The blog continues with opportunities for monitoring care and services at senior care faciities. While visiting a patient at a memory care organization today, I was walking down the hall to leave the facilty after the visit. Residents were gathered around the common area and it was difficult to find a clear passage to walk due to the congestion. If I was having difficutly, imagine the difficulty an individual with dementia, someone with a walker to cane or someone with an unsteady gait would have. Staff were congregated with the residents and were not aware of the risk they were causing.
Of more concern, was the personal alarm that was ringing in the women's bathroom. The door was locked. Four staff members walked down the hall outside the bathroom door and none of them heard the personal alarm ringing. They were laughing and talking to each other and to residents. I was concerned so notified the only person I could find who was the marketing representative. The marketing person ran down the hall to find someone to assist. I do not know if a resident had fallen or had gone to the bathroom unattended and was safe.
As a family or friend of a senior watch what is going on around you when you viist your loved one or friend. The issues that are apparent to a visitor should be even more apparent to the staff working at the faciility. Seeing what was demonstrated today provides me with grave concern about the quality of care delivered at the facility. If this occurs during the day shift when there are many resources around and available, what happens on the evening and night shift when there are fewer staff and no management personnel.