When someone grows older often they are faced with degenerative diseases. They are also forced to depend on people for things that can be rather embarrassing for them. Someone else cleaning their apartment or, possibly the most embarrassing, having another person bathe them.
On top of this embarrassment the diseases, especially those which affect the brain including dementia and Alzheimer's bring hostility towards others out. They require a certain level of care, but what happens when it's not provided? What happens when they live in a facility that promises the family they can take care of their loved one and is able to provide the level of care they need; but, they don't deliver?
I have one place in particular in mind. It is not in this area; but, I truly hope that the care homes here are doing what they say they will and not cheating their patrons out of money and, more importantly, care.
If a facility boasts that they are a level which will be able to provide adequate services to your loved one, that assisted living is offered, and you pay them for these extra services such as help with bathing them or cleaning their apartment, they should be provided. It is what our world is built on, capitalism, the exchange of money for goods and services.
If the facility told the family they are able to take care of people with dementia then they should be able to deal with people being grumpy and accusing them of stealing because these are stages people go through with diseases of the mind, as I understand.
Now I am obviously not a doctor and have only been told about or have read information concerning these diseases; but, as I understand it this is a normal occurrence and though it can be difficult to deal with the staff at this facility should be able to handle these situations.
They should know that the disease might make someone surly, which could create a difficult working situation for the staff; but, if they are working in this setting then maybe they should be trained more thoroughly or better prepared in some way for what they are actually going to be dealing with. Even if they are house cleaning staff, they should know a little bit about what is going on because they could be harassed by those living there. It's just a possibility when working at such a facility.
So, instead of cleaning someone's house or bathing them, which they are paid good money for on top of meals for the day and lodgings, when the individual is being uncooperative they decide to simply not provide the service, yet, they continue to charge for it.
Is this right? To not only continue to take the money each month for services that aren't rendered, but to not tell the family about stopping services or about barely providing them. This is basically stealing in my opinion. Money is given for a job to be done, it is not completed, and the money is kept without anyone knowing any better. They kept money they ultimately did not earn under the false pretense that they were holding up their end of the deal.
Then the person's family visits and sees it hasn't been cleaned, but are assured it is done twice a month. What they fail to mention is that they do it for an hour while the individual is at lunch. I don't know about you, but I alone cannot clean my apartment in under an hour. If I do, it's not actually completely clean as I would have missed or skipped doing something.
If the individual was being unruly as well as always being grumpy while making a disturbance then, in my opinion, it would only be right to let the family know. A family member whom the individual can remember from day to day interactions could easily clean the house during their days off without being harassed. The family had simply been told it was a service that could be provided, so why would it be questioned?
In my opinion this individual with dementia was being taken advantage of. They are a veteran, were always willing to donate to various charities, and now, in need of assisted living, is being taken advantage of while living in unclean conditions. This is unacceptable. Seniors paved the way for the life we all live today, they raised a generation, are the grandparents to another, and are even great-grandparents to others. They deserve respect and to be taken care of. Besides one day we might end up in a retirement home or care home and become grumpy and rude, who is going to take care of us? Wouldn't you want to know you're getting the best possible care and not being taken advantage of?
On the website of this particular facility it also states that most services for residents are available at a cost; but, if they feel the resident no longer belongs here they "will work closely with the resident, their family and health care providers..." So, why wasn't the family contacted if the facility couldn't take care of the resident?
The facility is gorgeous and is always done up beautifully when a holiday is near; but, maybe they should stop spending money on an exorbitant amount of decorations and pay more attention to their residents to ensure the best quality of life for an aging demographic in need of assistance.
