Nursing homes should treat their staff better
Bed sores, pureed food, neglect and abuse can be found at many nursing homes throughout the United States.
The poor care of residents occurs because staff are burned out from low pay, long hours and physically draining workloads. The staffing level at nursing homes is just not enough. Although not all nursing homes are neglectful, as I have seen personally while visiting my grandmother, some homes do fit the idea of a "typical nursing home" — a home where residents do not receive the respectful care they deserve.
As a senior at UNCG, focused on a degree in social work, my eyes have widened as I have completed 300 hours as an intern. Not only do I have personal experiences through beginning my career as a social worker, I also have experience as a certified nurse assistant, working for a year at a local nursing home.
To encourage better care, nursing homes should pay staff members more and give them more time off. I encourage anyone looking into nursing homes to fully investigate all aspects of the home before committing their loved one to a living arrangement.
Natalie Culnon
Greensboro
Comments (4)
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"The poor care of residents occurs because staff are burned out from low pay, long hours and physically draining workloads."
While this may be true in some cases, perhaps your's Natalie, it is not the primary reason for neglect. The reason there is a less than desirable outcome in nursing homes is because it is physically impossible to care for all the people assigned to one nurse/nursing aide. An RN can have as many 30-40 patients to be responsible for. Sure they work with med techs, NA's and social workers. However, the responsibility for the care of those patients is ultimately the nurse assigned those patients.
This situation is akin to a teacher taking charge of 30-40 kids who have physical disabilities and illnesses. It is a physical impossibility to give good care, even if you are not burned out and want desperately to excel.
I do agree a lighter caseload would be the first step to remedying the horrific situation in some nursing homes.
BTW, I was a nursing assistent before I became an RN, thus also speaking from experience.
Posted on February 27, 2008 10:18 AM
I forgot to mention the poor nutritional status of the elderly is a leading cause of bed sores, not necessarily neglect. Without an adequate intake of protein and fluids to stay hydrated, even a young person's skin will suffer. More often than not, the elderly eat less and consume less fluids.
I don't consider myself elderly at 62 but I lost 26 pounds in 13 days last September. It was almost entirely muscle loss. I am still regaining strength and still having hydration problems. Two of my docs say it may take as long as a year to "get back to normal". Thank God I work at a hospital where the pressure is less than other places.
Posted on February 27, 2008 10:30 AM
Losing 26 pounds in 13 days and it being almost entirely muscle loss goes against most medical literature I've read.
Even with a complete water fast, most people lose an average of 1 pound per day. After the first few days, the body starts to consume mainly stored fat and less and less muscle tissue.
Posted on February 27, 2008 12:04 PM
Tim,
I did not lose the weight on purpose. I was acutely ill and febrile. My body went into starvation mode and started to break down protein (muscle) to stave off starvation. My respirations were around 40 consistently (lots of fluid loss), my temp was greater than 101 for 10 of those 13 days (more fluid loss) and I had diarrhea the entire hospitalization (additional fluid loss). So contrary to what you believe about rapid weight loss, it can and did happen.
Posted on February 28, 2008 12:12 AM