You are currently browsing all posts tagged with 'beacon community services'.
Displaying 7 - 12 of 30 entries.

Workers Who Make Assumptions Can Kill Their Patients

  • Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:09 am
Share|

IF you were going on a flight, from Victoria to Rome, would you want your Pilot to rely on Dead Reckoning to get you there, or would you like him to use the Navigational Aids provided for Airline?    Would you prefer a Pilot that PASSED FLIGHT SCHOOL or one who is a whiz at using Microsoft’s Flight Simulator?

Myself, I’d like a Pilot who Graduated Flight School, and who used all the latest Navigational Aids to get me to Rome, but IF you are Beacon Community Services, well it seems you wouldn’t mind flying to ROME with someone who played Microsoft’s Flight Simulator game rather than graduate from any formal flight school.

This mornings substitute was Lily.

She had been here a long time ago, but hey, that didn’t matter because she remembered what was needed.  Course things have changed dramatically from two years ago.  But hey not to worry, she is a trained professional, as Beacon Community Services can attest to.   And that is good enough for VIHA.   After all, why would BCS lie?

If I tell you, that the person you are to assist, has trouble standing, of keeping her balance, and that the standing needs to be kept to a minimum, would you have stand for several minutes, without any support?

Would you expect her to stand up to brush her teeth?

How about let’s get her to stand up while we remove the soiled nightshirt, and remove one hand from holding onto any support?

Maybe I need to take a refresher course in speaking the English Language.   I mean I would think that if you say “keep to a minimum” it would be sufficient words to insure that you don’t have her being a jumping jack, or have her stand for a long length of time.   Obviously, for Lily, those words had no meaning.

Then let’s make her get up with minimal assistance, and sit in a wheelchair, when she has trouble standing, never mind moving her feet.  After all, you gotta get going, and this is just, well one stop in a long day of helping old people.  One can’t wait around all day for them to move, now can one?

Course my favorite of the morning, was in wondering why I was handing her the walker, while she had Mom in the bathroom.  She hadn’t a clue as to what it was for.  In fact she wanted to know if that was for Mom to sit on.

WORKERS LIKE THIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO PATIENTS, SERIOUS ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY CAUSE DEATH.   THIS IS WHAT BEACON COMMUNITY SERVICES SENDS TO OUR HOMES.    THANK YOU PREMIER CAMPBELL AND CURRENT PREMIER CLARK.

 

 

Continue reading Workers Who Make Assumptions Can Kill Their Patients »

Care to leave a comment?

Never Mind My Experience | They Know Better

  • Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Share|

Let me ask a question for anyone who is reading this.

Who do you think knows the Patient better, and what she is capable of doing,  as well as to what her physical condition is.    The son who has been dealing with her for years, on a 24 hour seven day basis, or the casual worker who has dealt with her no more than a half dozen times over the last two and half years?

It has been nearly two hours since Edna left, and you know, I am still in a state of disbelief, and anger too.  I mean, honestly, I don’t understand some of these workers, who have experience, who may even have knowledge about things I know nothing about.  And yet, it would seem to me, that if you give them the routine, that they would at least try to follow it, instead of totally ignoring it.

Mom CANNOT WALK, at the moment.  Our family Doctor believes she had a stroke, but her ability to stand is still there.  However it is shaky at best, and she has pain in her legs.  Moving from a sitting position, to standing then turning to sit in a wheelchair is hard for her.

So Edna’s solution is to keep her in bed.    Yeah, let’s make her into a complete invalid, when not necessary.

Edna’s other solution is let us put the wheelchair in front of Mom, so there is a barrier between Mom and her, and have Mom get into the wheelchair that way,  ON HER OWN.    Uh yeah, let’s have Mom fall over and crack her head, or worse.

I mean when you explain things to her, she seems to listen, but then proceeds to ignore everything you said.  Like telling her to keep the standing to a minimum, and to insure that Mom has her legs under her, before she stands up.   I even showed her at the start, but no, Edna can’t remember that, because well, that just isn’t how it is done.

The whole purpose of seeking additional help in the afternoon, was to insure Mom had a change, and light wash in her private region.  Figured it would be better to have a female do it, and besides, Mom seemed reluctant to have her depends changed in the afternoon.

Whatever her reasons are, by having someone come in to do it, makes her get up, and helps keep her regular.  I mean the goal is to get her up, take her to sit on the commode, then do a depend change, fresh nightshirt, and a bit of a wash.   That was the plan, and well, it worked yesterday with Anjoli, worked with Mariana on Tuesday.    NOT WITH EDNA TODAY.

Sitting on the commode isn’t fun, so when I did it, I would leave the area, to give Mom some form of privacy. Besides who wants to go to the biffy, with someone watching?   Both Anjoli and Mariana instinctively went out of the room.   NOT EDNA.

Like who wants to have a poop or piddle, with someone in your face?   I mean while she puts a hand towel over Mom’s crotch, for some modesty, she kneels in front and natters at Mom, asking if she is done yet.   THATS COMFORT RIGHT EDNA?

I suppose I could go on, for just how wrong it all was, and how stressful it is.  But what is the use? It isn’t like either VIHA or BEACON COMMUNITY SERVICES give a rat’s ass about how these people treat their Patients.

All VIHA cares about is how much they supposedly save the taxpayer by contracting this important work out to some MAKE ME MONEY OUTFIT.

All BEACON COMMUNITY SERVICES care about is how much money they can make, so they can afford to pay their CEO A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.    Doesn’t matter if they hire workers who haven’t a clue on what to do, or who care.   As long as they show a profit, which is pretty neat trick, when you consider they are supposed to be a NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION.

 

 

 

Continue reading Never Mind My Experience | They Know Better »

Care to leave a comment?

And so it begins

  • Posted on November 30, 2011 at 10:50 am
Share|

Seems that Mom is slowly moving towards being bed ridden.  Today she could not get out of bed without full on support. She couldn’t have a shower, as she was just too weak to try and stand, even with a secure grab bar on the wall.

Her whole mood is changed, and it is like she is waiting for Death.

I’d increase the home support, but the ramifications of that could be even worse, than simply coping by myself.  Beacon Community Services does not have sufficient qualified personnel, to make her comfortable, or to fully cleanse her.

Hell, some have her getting up and down more than when the regular workers give her a shower.

It would seem to me, that adding stress to her is not going to help.  It  means more stress for me, but I have no choice. It is something I’ll discuss with the Doctor later today, and with a good lawyer later.

This is what happens when we ignore the needs of people, and place profits over people.

Thank you Stephen Harper, Gordon Campbell, Christie Clark, and yes even you Adrian Dix and Carol James.

 

Continue reading And so it begins »

Care to leave a comment?

And You Are Who

  • Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Share|
This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Follow The Money

Perhaps a better title would be :  How To Avoid Repercussions for Sending Unqualified Workers.

On Friday, I got a phone call, telling me that Nerissa was replacing Yvette for Saturday. Quick check of the schedule showed yep, a Nerissa was coming.  Course in that phone call I was also informed that she would be showing up the coming Friday.

Now the worker showed up, and I assumed it was Nerissa, but hey, no badge was visible, and she never did introduce herself. Course, if she did not sure I’d be able to understand or comprehend the name, due to a language barrier.

Tonight, in checking the schedule, I find that Saturday’s worker was not Nerissa, but Rose.  Uh, excuse me?  Who in hell was, or is Rose?

It matters, because when one files a complaint with VIHA, you have to have the facts correct.  IF I claim that we had a Nerissa and VIHA contacts Beacon Community Services, they are going to say I am talking out of my hat, because they sent me a Rose, not a Nerissa.  CASE CLOSED AS I AM MADE TO LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT WHO CAN’T GET THE NAMES EVEN RIGHT.

There is another issue here.  You see, by constantly changing the worker and then updating the schedule, they create a sense of trepidation. Just because they phone one day, to say who is coming, doesn’t seem to mean that is who will show up.  It allows them to avoid being told  NO DO NOT SEND THAT PERSON.

Neat trick, but it is not going to work.  See, I AM NOT AFRAID TO SEND A WORKER HOME AND DO THE JOB MYSELF.

It is a sad state of affairs, that has to be the end result. I am not looking forward to Monday, because I expect an argument from the Beacon people, when I tell them don’t send me Nerissa or Rose. I am also going to insist that any future changes, be vetted through me, and if they aren’t willing to comply, they can send no one.  I am not going to have them get richer off the well being of my Mother.

She is 94, and ENTITLED to competent help.  Beacon Community Services has a hand full of good capable women working for them, but the majority are simply glorified housekeepers.  Yes, housekeepers, because 9 out of 10 times, they are more interested in whether to empty garbage, or put laundry in, or make up the bed, than in properly drying an old lady, or even in insuring that she is properly washed.

I will say that for the most part, we have gotten our regular workers, but that is more due to me bitching loud and hard, than out of doing the right thing.  Sure, once in awhile they have to send a substitute, and under the right conditions, that shouldn’t matter but we are talking about dealing with elderly people who have health issues.  They need COMPETENT help, not HOUSEKEEPERS.

WHOEVER was here Yesterday, was just that. She’d only been working at Beacon for a few years, but even then, that is not an excuse. I have been looking after Mother for 2 years and 4 months and I know how to do the job, better than 90% of the substitutes that have shown up here.  I didn’t take any course, I’ve learned it the hard way, by doing it.

Course the difference between them and me is that I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT MY MOTHER.  It is obvious to me, that these so called home support workers simply don’t give a shit about the people they are assigned to look after.  AND THAT IS A SHAME.

From cars, to computers, to phones, we are a disposable society. Everything produced today is not built to last beyond the warranty, and that has now become how our Health Care System works.   Only trouble is that there is no fixed warranty on people, but they are no longer a precious commodity for our society.

INSTEAD THE ELDERLY ARE JUST ONE MORE DISPOSABLE COMMODITY OF SOCIETY.

This is the real legacy of Isabel MacKenzie and Beacon Community Services, along with the Government of Gordon Campbell and Christy Clarke.    I wonder…

HOW DO THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT?

 

 

Continue reading And You Are Who »

Care to leave a comment?

Do NO Harm

  • Posted on November 5, 2011 at 9:21 am
Share|
This entry is part 24 of 24 in the series Quality of Life

Google has this philosophy, of Do No Evil, but you know, there is another motto that our Provincial Government, Vancouver Island Health Authority, and Beacon Community Services should adopt.

DO NO HARM

It really would make life simpler for Seniors and for their caregivers.  Today we had a very nice lady, Nerissa, who was here back in 2010.  Guess what Nerissa, OLD PEOPLE CHANGE RAPIDLY!.

  1. When people are going to someone’s home, it is fine to park in front of it, to use their driveway if they have one, to even park across the street.  But IT IS NOT OKAY to block off neighbours driveways, and think it doesn’t matter.
  2. Read the CARE PLAN BEFORE you show up. It might let you know that there is a dog on the premises, so walking in immediately after ringing the door bell IS NOT A SMART MOVE.
  3. If the dog doesn’t bite you, rest assured…  I WILL.
  4. Wear the provided for IDENTIFICATION BADGE.  Like you really think you impressed me enough a year ago, that I’ll remember your face?
  5. Introduce yourself, might be nice to let the people whose home you are entering, who you are, and so they too, can introduce themselves.
  6. Wait for the person who let you in, to show you the way,.
  7. ASK if there is anything new since the care plan was made up, or any special things they should know BEFORE they start pulling on people’s arms and getting them out of bed.

It is nice to come early, but in this case, I think I know why you are early.  Others couldn’t wait for you to leave. OH you are nice, smile a lot, say thank you a lot, but the quality of service provided will haunt me for several days now.  And that is assuming the regular workers all show up, as scheduled.

Here is the deal Beacon Community Services, Vancouver Island Health Authority.

  • We are people, not nameless numbers.
  • People you are caring for are elderly, frail, and fragile.
  • No two Seniors are alike, even if they have basically the same infirmaties, or ailments.
  • English speaking people cannot understand foreign languages. If workers are unable to fully communicate with the Patient, ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN.
  • OLD PEOPLE DO NOT MOVE FAST
  • You may have 50 minutes to accomplish your task, an old person doesn’t care about that. They simply do not move at your speed.  You need to move at THEIR SPEED.
  • Seniors are deathly afraid of falling, which is why they MOVE SLOWLY.
  • Commands from the brain DO NOT move as quickly to an old person’s limbs as they do for your or me.
  • Seniors are set in their ways.
  • They hold onto their routine, so YOU ADAPT TO THEM, not the other way around.
  • Old people are scared, they know they are facing death, DON’T RUSH THEM TO MEET IT.
  • Aged people are embarassed and afraid of losing their dignity, and independance, so let them do things THEIR WAY, so they can hold onto something.

Here is the deal.  The TAXPAYERS are the one’s shelling out over $37 an hour to Beacon Community Services, for home support.  As nice as Nerissa was, she was not capable of doing the simple job of giving a 94 year old a sponge bath.   She did not know how to properly support an old person that is shaky, and unsteady on her feet.

Through the Grace of GOD, Mom did not fall and crack her head, or worse, DIE.   When you send people who cannot communicate clearly, you are putting that PATIENT AT RISK.  Proper training is essential, but if the people being trained have limited understanding of English, are limited in their ability to issue clear and concise instructions, all the training in the world is useless.

Every PERSON is different, even if they have the same ailments, have the same basic needs.  When a caregiver is there, ASK THEM QUESTIONS so you can properly attend to the needs of the PATIENT ENTRUSTED INTO YOUR CARE.

Looking after an old person is not easy. I can attest to that, and yet I also know that the vast majority of issues in dealing with an old person, is simply common sense.  They are shaky, so you have to be on your toes, ready to steady them BEFORE THEY FALL.  You need to talk loudly, SO THEY CAN HEAR YOU.  You need to SPEAK CLEARLY so they can understand the instructions, directions.

But most of all, YOU NEED TO CARE ABOUT THEM.

 

Continue reading Do NO Harm »

Care to leave a comment?

It Is the Aftermath That Will Kill

  • Posted on September 27, 2011 at 8:51 am
Share|

How do the people of Beacon Community Services sleep at night? For that matter how does the head honcho at VIHA sleep at night? 

After all, they MUST know that their decisions literally impact thousands of people, and NOT in a good way. I constantly worry about how good of a care I am providing for my 94 year old Mother. I think I do okay, but still, I worry, and yet I see stupid decisions by VIHA and BCS ( Beacon Community Services ) that makes me wonder, if they even know what it means to PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO THE ELDERLY.

Sunday’s worker was nice, bubbly, but totally useless when it came to bathing Mom and helping her get dressed.  The lack of caring to even read the care plan PRIOR to arriving, or to even ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE COMMENCING, shows that once again Beacon Community Services are hiring untrained, unqualified, uncaring personnel, to care for Seniors.

What Beacon and VIHA fail to get, is that this type of attitude creates unnecessary stress for the elder person, ( not to mention the primary caregiver ) that doesn’t just end when the worker leaves the home. IT LINGERS, and has serious implications, that can, over time, KILL THE SENIOR.

It takes Mom about 2 or 3 days to regain her composure, and that is assuming nothing else shows up to rock the boat.  In those 2 or 3 days, her system reacts to the stress, by increased tremors of the body, that CAN lead to a serious fall, and injury.  It plays games with her mind, and in Mom’s case, also leads to a serious of ( what the doctor calls ) mini strokes.

Eventually those mini strokes can develop into a full blown one, and that could most certainly KILL HER.

The aftermath also includes worry, fear, that preys on her fragile mind, that makes her fixate on things, that make her nervous, that impact my day too. I have to spend a lot more time cajoling, and reassuring her, than normal.

Some may say that is part of the job, part of the hazards of caring for one’s elderly parent, but the thing is, IT IS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY.

  1. IF VIHA DID ITS JOB, IT WOULD INSURE THAT ANY PRIVATE COMPANY SENDING WORKERS INTO THE HOME, WERE ALL 100% QUALIFIED.
  2. IF BEACON COMMUNITY SERVICES WERE ABOUT HOME CARE, THEY WOULD INSURE THAT THEIR WORKERS WERE FULLY TRAINED AND QUALIFIED BEFORE SENDING THEM OUT ON THE JOB.

The reality is, that VIHA is merely looking for a way to lessen its responsibilities to the people of this region, and to SAVE MONEY.   Beacon Community Services isn’t about home support, or care, but is about PROFITS ONLY.

The aftermath of a rotten worker, isn’t just added stress to me, or even to my Mother.  It is that over time, depending on how strong Mom’s character is, the aftermath of the policies of the Vancouver Island Health Authority, and of their partner and co-conspirator Beacon Community Services is 

DEATH FOR THE ELDERLY

Guess that is how they plan to save money, kill them off, and wash their hands of it. 

Today, without warning, once more Beacon Community Services pulled another of its famous SWITCHES.

A substitute was sent, without any notice.  Just as we enter the 2nd day of dealing with the aftermath from Sunday, we begin the process all over again today.  My day now becomes filled with having to be extra cautious, extra aware, in order to try and prevent any serious repercussions, of a sudden, unexpected change in Mom’s routine.

When a person can afford private care, these issues don’t really exist. If the assigned worker is sub standard, they are simply fired from the job.  A new agency can be hired, if the old one is not living up to its contract.

  • Neither the owner of Beacon Community Services, nor the upper echelon of VIHA have to worry on that score, They all can afford Private Health Care, as can our Premier and Health Minister.

And yet, VIHA continues to pour MILLIONS of dollars into Beacon Community Services, despite KNOWING that the care they supply to Vancouver Island Seniors is not just SUB STANDARD but borders on ELDER ABUSE.

We will have more MINI STROKES, that hopefully she’ll recover from, as she usually does. BUT, there is coming a time when she won’t, and that means a lower quality of life for a 94 year old lady, that has done nothing wrong, to deserve such misery.  AND that is the best we can hope for, because it could also mean she will die.

No one gives a shit, not the personnel at VIHA who implement these stupid contracts, and most certainly not the people at Beacon Community Services, who simply are looking towards that paycheck. They want the shiny new cars, the iPhones and Blackberry’s, so what if it means old people are hurt, are stressed out and driven into fear and worry 24/7. 

Least they get their new shiny toys.

Continue reading It Is the Aftermath That Will Kill »

Care to leave a comment?

SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline