"Someone Will Be Right In"
When my mom moved into her senior facility we sat down and had a meeting with the staff to plan her care. What things she would need help with each day. Since she needs so much assistance it included many things like making sure her water bottle is full and on her wheel chair with a straw so she always has something to drink. For my mom drinking is crucial during the day since she has extremely low blood pressure and we realized quickly that if she does not drink all day she gets headaches and her focus is not very good.
She has a water filter pitcher in her kitchen that I asked to be kept full as well so she always has some available. We also discussed that taking her to the bathroom on a schedule would be best so that she is never waiting for someone to come take her which makes holding it tough for her. We also thought this would be good for the caregivers because they bring her back from each meal anyway so they can just take her after each meal and they won't have to be paged a few minutes later and have to come back.
One of the things that is very frustrating is 90% of the time when I come to see her the water pitcher is almost empty. It seems very odd that it would always be low when I come. So I would assume this means that they don't fill it up much and probably just giver her water from the sink faucet because it is quicker and easier. Seems like a small thing but not for my mom. She likes cold clean water as it tastes better to her. Is that a lot to ask when you can't do anything yourself?
She also tells me at least three or four times a week that when the caregivers bring her back from a meal they tell her that someone else will be right in to take her to the bathroom. Then time goes by and they don't come for a while if at all. My mom then rings for help and by the time they come it is too late. My mom is prepared for this issue but it goes back to dignity and care. I do not understand how this continues to happen. I have talked to them numerous times about it and yet it continues. I am meeting with the staff again this week to discuss these issues and plan on being a bit more assertive in my concern. It is so important to stay on top of these things and to remember that no matter what type of facility you are in there will always be issues and you must stay on top of things and pay close attention to make sure that you get what you need and what you are paying for.
