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After Dad’s headfirst fall down a half flight of stairs, he spent three nights in a hospital ICU before transfer to a rehabilitation center for a proposed two to three week stay. The nursing home in question was highly recommended by hospital staff and seconded by close friends of Dad’s who live in the area.
He entered the nursing home Tuesday afternoon not the happiest of people. His first choice was to go straight home, and I can understand that feeling. The idea behind the rehab was to provide twice a day physical and occupational therapy to strengthen him to help prevent further falls.
Unfortunately, adding to the stress was the lack of communication between the caregivers at the nursing home and my eighty-six-year-old father.
Wound Care Assessment
I was told during check-in that staff would assess his wounds and decide what treatment he needed for successful healing. The evening of his check-in, in Dad’s words, an older black woman and a younger white woman looked over every inch of his body without explaining to him what they were doing or why.
According to Dad, when he asked what they were doing the older woman said, “We don’t want you accusing us for these bruises.”
He was highly embarrassed, angry, and demanding to go home when I called later in the evening to see how he was doing. I immediately called the night supervisor to find out what was going on, and she promptly checked with the two women involved and talked to my Dad.
When the supervisor called me back, she indicated she had discussed with the women how they could have better handled the situation. She also apologized and soothed my Dad’s very ruffled feathers.
Insulin Changes
My Dad is a four-times a day insulin dependent diabetic. He has been on a specific regimen for three years. Somehow, the nursing home decided four times a day was too much and changed to twice a day without saying anything to Dad.
To add to the confusion, Dad went down to the dining room for dinner without testing or receiving insulin. During the same phone call as the above situation, he told me that they were withholding his insulin. He was slurring his words and sounded rather incoherent.
As I was talking to the night supervisor about the wound care situation, I said he had not had any insulin as yet and explained how he sounded. I stressed the importance of his need for insulin.
Come to find out, his nurse had come in to give him the insulin but he had already gone to dinner. Apparently, she never returned after he got back to his room. When they tested his blood sugar as a result of my call, it was a very low 66. They immediately gave him milk and cottage cheese to increase his blood sugar.
Communication is of the utmost importance
With Dad demanding to come home, and the nursing staff for the most part very apologetic, we made it through his first night and into the next morning. I talked to the nursing home doctor the next day, and he explained he believed the four-times-a-day insulin injections for someone of my Dad’s age was abusive.
Taking insulin that often was more for someone 25 to 40-years-old and more for long-range prevention of side effects than immediate needs. Someone my Dad’s age wouldn’t need to be protected for 15-20 years ahead, in this physician’s opinion.
I must say, I did agree with his assessment. However, in the meantime the physician told my Dad and the staff that they would handle Dad’s insulin needs according to Dad’s desires.
Later, when I talked to Dad, I asked him if he wouldn’t have preferred only testing and taking injections twice a day and he said that would have been nice.
Again, I think with proper communication Dad would have been satisfied with the twice a day injections. He just didn’t understand what was happening and why he was not given his insulin at the usual times.
The importance of cooperation
I truly believe the night supervisor and the doctor did the best they could in this situation. My Dad was very stressed about being in the nursing home in the first place. He is almost totally blind, hard of hearing, and frightened.
I do think the staff could have handled the situation better by explaining what they were doing and why. I’m thankful that the supervisor took me seriously, handled the situations quickly and professionally, and adjustments were made.
Today is another day
When I called last night, my aunt and uncle were visiting. Dad told me about two male attendents, one a physical therapist and the other apparently an orderly. He likes them both and seemed more settled.
I have not yet called him this morning, but today is another day. Hopefully, all is well and he will stay as long as needed in order to gain strength.
He has received numerous calls from family and friends and that has really cheered him up. Several local friends are planning to visit yet this week, and he is receiving numerous well wishes from his Senior Center friends.
Communication is of the utmost importance when seniors are placed in unfamiliar situations. All Dad could think about was wanting to be home where I am sure he felt he would be safe.
Thankfully, the people at the nursing home were willing to work with him and help him adjust to his new temporary living arrangments.
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