Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Senior Advocacy: The Resident as the Customer
Senior Advocacy: The Resident as the Customer: "“Where are your people and what are they doing. Are they doing what you want them to do, or are they doing what they want to do” ? Fare warn..."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Is this what we Want? .. Fewer Choices when we are older [Frail or Aged]?
The main problem with making changes to the 'system' is that resources are just not available to be able to even begin to address what needs to be done to make assisted living facilities more 'home-like' &/or person centered.
The astronomical costs of insurance premiums alone, before anyone claims compensation costs for injury, are enough to strike terror into anyone even thinking about running a facility which involves the frail &/or aged. I do not blame CEO's of health facilities feeling like they need to wrap everyone up in cotton wool to prevent injury.
BUT 'LIFE' IS A HAZZARD .... every day from the moment we wake up until the moment we lay our heads back down on our pillow there is a risk that we may bang our head on the back of the bed if we misjudge the distance ... this is not someone else's fault ... this is a part of living ... this next story is only ONE example of the realities of moving into any sort of care [and why I feel that there is really no hope unless someone starts to challenge the system before we end up with having NO CHOICES at all] ....
The other day during a conversation one of the residents said that one of the things she REALLY missed was her sewing machine ... all her life she was a well respected dressmaker... another resident joined in with the conversation and said she used to make men's clothes, coats and jackets, she also missed being able to sit down and sew when she wanted ...
I thought what a wonderful opportunity to get these ladies fixing things for themselves and their friends ... The residents are constantly coming to us to either fix broken or torn hooks, buttons, zips, take in clothes or fix hems ... wouldn't it be wonderful if some of the residents were able to sit down to a sewing machine and just fix it themselves ... they could retain skills whilst helping others, this fits in with everyone's philosophy of encouraging social and emotional well being ... their self identity would be boosted as well as their self esteem and feelings of self worth.... all the important qualities we are nurturing in our aged population ...
When these individuals moved out of their homes and made a choice to move into assisted living facilities they had to part with most of their prized possessions... they parted with them because they had to move away from much larger homes and cram their most important possessions into a small unit [often into a one room bed sitter or even share a room with someone they didn't even know] .. there is no room for a sewing machine for the odd occasion that it needs to be used. There is no room to store the vast amount of paraphernalia, hobbies, beautiful things to look at, mountains of memories ... things that are important to them ...
Again I thought ... what I wonderful idea ... here is an opportunity for the ladies to be able to do something useful, I started thinking of where we could put a sewing machine ...
When I ran this idea past my 'boss' I was told that it would never happen ... why ??? ... Because it is a hazzard... can you imagine what could happen ??!!! No, I cant imagine I thought ... I know that once a skill is learnt that despite one becoming older and frailer the skill is usually retained. Unless there are issues such as tremors, uncontrolled movement or a number of other conditions or disorders which 'may' prevent or slow a person from safely handling or using machinery there should be NO REASON to NOT allow a person to use something they have spent their whole life using .... the resounding 'no' is still ringing in my ears ..... If someone is frail does it mean they can't be sensible ? We are supposed to be encouraging freedom of choice, independence and or autonomy ... but apparently the case is closed ...
unless ? ......
LOTS OF THINGS WILL HAVE TO CHANGE if we want to have ANY hope of being able to continue doing what we have always done through our life ...
If we have been forced to downsize due to 'life happening' and becoming frailer as we get older or are not able to keep on looking after a large garden or house on our own anymore ... and we may even need the occasional helping hand it does NOT mean that we are no longer capable of using things we have used all our life ....
Why is it that someone else gets to pull ALL the strings in our life and have TOTAL control ???
Hence this blog .....
I will continue to blog my disappointment with 'the system' ... I do not blame anyone or have any ill feelings toward them ... I do understand that everyone thinks that their hands are tied because someone else has given them a set of rules that they have to keep to ...
Something DOES have to change .... and that means that the rules WILL have to be challenged to allow people more choices, independence and autonomy ... How can someone be in charge of their own life if someone else is telling them what they can and cant do ??? particularly if it is NOT a medical issue ...
The astronomical costs of insurance premiums alone, before anyone claims compensation costs for injury, are enough to strike terror into anyone even thinking about running a facility which involves the frail &/or aged. I do not blame CEO's of health facilities feeling like they need to wrap everyone up in cotton wool to prevent injury.
BUT 'LIFE' IS A HAZZARD .... every day from the moment we wake up until the moment we lay our heads back down on our pillow there is a risk that we may bang our head on the back of the bed if we misjudge the distance ... this is not someone else's fault ... this is a part of living ... this next story is only ONE example of the realities of moving into any sort of care [and why I feel that there is really no hope unless someone starts to challenge the system before we end up with having NO CHOICES at all] ....
The other day during a conversation one of the residents said that one of the things she REALLY missed was her sewing machine ... all her life she was a well respected dressmaker... another resident joined in with the conversation and said she used to make men's clothes, coats and jackets, she also missed being able to sit down and sew when she wanted ...
I thought what a wonderful opportunity to get these ladies fixing things for themselves and their friends ... The residents are constantly coming to us to either fix broken or torn hooks, buttons, zips, take in clothes or fix hems ... wouldn't it be wonderful if some of the residents were able to sit down to a sewing machine and just fix it themselves ... they could retain skills whilst helping others, this fits in with everyone's philosophy of encouraging social and emotional well being ... their self identity would be boosted as well as their self esteem and feelings of self worth.... all the important qualities we are nurturing in our aged population ...
When these individuals moved out of their homes and made a choice to move into assisted living facilities they had to part with most of their prized possessions... they parted with them because they had to move away from much larger homes and cram their most important possessions into a small unit [often into a one room bed sitter or even share a room with someone they didn't even know] .. there is no room for a sewing machine for the odd occasion that it needs to be used. There is no room to store the vast amount of paraphernalia, hobbies, beautiful things to look at, mountains of memories ... things that are important to them ...
Again I thought ... what I wonderful idea ... here is an opportunity for the ladies to be able to do something useful, I started thinking of where we could put a sewing machine ...
When I ran this idea past my 'boss' I was told that it would never happen ... why ??? ... Because it is a hazzard... can you imagine what could happen ??!!! No, I cant imagine I thought ... I know that once a skill is learnt that despite one becoming older and frailer the skill is usually retained. Unless there are issues such as tremors, uncontrolled movement or a number of other conditions or disorders which 'may' prevent or slow a person from safely handling or using machinery there should be NO REASON to NOT allow a person to use something they have spent their whole life using .... the resounding 'no' is still ringing in my ears ..... If someone is frail does it mean they can't be sensible ? We are supposed to be encouraging freedom of choice, independence and or autonomy ... but apparently the case is closed ...
unless ? ......
LOTS OF THINGS WILL HAVE TO CHANGE if we want to have ANY hope of being able to continue doing what we have always done through our life ...
If we have been forced to downsize due to 'life happening' and becoming frailer as we get older or are not able to keep on looking after a large garden or house on our own anymore ... and we may even need the occasional helping hand it does NOT mean that we are no longer capable of using things we have used all our life ....
Why is it that someone else gets to pull ALL the strings in our life and have TOTAL control ???
Hence this blog .....
I will continue to blog my disappointment with 'the system' ... I do not blame anyone or have any ill feelings toward them ... I do understand that everyone thinks that their hands are tied because someone else has given them a set of rules that they have to keep to ...
Something DOES have to change .... and that means that the rules WILL have to be challenged to allow people more choices, independence and autonomy ... How can someone be in charge of their own life if someone else is telling them what they can and cant do ??? particularly if it is NOT a medical issue ...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Assisted Living does NOT need a Medical Model of Care
Little by little we can all change the way that the health industry cares for its elderly ... I HOPE !!
Most facilities usually advertise and promote [in their literature] that there is care for you 'when' and 'if' necessary as well as being 'Nurturing' places which 'Encourage Social and Emotional Well-being';
This is just NOT the case in any facility that I have worked in, seen or heard about ... I dont mean that they dont look after you as your needs become greater ... I am only addressing the Social and Emotional aspects of daily living ...
These facilities would all like to think that they are taking into account our wishes, but in reality it is a difficult task ... particularly if assisted living is based on a medical model of care [more like a hospital] ... in fact it is not all that long ago when residents were referred to as 'patients' ... I understand that it is a difficult task to coordinate a large facility to run smoothly but there are aspects to care that could be altered to allow people more choices, .. changes are happening but only in tiny tiny steps ... nothing is changing fast enough for my liking ...
Is it really necessary to have lights out in all main living areas by 7pm at night?
Is 5pm the latest that dinner can be served?
can I really only shower 3x a week (if I need assistance)?
Are you serious when you say I cant use a normal pair of scissors or a hammer, or a small saw to make some toys for my grandkids?
Do we really have to have our lives so totally controlled by others when we choose to move into a facility because we are not managing at home as well as we used to ? We are still adults who are able to manage many things in our lives ... we may be a little unsteady on our feet at times but are ok when sitting at a table ... do we really need to be treated like children or people incapable of doing anything much anymore??
The reality is that accidents do happen, but most probably wont but rising insurance costs [as well as possible repercussions from family &/or friends] is making everyone cautious .... to the extreme
HOW IS THE SOCIAL CLIMATE GOING TO CHANGE WHEN THE BABY BOOMERS HIT THESE INSTITUTIONS ... because ' institution ' is still the best way to describe these facilities ...
ARE THERE PLACES OUT THERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN WHEN I AM OLD AND FRAIL ??? NOT AT THE MOMENT !!! or not that I am aware of ...
Time is running out for us all and before we know it 'WE' will be placed [or choose to live] in one of these facilities ... It is imperative that changes ... BIG CHANGES ... happen over the next 5 - 15 years otherwise there will be no helping us at all ...
Are there any Positive Models or facilities out there that we can learn from?? ... how can a facility be run so that freedom of choice and independence is encouraged [and more so] ALLOWED so that we can move away from the ' MEDICAL MODEL' of care ???
Most facilities usually advertise and promote [in their literature] that there is care for you 'when' and 'if' necessary as well as being 'Nurturing' places which 'Encourage Social and Emotional Well-being';
This is just NOT the case in any facility that I have worked in, seen or heard about ... I dont mean that they dont look after you as your needs become greater ... I am only addressing the Social and Emotional aspects of daily living ...
These facilities would all like to think that they are taking into account our wishes, but in reality it is a difficult task ... particularly if assisted living is based on a medical model of care [more like a hospital] ... in fact it is not all that long ago when residents were referred to as 'patients' ... I understand that it is a difficult task to coordinate a large facility to run smoothly but there are aspects to care that could be altered to allow people more choices, .. changes are happening but only in tiny tiny steps ... nothing is changing fast enough for my liking ...
Is it really necessary to have lights out in all main living areas by 7pm at night?
Is 5pm the latest that dinner can be served?
can I really only shower 3x a week (if I need assistance)?
Are you serious when you say I cant use a normal pair of scissors or a hammer, or a small saw to make some toys for my grandkids?
Do we really have to have our lives so totally controlled by others when we choose to move into a facility because we are not managing at home as well as we used to ? We are still adults who are able to manage many things in our lives ... we may be a little unsteady on our feet at times but are ok when sitting at a table ... do we really need to be treated like children or people incapable of doing anything much anymore??
The reality is that accidents do happen, but most probably wont but rising insurance costs [as well as possible repercussions from family &/or friends] is making everyone cautious .... to the extreme
HOW IS THE SOCIAL CLIMATE GOING TO CHANGE WHEN THE BABY BOOMERS HIT THESE INSTITUTIONS ... because ' institution ' is still the best way to describe these facilities ...
ARE THERE PLACES OUT THERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN WHEN I AM OLD AND FRAIL ??? NOT AT THE MOMENT !!! or not that I am aware of ...
Time is running out for us all and before we know it 'WE' will be placed [or choose to live] in one of these facilities ... It is imperative that changes ... BIG CHANGES ... happen over the next 5 - 15 years otherwise there will be no helping us at all ...
Are there any Positive Models or facilities out there that we can learn from?? ... how can a facility be run so that freedom of choice and independence is encouraged [and more so] ALLOWED so that we can move away from the ' MEDICAL MODEL' of care ???
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