I am sure, that many out there, think I am a bit nuts, a bit obsessed with the idea of keeping the same regular worker visiting & helping Mom. After all, one worker is the same as any other, so if they are all trained, capable, what does it matter if one shows up today, another tomorrow, and so on?
Basically, it has to do with PREVENTION.
I don’t check Mother’s body for new marks, bruises, etc. I mean I am a guy, she’s a she. Sure, when I do the creams for her, or do a nightshirt change, I look, as best as I can, however I am not giving her a shower, like the regular workers do. I am not seeing the whole picture, the under her arms, the upper back, or chest.
Old people bruise easy, when on Coumadin (blood thinner) they bruise even easier. However, when you also have Brittle Bones, bruising can be signs of something more. In addition, she has skin that is losing its elasticity, so tears happen more easily.
These are things a worker can spot, but the rub is, if they’ve never seen her before, or its been months, they aren’t going to notice the small stuff. Those things will go unnoticed, until suddenly they become major issues. THAT COULD BE TOO LATE THEN.
Last Thursday, Mom was plugged (constipated) first thing. The fact that we had our regular worker, made mom less nervous, less apprehensive. It eased her mind, solved the issue too, but later in the day, while trying to get up to go the bathroom, Mom had a spill.
She rested on a cart we use for her, which she shouldn’t have done. The cart leg buckled and down went mom, head first into a space heater, heavy wooden plant stand.
The sudden fear that pops into one’s head, is gut wrenching, to say the least. She hit hard, her head banged up against a solid wooden plant stand. Her whole back hit the floor hard, her legs twisted, and you know what is running through your mind as you race to help her.
Fortunately, it seems nothing was broken, no damage that I could see. The Doctor checked her out Friday, didn’t notice anything either. Her blood pressure was up a bit, but then that’s normal, after you take a hard spill.
We get over things like that, quickly. Old people DO NOT. It lingers, it makes them more wary, nervous, which in Mom’s case isn’t a good thing. Isn’t for any elderly person, but with her conditions, it is a bit worse.
Now, the long of this whole story, is that for the next few days, one has to pay special attention, to bruising, to soreness, that may not show up immediately. In Mom’s case, the day of the fall, and Friday, there was no sensitive areas, no hard bruising, or other tell tale signs. Doesn’t mean there won’t be, as it can show up several days later.
Having regular workers, who know her, who see her regularly, means they WILL notice these subtle changes. It means, they can spot something, before it manifests itself into something far more serious. Things like cohesive thoughts, like slurred speech. These can all show up later, but IF the worker is new, they won’t notice.
For VIHA & BCS, they don’t think of these things, or if they do, they simply don’t give a rat’s ass about it. Their one and only concern is PROFITS. VIHA wanting to keep within a budget, so they can afford the half million dollars salary for their CEO, and BCS so they can afford the quarter of a million dollar salary for their CEO.
The failure of BCS ( aside from hiring untrained, or incompetent workers )is that they simply can’t manage their employees, to insure that their patient load is properly staffed, by regular workers. They need to get a map, so that workers are moving from one patient to another, in an efficient manner, instead of the Helter Skelter method they do now.
Bottom line is that BCS needs to spend money, to insure they hire trained & qualified home support workers, then assign them to a Patient, and not move them around at will. They need to have workers who are designated as Substitutes, so that when a regular worker is sick, is on vacation, they can fill in, without disrupting hundreds of other Patients, while BCS schedulers play some weird version of The Amazing Race ( reality show on television ).
Short term impact, is that it can be expensive to have the added staff, but long term, it means less extensive hospital & medial expenses for the Patients. And given how we pay for Universal Health Care, that means a savings to the taxpayer. IF we have less elderly patients, in need of hospital care, of additional medicines, treatments, then WE SAVE.
Course, aside from the money aspect, it also means we give our Elderly, SOME DIGNITY & RESPECT, after all, they are the one’s who built this city, this province, this country.
VIHA & BCS many not care, BUT SHOULDN’T WE? I DO.
