apparent from the beginning of Grandma being admitted that the rehab/nursing home was understaffed. This was considered a skilled nursing facility. The Director Of Nursing was a Registered Nurse (R.N.). She was responsible for the nursing care for the entire facility. She was available during the day to answer medical questions. In the rehab section, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) covered most of the evening shifts. The CNA’s (Certified Nursing Assistant) helped with daily care activities, like bathing, grooming, and feeding. If the patient needed to use the bathroom, they pushed a buzzer, which turned on a light above the door. This light alerted the CNA that the patient needed assistance. It could take from 5 minutes to 45 minutes for a CNA to arrive to help Grandma. Each CNA had many patients to care for. In the rehab section, most of the patients were in wheelchairs, so they needed a CNA to help them to the bathroom, to get dressed, to be transported to therapy or to bring them their food or to take them to the dining area. A specially trained LPN, brought in the patient’s medication at the prescribed times. The Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy Programs seemed adequately staffed.
To look up a rehab/nursing home centers where you live, google The Agency for Health Care Administration or The Agency and Department of Elder Affairs. There should also be a site in each state that can give you information about the rehab/ nursing home centers in the state where you live. In Florida you can go to http://www.floridahealthfinder.gov. It is highly recommended that you investigate the rehab/nursing center before placing your loved one in any facility. It just takes a few minutes to go online and check it out. Other websites that are helpful are: www.senioradvisor.com/NursingHome www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare www.healthu.usnews.com/best-nusing-homes
www.nursinghomerating.org
The federal government recently revised the way it rates rehabs/nursing homes. The government has a 5 star rating system.
Please go to thedianerehmshow.org to listen to the podcast “Rating the Quality of American Nursing Homes”. The radio show played on NPR on Wednesday March 11, 2015. It is a very informative program. You can listen to it on your computer anytime. During the program she asked the listeners to complete a poll about their satisfaction with the present system. She has experts in the field and the Chief Medical Officer for Medicare and Medicaid talk about the need for and the implementation of the new rating system. One of the main areas of concern is lack of staff especially the CNA’s and nursing staff. Having enough trained staff members to do a good job continues to be a major concern in nursing homes and rehab centers.
At that time, unknown to us, there were cases of Clostridium difficile (C-diff) in the rehab center we chose for Grandma. Due to her use of antibiotics, her advanced age and her lowered immune system, Grandma was at high risk of being infected. Add CNAs with a high patient load and minimal training, and the results were devastating not only for Grandma but also for the other patients who also became infected with C-diff. When I walked through the halls of the rehab center for the first time, I did notice some carts with gloves, gowns and masks and a stop sign on the door. I noticed one or two of these signs but I did not know what they meant. It took Grandma taking a turn for the worse to make us start to ask questions about those unusual signs.
The next blog will be about Grandma’s diagnosis with Clostridium Difficile (C-diff.)
It was apparent from the beginning of Grandma being admitted that the rehab/nursing home was understaffed. This was considered a skilled nursing facility. The Director Of Nursing was a Registered Nurse (R.N.). She was responsible for the nursing care for the entire facility. She was available during the day to answer medical questions. In the rehab section, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) covered most of the evening shifts. The CNA’s (Certified Nursing Assistant) helped with daily care activities, like bathing, grooming, and feeding. If the patient needed to use the bathroom, they pushed a buzzer, which turned on a light above the door. This light alerted the CNA that the patient needed assistance. It could take from 5 minutes to 45 minutes for a CNA to arrive to help Grandma. Each CNA had many patients to care for. In the rehab section, most of the patients were in wheelchairs, so they needed a CNA to help them to the bathroom, to get dressed, to be transported to therapy or to bring them their food or to take them to the dining area. A specially trained LPN, brought in the patient’s medication at the prescribed times. The Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy Programs seemed adequately staffed.
To look up a rehab/nursing home centers where you live, google The Agency for Health Care Administration or The Agency and Department of Elder Affairs. There should also be a site in each state that can give you information about the rehab/ nursing home centers in the state where you live. In Florida you can go to http://www.floridahealthfinder.gov. It is highly recommended that you investigate the rehab/nursing center before placing your loved one in any facility. It just takes a few minutes to go online and check it out. Other websites that are helpful are: www.senioradvisor.com/NursingHome www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare www.healthu.usnews.com/best-nusing-homes
www.nursinghomerating.org
The federal government recently revised the way it rates rehabs/nursing homes. The government has a 5 star rating system.
Please go to thedianerehmshow.org to listen to the podcast “Rating the Quality of American Nursing Homes”. The radio show played on NPR on Wednesday March 11, 2015. It is a very informative program. You can listen to it on your computer anytime. During the program she asked the listeners to complete a poll about their satisfaction with the present system. She has experts in the field and the Chief Medical Officer for Medicare and Medicaid talk about the need for and the implementation of the new rating system. One of the main areas of concern is lack of staff especially the CNA’s and nursing staff. Having enough trained staff members to do a good job continues to be a major concern in nursing homes and rehab centers.
At that time, unknown to us, there were cases of Clostridium difficile (C-diff) in the rehab center we chose for Grandma. Due to her use of antibiotics, her advanced age and her lowered immune system, Grandma was at high risk of being infected. Add CNAs with a high patient load and minimal training, and the results were devastating not only for Grandma but also for the other patients who also became infected with C-diff. When I walked through the halls of the rehab center for the first time, I did notice some carts with gloves, gowns and masks and a stop sign on the door. I noticed one or two of these signs but I did not know what they meant. It took Grandma taking a turn for the worse to make us start to ask questions about those unusual signs.
The next blog will be about Grandma’s diagnosis with Clostridium Difficile (C-diff.)