Globe Syndicate
For
release
The
by Carol Abaya, M.A.
STAFF LONGEVITY EQUALS
HAPPIER RESIDENTS
Question: We can no
longer keep my mother, 90, at home and are looking at nursing homes. We also have a problem with my father, 92,
who is very upset about my mother. What
do we have to look for and what questions should we ask?
Answer: As your parents have very
different needs, you need to find a dual-level care facility. Your mother can then be in the skilled
nursing area, and your father in assisted living. This way your father can visit your mother
every day and have his own needs taken care of.
Care
philosophy and staffing retention level are key elements to quality of life and
care elements. Ask a lot of questions --
not only about the care per se, but how they view the residents as people.
Is
emphasis more on physical care than mental well-being? One study reported in Provider
magazine shows that even for bed-ridden or Alzheimer’s patients, mental health
is closely tied to physical well-being.
If mental health elements are not addressed as an integral part of care,
then residents deteriorate physically faster.
The
mental health aspect is especially important for your father. Good mental health will determine your
father’s ability to cope with being in an ALF and your mother’s condition.
Other
critical elements involve the staffing philosophy and turnover rates of key
caregivers.
Staff
assigned to the same people over time develop a more positive relationship with
the residents and are better able to identify health problems and
deterioration. Also, the elderly
resident feels more secure knowing the same caregiver will be there every
day. Elder emotional security also ties
into the health factor.
Ask
about the staff turnover rate and expect an honest answer. More importantly talk to health aides and
nurses and ask how long they have worked in this facility and how they like
their work. High turnover, unhappy staff
and rotating care assignments are negative triggers.
Personal
observation and talking with other residents and family members can also help
you decide if the facility is a ‘good’ one.
Sit in the lobby, activities room, dining room and watch how staff,
residents and family interact. Is the
overall atmosphere positive? Or are
there more frowns than smiles?
In the
end, you and your father have to feel comfortable that both your father and
mother will receive both the physical and emotional care they deserve.
Question: My father, 82,
cannot live alone and should be in an assisted living residence. Then we’ll feel comfortable that he’s
receiving 24/7 care he needs and deserves.
Someone told us that once in an ALF, my father’s freedoms are taken
away. Is this true?
Answer: NO! All freedoms are maintained by people,
whether at home, in an assisted residence, or even in a skilled nursing home.
Residents are free to come and go as they please, and to have visitors at all times. Residents’ money remains their own, and assets should NEVER be turned over to the home.
Are you juggling doing errands for your aging parents, your children, yourself and working at the same time? Are you tired, stressed out and upset that your once vibrant parent is now frail and needy?
Do you feel alone? Rest assured you are not alone! The Sandwich Generation is dedicated to the 50 million Americans who may have elder/parent care concerns and/or responsibilities.
* * *
Do
you have a question? Send it in. Although letters cannot be answered
individually, appropriate letters will be answered in this column whenever
possible. Letters may be edited. Send letters to Ms. Carol Abaya, mail direct
to her at
Carol Abaya is an international-award-winning journalist and creator of the unique magazine The Sandwich Generation: You & Your Aging Parents.
NOTES TO EDITORS: text = 565 words; other material = 160 words
We would appreciate it if you would include the "Globe Syndicate" bug at the end of the column.