Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Stupid Excuses In Nursing Homes

Well, I just heard what could possibly win a prize for Stupidest Reason For Not Allowing Things, Nursing Homes Division.

A client of mine's mother was just discharged from hospital into a nursing home (on the first available bed policy), a rather old building where many people are still in four person rooms. Anyway, he was told he couldn't eat dinner with his mother in the dining room, because it would disturb the other residents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not "there isn't enough room." That would have been bad enough. IT WOULD DISTURB THE OTHER RESIDENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DID THEY THINK HE WAS GOING TO GO PSYCHOTIC ON THEM IN THE DINING ROOM?????????????????????? DID THEY THINK HE WAS SUCH A MORON THAT HE WOULD BUY THAT??????????????????????

I constantly hear excuses from nursing homes about why they won't allow things. A lot of times, it is because they have been burned when they did. Many times they cannot do something because of staffing limitation (For example if they have a limited number of recreation staff, they can't have programmes going from morning till night seven days a week, or not if they are depending on recreation staff to do them, which is another itch I will scratch someday) But a lot of times it is just they don't want to think outside the box, or shift their system.

But, "You can't eat with your mother in the dining room because it would disturb the other residents" IS THE STUPIDEST EXCUSE I HAVE EVER HEARD.

I had to gag myself in order not to scream when he told me this. What can he do? He can call licensing, he can sit down with the Administrator. He can start a Family Council. He can call the Facility Liaison with the Continuing Care programme in his Health Authority.

Sheesh!