If you read my original message, I was NOT condemning the nursing facility
as a whole. Sure there are many hard working nurses and CNAs that go above
and beyond the call of duty. I was talking about the few "bad apples" that
seem to be bothered when you ask them to do something. I never once said
that they go to work with the intention of harming or neglecting anyone.
******************
Kim DaRosa
Investor Relations &
Marketing Assistant
JER Partners
>1650 Tysons Boulevard
>Suite 1600
>McLean, VA 22102
>(703)714-8064 (direct)
>(703)714-8141 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
******************
-----Original Message-----
From: Katie Mauch [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 1:42 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Nursing Home for PWP/24hrCG
Amen!!!! My sister-in-law is an LVN at a nursing home, and she certainly
doesn't go to work to harm or neglect anyone. She (and the rest of the
staff) are some of the most caring people that I have ever met. She works
with the severely afflicted patients, cares for them sometimes for years,
and then has to watch them pass away. She does so with great compassion.
I'm sure that at times she would rather work at McDonalds -- it would be far
less stressful -- but that's not her calling. She is a special person who
has been called to serve special people. I'm sure that my statements
represent thousands of nursing home nurses. They have a
--Katie from El Campo
-----Original Message-----
From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 8:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Nursing Home for PWP/24hrCG
Kim,
Perhaps you should focus some energy on regulations for nursing homes....
1. how many patients must a CNA care for?
how many patients must an RN care for?
Evaluate the rational/practical matters of your concerns. When you "go
looking" for a CNA.......is he/she eating lunch, writing an email to a
friend/smoking a cigarette in the parking lot or taking a toilet break? Or
is he/she trying to calm a new patient who has dementia and has no idea
who/where she is. Or is the CNA holding the hand of a patient who is
minutes from death and all alone? Or is the CNA cleaning vomit from the
person in the next room? Or is she helping another patient to sip a few
more drinks of water today? Or is the CNA doing the paperwork required by
the city/county/state/federal programs?
2. Since you cannot be there with your mother (because of distance/job I
believe) do you volunteer your spare time at a nursing home in your
area....reading to a patient, delivering cookies at snack time, helping take
patients to the mall on "shopping day"? In hopes that someone with a few
hours to spare is doing the same for your mother? (what goes around comes
around theory).
3. If you were caring for your mother in your own home 24/7....would you
ever be in the shower/toilet when she called you? Would you ever be making
a
phone call to her doctor, pharmacy, etc when she needed you? Would you
ever
be in the middle of preparing dinner when she "rang the bell"?
I read about families who complain about waiting 20 minutes for someone to
come/answer...........and I think how many times my children had on a
wet/dirty diaper for 20 minutes because I was hugging his brother, reading
to his sister, fixing lunch for all four, grappling for another 30 seconds
sleep at 2 am.....and I thought that I was a good mother (the kids are no
longer teens and those who now have children of their own think I was ok.)
How many times my children had a diaper rash (I was a mom before
disposables!!) and how many times they woke up with a snaughty nose crusted
on their face or upper lip.....and I thought I loved them and did the best
that I could do.
Write to your congressperson......your state legislators......talk to the
nursing home staff and find out what they need and when they need it.....and
who to write to, call, pester and offer constructive criticism.
Ask how many persons on their staff come in to work and as "who can I abuse
today?" "what patient/family can I make miserable?". Most people don't
show up for work with that attitude.
4. At your monthly family meeting/phone conference (ask to be included by
conference call link if you cannot appear in person...offer to pay for the
call)...ask about the monthly care plan.....how many times is Physical
Therapy schedule....what is the anticipated progress... Is he/she seeing a
PT or a PTA (asst) .......What activities are scheduled? Will she
participate? .......Are
dental, vision (eye care) needs being addressed/met. Etc.
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