How to Improve the Quality of Institutional Care

Copyright 2006 Lynne Taetzsch

How can you ensure that your loved ones (let’s call them parents for the sake of this article) are getting the best possible care at a nursing home or assisted living facility?  The first step is to pick the best institution you can afford, if you have a choice in the matter, but after that you can’t simply sit back and relax.  It’s a fact that most nursing homes and assisted living facilities are understaffed, and even when they aren’t, you need to be sure the staff are doing everything they are supposed to do.

There are several things you can do to improve the service your parents receive:

Get involved with the institution on a regular basis.  Going in person is best, but if you can’t manage that, keep up with frequent phone calls.  Learn who is in charge of which services and who to call if there is a problem.  Make sure you understand exactly what services will be provided, and talk to your parents regularly to find out if their needs are being met.

Naturally, the better your parents are functioning, the less you need to do, but no matter how capable they are, it’s still a good idea to help monitor the quality of their care. My father had severe short-term memory loss when he lived at an assisted living facility, so it was very important for me to be actively involved.

Get to know the staff on a first-name basis.  The aides in assisted living and nursing homes work very hard for little pay, yet their attitudes can determine how satisfied your parents will be with their care.  It was fortunate for me that my father always got along well with staff.  In spite of everything, he kept his sense of humor, and went out of his way to be friendly.

Sometimes a resident is unhappy and difficult, which makes the staff’s job harder.  One woman I knew always complained about everything and was sarcastic to the aides who were trying to help her.  They still tried, but the job of caregiving was made more difficult because of the way they were treated.

No matter what job they are doing, people like to be appreciated.  When you take an interest in the staff, you acknowledge that the quality of your parents’ lives is important to you, and that you recognize the contributions staff are making in this regard.  Very often a small token of appreciation, like a box of candy at holidays, will go a long way in gaining staff support.

Finally, follow up to make sure promises are kept.  I had a very difficult time getting my father’s laundry taken care of at his assisted living facility.  Most residents put their laundry hampers outside their door on laundry day, and put the clean laundry away themselves when it was delivered.  But my father was not able to keep track of his laundry at all.  He didn’t know when it needed to be done, whether the clothes in his hamper were clean or dirty, or how to put the clean clothes away in his closet and dresser.

After talking to the director of the facility, she said she would ask the aides to pick up Dad’s laundry when he wasn’t in his room, and then put it away when they delivered it, again when he wasn’t in his room.  But I had to follow up several times before this procedure was actually done on a regular basis.

By following up on requests, showing appreciation for staff, and getting involved in the day-to-day care of your parents, you can make a significant difference in the quality of their lives.

What Is The AARP?

The AARP used to be the American Association of Retired Persons. The AARP is known for representing and speaking on behalf of aging populations based in the United States. It is involved in all kinds of activities such as: negotiating reduced rates for prescriptions, housing, tourist attractions, automobile rentalsm motels and hotels. It is at present involved politically with the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. The AARP was founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus and hopes to have 70 million members in the next ten years due to the increasing age of the US population. It is interesting that the AARP is fighting the proposed changes to Social Security. The AARP has changed its role over the last few decades so as to reflect current living standards and the way in which we now approach age with dignity and purpose. On its website discounted trips to Hawaii and Alaska are advertised as well as news specifically geared to seniors, such as employment news, legal advice, health and fitness information and other interesting items. At present some of the hot button items the AARP is working with are: Prescription Drugs; Prescription Drugs over the last 5 years have increased much more rapidly in costs than the rate of inflation and as such are a heavy burden on Seniors. The AARP makes available the results of studies of changes in manufacturers' prescription drug list prices for 200 brand name and 75 generic drugs most widely used by Americans age 50 and over. Social Security; President Bush seems to think that there will not be enough money in the future to pay for Social Security benefits for Seniors at today's level. His private accounts plan would allow workers to invest up to one third of their payroll contributions in the Stock Market. Based on Stock Market results for the time President Bush has been in office this would have resulted in a loss for the average Senior taking inflation into account. And the indexing plan that Bush embraced at his April 28 press conference would preserve the present defined-benefit approach only for low-wage workers—those currently earning less than about $20,000. For everyone else, 70 percent of workers, the system would be flipped upside down—so that the more you earn and pay in, the more your benefits are cut. Consumer alerts; Last year Americans spent more than $20 billion on anti-aging products of which a sizeable amount was for so called "snake oil" products such as "human growth hormone " pills which sold for $80 per bottle per month and promised to cure anything that ails you. The US Food and Drug Administration does'nt regulate over-the-counter products so it is buyer beware.

Aging and Mid Life Crisis

Isn’t it time to put into action all the things you dream about? Have you not spent the first 20 years of your life being trained and conditioned as someone’s child or student? Following all the instructions and rules set forth before you. Remember those that ended up rebellious always paying the task masters for that small taste of self expression?

Along comes the next 20 years where we believe that we are putting into reality our own ideas and life desires. We become someone’s mate, parent, employee and still keep our place that society has molded for us. We seem to be performing that wonderful balancing act of keeping everyone in our lives happy with our choices. Time is passing and something inside tells us that we aren’t fulfilled where we are in life. That all these choices have been for everyone else in our lives and not for us. There must be something more out there! Will someone think you’re selfish? It sits in the back of our mind and starts showing up in our dreams. We try to ignore it and yet we become dissatisfied with the choices we made. Yet, we have no idea what we would do instead!

Along comes our forties and with it a new found confidence. The ability to assert ourselves comes to the surface. It’s not always a pretty site and can be somewhat frightening at first but hang in there because maturity blossoms. They call it a “Mid Life Crisis” but I like to think of it as a time frame to create and express who you really are. The truth and nothing but the truth will free up your mind, heart and soul. You’re no longer looking for approval. You want real friends, loving partners and people in your life to know that you’re living life and not just existing. Don’t just become Aging Baby Boomers.

How do you do this? How do you explore yet meet all the realistic goals of this aging process? Many of us have no one to ask or to even bounce ideas off of. The generation gaps are to large and the concepts of what is necessary for a solid future definitely do not match. We have to learn to share and outsource our ideas and information. Taking stock of where we are and the directions we want to take can get that excitement back in our lives. Set those goals for yourself and share goals with those you love and share lives with. Skip over the depression stage and take those thoughts and dreams and find someone to help you turn them into reality. There are life coaches, financial advisors, therapists, friends and loved ones who will be able to help guide you and encourage you on your journey.
Have the desire to enjoy everyday of your life.

They're Fighting For You The AARP

The American Association of Retired Persons, the AARP, is America's leading non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people aged 50 and older. It has over 35 million members, 40,000 of whom live outside the US. Members do not have to be retired; in fact, 40 percent of them work full or part time. Membership is open to anyone 50 or older, and with 25 percent of the American population in this age bracket, nearly half of all people in this group have memberships. The median age of AARP members is 65, and slightly more than half are female. In its mission statement, the organzition says that it is "dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all as we age. We lead positive social change and deliver value to members through information, advocacy and service." The AARP provides information bulletins about news relevent to the older population, acts as a lobby group to advance their interests, promotes community involvement by its members, and offers its members a wide range of products and services such as health insurance. The AARP was founded in 1958 by retired high school principal Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. The AARP grew out of the National Retired Teachers Association, which Dr. Andrus had established in 1947 to promote her philosophy of productive aging and to offer health insurance to retired teachers. In that era, health insurance was virtually unavailable to older Americans, since few private insurers would accept these high-risk clients and the American government had not yet established Medicare, which was only enacted in 1965. This association of retired teachers grew to offer membership benefits to all retired citizens. It is now a world-wide organization with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland and Washington, D.C., local offices in every state, and over 2,500 local chapters. AARP has 2 affiliated groups. One is the AARP Foundation, which is a charity that runs social programs to help people 50 and older, and also supports AARP Foundation Litigation, a national group focusing on legal issues affecting older Americans. The second is AARP Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of AARP which provides members with products and services such as medical, automobile, home and life insurance, discounts on prescriptions and prescription eyewear, and a travel discount program. Source of Funds AARP receives income from memberships, advertising revenue from its publications, royalty fees from companies providing AARP-endorsed products, and extra fees from member programs. Publications AARP members receive bimonthly the "AARP Magazine" and also the "AARP Bulletin" printed 11 times per year. AARP also publishes "Segunda Juventud", a quarterly Spanish-English newspaper targeting the Hispanic community. The AARP website also offers information on a wide range of topics. AARP also produces "Prime Time Radio", a weekly interview program focusing on the interests of mature people, and the daily "Mature Focus Radio" which has brief discussions on various topics. AARP's Public Policy Institute researches international issues affecting aging and uses the results of these studies to help draft public policy recommendations. The AARP as Lobby Group The AARP has been an effective force in causing the government to become more aware of the interests of the older population. They undertake litigation in cases of age discrimination, pensions, health care, economic security and consumer issues. AARP volunteers often appear before the US congress to testify about the effects of government policies on the elderly. At a local level, the AARP trains volunteers in how to deal with government officials. Though non-partisan, the AARP keeps its members informed on each party's stand on issues affecting older Americans. AARP representatives also participate in international conferences on aging.