We seniors are always facing a dilemma it seems. I read an article in the Coeur d'Alene Press that I found out to be a paid advertisement. However, if the information in it is accurate it explains to you young 'uns one more time why we old geezers fight so hard to remain independent.Not so long ago I did a post on the increasing number of adult children encouraging their parents to invest in sophisticated monitoring devices. Some are so sophisticated you would be under 24 hour surveillance in your own house. The alternative is the dreaded "home"!
It seems Leisure Care purchased Fairwinds, CDA awhile back. They decided to install a wireless emergency call system for its residents. It also would seem there are different categories of apartments for these residents. Some are merely retirement apartments, others are for assisted living. The state of Idaho requires the apartments for assisted living be "licensed". Whatever that means!
Initially all residents were issued those dandy little pendants to wear and use "just in case". Unfortunately, some used them for purposes other than emergencies. The state prohibits the pendants being used for non-emergency assistance unless the apartments are the "licensed" ones. All those living in the "retirement" category had to give up their pendants.
The Bureau of Facility Standards will not allow staff to check on a resident in a "retirement" apartment if they don't answer their phone in a timely manner yet the staff is required to make sure the phone line is working properly! How do they think this stuff up??
I would love to be a fly on the wall when some of these bureaucrats reach the age or the circumstances when they have to give up their homes and are forced into a group facility and see how they react! Anyone can have an emergency situation at any time for crying out loud. Designated labels don't protect anyone!
I'm sure in time the staff would have been able to convince the residents that using the pendants for frivolous requests was not in their best interest. To deny them is insulting, demeaning and - dangerous.
It seems common place that the older we get the more we are patronized and treated like children. In fact it's those who are doing the patronizing that are behaving like children.
I applaud Julie Tastad from Fairwinds, CDA for bringing this to our attention. Thumbs down to the Bureau of Facility Standards for being bureaucratically bullheaded.
Oh, yes, take my name off the waiting list. I'm going to trust my luck at home for a good long while.
3 comments:
Better yet, let's see how they feel when their Mother was laying on the floor for over 9 hours, and found the next morning...because she wasn't able to have one.
Several years ago, my phone rang about 2AM and an elderly woman asked for someone by a name other than mine. I told her she had the wrong number, then asked if I could help.
She'd fallen but was reluctant to give me her name and room number. I convinced her to do so ~ we hung up and I called the 'assisted living home' and asked the aide to go help her.
I never did find out what happened but I spent all night thinking and worrying about people who go bump in the night.
Nice post, Mari.
I will leave my home and independence, feet first when my body is cold and stiff. CU
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