Nursing homes generally do not have a very good reputation here in the United States. And according to Donna M. Reed, an attorney who worked for a number of years as a licensed practical nurse in a number of different nursing homes, this reputation is well deserved. While the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act has resulted in some improvements, nursing homes remain chronically short-staffed, with the nurses and nursing assistants literally simply not having sufficient time to care for all of their charges.
Reed begins by giving an overview of the three types of nursing home care: “assisted living”, “long term care” and “skilled nursing facility” which offer respectively the least to the highest levels of care and attention. Reed goes on to discuss in some detail the federal laws which give nursing home residents certain rights and nursing home operators certain responsibilites. Much of the book is devoted to strategies for how you as a family member can insure your loved one receives the best possible care. Some of the suggestions, while quite simple, did seem like they would be effective. For instance, Reed recommends keeping a dish of candy for the staff in the resident’s room to encourage frequent staff visits.
Placing a parent or loved one in a nursing home is never an easy decision. But Reed is firmly convinced that nursing home residents whose families are frequent visitors and well known to the staff receive significantly better care than patients who have no family members to regularly and consistently advocate on their behalf. If you are or may get to be in a position where you must place your parent or loved one in a nursing home, Better Nursing Home Care is an invaluable guide. Recommended. Buy now $17.95
This actually looks like a good choice. There are often very few reviews of practical every day life books. It is something which I might get for my library.
Nursing homes tend to be a bit on the depressing side. There is that whole Waiting for God aspect, where people warehoused until they die. Still, when you can’t live on your own anymore, where are you going to go?
Several of my family members have had to be in nursing homes, and an assisted living center. It’s heartbreaking, but sometimes it is the only thing you can do when they can’t take care of themselves. One of the things I learned is that it’s imperative that you visit as often as you can at various times of the day and evening so you can observe what care they get during those times. There is actually a lot to learn when you have a family member in a care facility, and if you can study up ahead of time, all the better.
Wow…not even sure where to start. First I think this book looks interesting and does help to define the terms used in the industry.
Second…as a resident of a skilled facility I think people need to know that for many seniors, they discover a new lease on life when they enter the facility. Where before they were at home and alone, in the facility there is a community of people, acitivites going on and lots of care and support from the staff.
I’m only 46…I’m on disability and put myself in here for a very specialized regiment of dietary help and intense PT…I’ve lost 160# since Nov of 2007 and most is attributable to the care and encouragement I’ve gotten from the staff here..