I just finished reading an excellent book written by an agency nurse with considerable experience working in nursing homes. This book could well serve as a primer in ‘nursing homes’ for any adult child. It’s helpful for those with parents in a nursing home, as well as those of us who are trying to learn and prepare for our parents’ aging. My hope is that my mother will stay healthy and independent until life’s end, but no one can predict future health or illnesses. So, I am educating myself, and sharing what I learn with you!
Donna M. Reed wrote the book, Insider’s Guide to Better Nursing Home Care: 75 Tips You Should Know
, to help families understand what is happening to their loved ones in a nursing home, and also what families can do to improve their nursing home care.
Before I get to the “5 things” I promised in my post title, here is what Ms. Reed covers in her book:
- Nursing home operation (a thorough description of day-to-day nursing home operation, including detail about expectations of staffing during the 7-3, 3-11, and 11-7 shifts)
- Nursing home staff (what the various roles are responsible for. Management, frontline nursing, consult staff, ancillary nursing home staff)
- Residents’ Rights (rights to access medical records, to privacy,to be free from restraints and abuse)
- Legal Requirements (nursing homes must inform resident/family, post info, have policies against mistreatment)
- Nursing Home Inspections (types of inspections, how the facility prepares, the inspection process)
- Improving Nursing Home Life (how to improve quality of life; advice on getting better care for specific problems your parent may develop)
- Nursing Home Tragedies (This is a difficult part of the book to read, but awareness is important.)
- Important Information ( personal checklists for family to keep; helpful when dealing with issues and procedures)
I admit there were parts of this book that were very difficult for me to read. It’s one of those books I had to put down, let time pass, and pick up again. I volunteer in a nursing home that I think highly of, and I couldn’t imagine some of the things happening there. But, when I finished this book, I realized it was well-researched and well-written, and is important to share.
I strongly suggest you read this book in its entirety. Below are my 5 main take-aways:
- Determine staffing care for your parent. One of the underlying themes of the book is that nursing homes are, in general, understaffed. Other than asking what the nurse-to-resident ratio is, Ms. Reed suggest ways to confirm the staffing, such as, by counting how many beds are in your parent’s unit, and casually asking “How many nurses are on duty tonight?” An equally important question is “Do you have a no overtime policy?” That can also negatively impact care.
- You can and should be involved in your parent’s care plan. Ms. Reed states that residents can be awakened as early as 4am. Communicating your parent’s needs and preferences, in a respectful manner, and visiting often (and building a positive relationship with staff) will go a long way in getting the care you desire for your parent.
- Know that your parent does not have to switch to the facility physician. Even though it is easier for the all residents to be seen by the facility physician, it is your parent’s choice. You would need to ensure the current physician agree to treat patients who are in a nursing home. Also important to confirm on-call coverage is 7 days/week.
- Get a copy of your parent’s current medical chart once a year and after every hospital transfer and /or significant medical event. Ms. Reed describes situations where a new medical record may be begun (with old portion put in storage) or years-old record “thinned out”.
- Know and contact for your state’s ombudsman. Ombudsmen are administered by the Administration on Aging, AoA, and are advocates for residents, looking after residents’ safety and well-being. Contact your ombudsman in advance of your parent entering a nursing home. He/she will supply you with additional info, including recent complaints. If my parent was in a nursing home, I’d also figure out a way to regularly touch base with them. To find your ombudsman, visit this link and click on the state: http://www.ltcombudsman.org/
Source: Insider’s Guide to Better Nursing Home Care: 75 Tips You Should Know
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I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Lucy
http://maternitymotherhood.net