It Is A Tough Call
There is a price, that one pays, when they feel the need to step up and do what is right.
In today’s world, Big Business & Government, does NOT like being told they are failing, the consumer/public. In fact, they hate it, and so they use all necessary means, including denial of services, to help dampen those who would dare challenge their authority, or rights to do business.
After all, these private health contracts aren’t for peanuts, but MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I suppose it is only natural to want to protect the gravy train, however, at the expense of old people?
Now my situation is different, because you see, I am not afraid to get my hands dirty. If that means I have to wash my mother, including her private regions, then so be it. AND she is okay with that, because she is simply tired of being manhandled, of being made to feel like a burden, or a sack of old bones.
At the present time, there will be NO worker tonight, and whether or not one will arrive tomorrow, is basically up in the air. No notice from the Private Firm contracted to provide the service, but instead from the Government Agency responsible.
Now I don’t know, but when did the ‘employee’ dictate to the ‘employer’ who they will see, or not see? It IS the government who determines the services needed, NOT the private firm being contracted to provide those services. So why is it the Government who is telling me that tonight’s worker isn’t coming? AND WHY ARE THEY NOT INSURING THEIR CONTRACT IS ENFORCED?
No big deal, because frankly, who needs the added stress, and aggravation?
The sad part is that this private firm, is supposed to be NON PROFIT and DEDICATED to the needs of its patients, such as my NINETY TWO YEAR OLD MOTHER. SO TOO, IS VIHA. AND yet, because I dare to complain, dare to question the capabilities of those being sent to help my mother, SERVICE GETS PUT ON HOLD.
It is inconvenient, but not catastrophic for us, but what about those who have no one to complain? Who will step up for them, and then if they do, will they too suffer a denial of service? Will the Campbell Government leave them in the lurch, as it appears that VIHA is doing in our case?
Oh they talk nice, and say they are planning to work, towards insuring mother gets the help she needs, but not tonight, maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Granted, it is early yet in the day, sort of, but that too, is okay. I will plan to manage, without any qualified help, because we are lucky, & have a great doctor, to insure her health is fine. PLUS I am not afraid of extra work, or duties, so we shall survive.
It means more stress, but okay, I’ll learn to cope, because now, the concern is Mother. I have managed to calm her, a bit, and okay, so the laundry grew since this morning, due to her nervousness, and being uncomfortable. I got laundry soap and bleach, and so if I have to do laundry twice a day, no problem. I will do it, see she has clean clothes, have stocked up on depends, so that is covered, and the refrigerator is full, so we shall manage.
In the meantime, I shall pursue this, through the media, this blog, and our MLA. And I shall continue to be the fly in the ointment, and shall continue to press for proper accountability of any government contract being issued to a private firm, for the care of others. Someone has to voice the concerns, that are merely whispered these days. Someone has to let others know, they aren’t alone, that society doesn’t discard its older people, because it isn’t economical.
They Suffer, Then They Die
It is very difficult, to accept, but that appears to be today’s motto for those providing health care to the Elderly.
They Suffer in Silence, Then They Simply Die.
This morning, once again I had to step in, and do what the workers are supposed to do, for Mother. Not only that, but she seemed surprised that I would even dare question her care, which only infuriates me. I LOVE MY MOTHER & NO ONE, IS GOING TO MIS TREAT HER.
It really is that simple.
To begin with, you don’t expect a 92 year old, with a cast, to transfer herself from the bed, to a transport chair. (scaled down wheelchair) You need to help her up, steady her and let her move at her own speed, with you guiding her, keeping her from falling, from taking a mis-step that could lead to another serious fall, with injuries.
When you are supposed to wash a person, it makes much more logical sense to remove the dirty clothing, including any soiled undergarments. You DO NOT wash her upper body while she is sitting in piss.
It really is that simple.
WHEN a person is elderly, you DO NOT force their limbs with your own hands, you DO NOT grab them tightly, to shift them, to get their arms upright to clean them. You DO NOT use soap then dry them off, and slap on lotion, as the health care plan requires. ANY of those actions can lead to serious damage, especially when a person has BRITTLE BONES.
It really is that simple.
When the older person is in a cast, you don’t force their clean nightshirt on over their head first, forcing them to use their arms in an upright position, to get the hands through the sleeve openings. The goal is to take the path of least resistance, to gently slide the arms through the sleeve openings, then bring the head opening up and over.
It really is that simple.
You DO NOT CUT the depends, a patient is wearing, to slide them off. The Patient MAY need assistance in standing up, but while it may take more effort, it is simpler, and less dangerous than trying to cut through the material. Last thing you want is to slip and maybe cut the skin. Okay, so YOU may have to bend down and slide the soiled depends (undergarments) off, and YES the smell isn’t pleasant, but then YOU did take on the job, didn’t you?
It really is that simple.
The Elderly DO NOT move at the same speed we do. They shuffle, they have troubles moving, so rushing them, is only going to lead to problems, to complications like falls. IF the time allotted isn’t enough, then YOU need to inform the people in charge, but YOU DO NOT RUSH OLD PEOPLE.
It really is that simple.
Caring for a person who is aged, is not an easy task. With pay starting at over $15 an hour, plus mileage, one would assume that is a decent wage for the task involved. If a person feels it isn’t a good starting wage, THEN DO NOT TAKE ON THE JOB. These are people, not numbers, not some faceless blob. They are ENTITLED to respect, to have their dignity, and not be subjected to rough handling, simply because one is unhappy with the pay being given.
It really is that simple.
Home Support workers are there to do a job, to help where family members may not be able to, such as a male having to clean a female private regions. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to inform them of any conditions that exist, so they can take appropriate action.
It really is that simple.
The primary purpose of home support, is to do tasks to aid the senior citizen, and the SECONDARY purpose is to lighten the load of the 24/7 caregiver, which is usually a family member.
That DOES NOT mean you change them into clean clothes, when they have just been changed.
It DOES NOT mean you use 5 wash clothes, or towels, and toss them into the laundry basket, when 2 would suffice.
It DOES NOT mean you leave the garbage stuffed to over flowing, filled with urine & feces soaked under garments.
It DOES NOT mean you ignore cleaning the washroom after use, or FAIL to use appropriate DISINFECTENT. A quick wipe with a cloth IS NOT SUFFICIENT.
It DOES NOT mean you toss the blankets on the unmade bed, and that you determine to move things, to a new place, simply because it is easier for you. IF you see a pillow at the foot of the bed, see that the Patient has her feet resting on it, DO NOT PUT IT UP ON THE PILLOW SHE USES FOR HER HEAD.
It really is that simple.
AND yet it seems it isn’t that simple. In just nearly SIX WEEKS, those workers supplied by Beacon Community Services seem INCAPABLE of doing just that.
These are supposed to be TRAINED WORKERS, and YET they cannot follow simple procedures. They are unable to read written instructions, but they all know how to use the phone to clock in and out.
THEY SUFFER, THEN THEY DIE
IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE
Tell Me Beacon Community Service, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Elected Members of the Legislature, HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?
Paying the Price
I suppose it is simply a mood, that will pass, and yet I wonder if it ever will pass?
You think you know someone, even think you love them, but your idea of what love is, and theirs, seems at odds. Least it appears to be that way with my other half, as he seems to feel that looking after ‘her’ is too much, to invasive into his own needs. I don’t know, to me that seems selfish, but yet, is it?
Taking care of someone elderly is a full time job, and then some. When you have to deal with having your entire world structured around another’s needs, it does become difficult. I know he isn’t a bad person, and yet I feel totally let down, as if I need that now? And maybe that is me, being selfish too.
I suppose what gets me, is that so many seem to think that looking after an elderly parent, is simply more than they can handle. I really can see why many would feel that way too, because it isn’t an easy chore. You have to be at their beck and call, nearly 24/7, which isn’t easy when you want to do things, for yourself, or with others.
Going out becomes limited, at best, and time is coming when even that will become a distant memory, as her condition worsens. That too weighs on one’s mind, and sort of keeps you on edge, which isn’t a good thing. Stress is a huge killer, and I can see why many in the health profession drink to excess. And yet, it was my choice, so why should I allow the stress to eat at me?
I guess the answer is simple, I worry, always will, and I also always look inwards first, to see what I am doing wrong. Maybe it is wrong to expect David to be a part of this death watch? I mean that is exactly what it is, and it could go on for years. Least, I hope it does, because really I am not ready to let go, not just yet. And that too, is me being selfish.
Being a full time care giver is hard, not in a physical sense, but in the mental sense. I mean lifting is easy, cleaning up shit is not pleasant, but not difficult. Changing linen, doing laundry, is not hard work either, but it is the worry that takes the toll.
I don’t know anymore, how to cope. I used to, but these days, everytime I turn around, something or someone, is there to say NO, or to push me backwards. I don’t get it anymore, and when even those close to you, turn, it just seems so fruitless, so futile.
At times, I wish I was an orphan, and that is wrong, other times I wish I was single, and that too, is wrong. It just feels like the world is closing in, and there is no room to twist, to shake the inevitable. And the price to eek out an extra day, or to make her happy for at least a few minutes, seems to be coming at a high personal price.
Or maybe I just need to let it all go, to hunker down and do what needs to be done, and let everything else roll of my back, like water. Problem is, I think too much, worry too much, and that makes it harder to just, roll with the punches. It really does make me wonder, just at what God’s plan is.
Public Health Care with Private Contracts
When You Forget
Personal Opinion by Ian Kovnats
Copyright © 2009 ◊ All Rights Reserved
I don’t know if it is how it is structured, or if it is simply incompetence, but when a home support forgets to do the basics, the ramifications for the caregiver are multiplied many times over. It isn’t Rocket Science, but simple common sense, which seems lacking today. And I do wonder, is it that people care less, or that they are under some unrealistic time constraints, that lets things slip through the cracks.
Like remembering to replace a soiled undergarment.
As I get older, I know my memory is not at its peak performance level. Part of that is old age, though really fifty four isn’t that old, is it? I think though, that a great deal of my lapses, are due to increased stress. Constant worry over a loved one, over their health and their ability to cope with changes, does weigh heavy on a person’s mind. Least on mine, it does.
Mother is 92, and with a broken wrist, the stress levels are way up there. Stands to reason I suppose, that at times, it gets a bit hard to cope. I mean it isn’t easy to change a pair of soiled depends, that are soaked through with urine, or feces. Yet it is what one must do, and it does get a bit easier, over time.
The smell is the hardest part, but you manage to close your nostrils, or at least pretend it isn’t that bad. Truth is, it is that bad, and smell is a powerful sense. Not sure if you can ever truly get used to it, but what is the alternative?
I suppose you can hire someone else to do it, assuming you have that kind of cash laying around, but if you don’t? Then what? You certainly can’t leave the person for hours in their own urine, feces, though I suppose some animals will do that, but then, how can they say they care? I just can’t do it, nor has the notion ever crossed my mind, so I wonder, how can someone supposedly trained in home support, forget to deal with that basic element?
When one’s task is to wash and clean a person, how can you forget a simple chore, like replacing a soiled pad, panty, depend, or whatever? I mean would be rather standard, don’t you think? Yet today, that is exactly what happened. The assigned worker this morning, arrived late. That sort of set the tempo, I guess.
It is my fault too, because I know that this morning’s worker was not what I’d call the A Team, not even the C Team really. Nice enough lady, but not qualified, by any stretch of the imagination. She tries, which is nice, but this lady needs to attend an intensive course in how to care for an elderly patient.
And let’s stop this name calling. People under Home Care, are NOT CLIENTS. THESE PEOPLE ARE PATIENTS IN NEED OF CARE, NOT MISTREATMENT, NOT GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT HONEST PROPER CARE.
I am serious about this. We use euphemisms so as to avoid the guilt of screwing up, when we do. It is a lot easier to ignore that we are making mistakes, when it is just ‘a client’ versus ‘a patient’.
When I have to step in, to help get Mother out of bed, so as to avoid stressing her out, to avoid possible injury, I think it should be obvious, that the worker needs some refresher course, at best. You cannot allow ON THE JOB TRAINING when the PATIENT IS 92.
My mistake this morning, was to take the time to sit down, to fix breakfast for Mom, and just grab a few minutes to myself. I should have stayed close by, to insure that she did manage to properly clean Mom up, and yes, to make sure she dressed her properly.
To be honest, my real mistake is to have allowed Beacon Community Services send anyone. I should have bitten the bullet, and refused to allow them to send in their untrained personnel, for the care of my mother. That is a mistake I intend to rectify.
Now to be fair, several of those coming to the home are good. I really have had only two people, who I simply would not let in the door a second time, while the majority I find are very pleasant, and willing. However, the bottom line is that they are here to help my mother, to give me an hour break, not add to my workload.
Patricia Donaldson has done a remarkable job, in helping to solve the inconsistency of new workers. Least it looks that way, though it could simply be that they have run out of new workers to send. Yes, I am being sarcastic, but in all honesty, I do think Patricia has tried her best to accommodate me, and still keep to company policy.
That said, I also think a lot more needs to be done, in order to provide safe and quality workers for those patients in need. Training does seem to be minimal, at best, despite all the assurances from every avenue, and yet I wonder, do they even know what training any particular worker actually has?
Did they graduate at the top of the class, or the bottom? Did the company who passed them, ever fail anyone? Was it that they made the grade, after a second try, third, or fifth attempt at the course?
The point is this. As a result of forgetting a simple thing, like replacing soiled undergarments (depends in this case) Mother sat in her own urine. Her ability to tell if she is wet, is a bit, well, less proficient than you or I would be. So she sat in it, for God only knows how long.
Then in going back to her room, the trail of urine now dots the carpet, which means cleaning. Not a big deal, but you know, when one is already exhausted from doing this 24/7, it is a big deal. As well, more laundry, including now her shoes, is on tap for the day, when it wasn’t scheduled. It had all been done yesterday, so this was to be a day free of laundry.
Laundry means running up and down stairs. Not hard for someone healthy, like me, but when you are already run down, it is a chore, one would love to avoid. Not what you can do, such as today.
Now all that, the change from a wet nightshirt, a soiled nightgown, shoes, is not all that big of a deal. Nor is the added laundry, but in order to do all that, you have to remove the old, replace with clean. You also then have to wash, and wipe, and I am a guy, not a girl, so there is the embarrassment for her, which is unnecessary. It is also why Beacon Home Support is here.
Fact of the matter is, urine can burn. When you have skin that is already not in the best of condition, the added discomfort is not what you want to have happen. Hence, why I perhaps am making a big deal out of this, but I have to wonder, what about those poor souls, who don’t have a 24/7 caregiver like Mom has? What about those who don’t have a son or daughter willing to take that task on?
How are they faring?
I am not on a witch hunt, because like I have stated, the overall majority of those coming into our home, are nice and enjoyable people. The problem lies in that the training or experience level is not what it should be. AND that is what causes the problems.
With older people, it takes them a lot longer to get over something as minor as piddling in their pants, if they have them on. It takes them more time to recover from things like a burning skin or rash, due to the acid of laying in their own urine. It takes the little strength they have, to combat something that shouldn’t be.
It Ain’t Rocket Science
I wonder why we try to make things more complicated, than they have to be?
Take home support. I mean it isn’t difficult to figure out, that some people need help that others may not, and that one size really doesn’t fit all. Yet it seems to me, that is exactly what the various health agencies are attempting to do. Frankly, it just doesn’t work that way, and isn’t it more important to match workers, with client’s needs?
And that too, bothers me. Clients. Seriously, why do we try to make things sound better, than what they are? In a sense, yes those receiving aid are clients, but the truth is, they are patients, in need of care. Calling it something else may help salve the conscience of those sending unqualified or untrained, workers, but that still doesn’t help correct any defeciency in the system, now does it?
There is a lot of talk about all workers having certain qualifications, whether from an outside training course, or internally, and frankly I wonder, did they get tested before being deemed qualified? Being pleasen, well is a bonus, but not sufficient, in my mind, to look after someone older.
How you lift them, does matter, and yet I feel so much is being left out. I suppose that these workers may be given the full information, but no one seems to know. So if they are being told, why are they not conscious of the facts? Does it mean they don’t care, or aren’t able to access or assimiliate the information provided?
Each person is different. How you move them, matters, and as I said, each one is different. For example, Mom has a tendency to try and use her injured arm. So if you insure you are lifting her, from under the arm, of the broken one, she can’t put any weight on it, as she stands up. That also helps keep her good arm in shape, and reduces re-injuring the broken one. It lets the bones heal without added stress, which also reduces the pain.
Simple right?And yet so many seem to ignore that. Again, this is one more reason to insure their is some consistency in staffing, seniority or not. The more a worker is working with the same patient, the more they will know the little details, that can make it easier for both of them. Something I think scheduler’s forget about, or don’t take into account.
Then too their is the familiarity with equipment. I mean if these workers are trained, then it would be common sense, that they would know how to use things like transfer chairs, walkers, etc. How to clean a commode, how to even make up the bed, or sit them back down on it. And yet, it seems that isn’t the case.
Is it because they have so many patients to deal with, or is it simply that they aren’t aware of the new equipment available? Do they know what a grab bar is? How a patient should hold it, or not? How about sitting them down on a transfer chair, and then putting the foot rests out? How to wheel it, so they don’t bang into walls?
Bottom line seems to be, that whatever training is being given, it fails to cover even the basics, in any detail. There simply doesn’t seem to be a desire, to make those being sent into people’s homes, qualified in even, the basics. And yet, we pay for it, and I wonder, what does that say about us?
