Need Advice From Medical people on Seniors

by Apostate Kate 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  Apostate Kate

  I am writing a handbook for volunteers that will be volunteering in Senior related areas.

  One will be visiting Seniors in convelescent hospitals and assisted living centers.

  One will be visiting them at home bringing food, supplies, and doing home repairs.

  For those of you who are Seniors yourself can you tell me what your greatest needs have been?

  For those of you who work as nurses or CNA's in these centers can you tell me what you would like to see volunteers do to help?

  Can you tell me what you don't want to see volunteers do?

  For example; I recently learned it is a rule that you give no Senior patient food or water without the permission of their nurse as they may be on a food and water restricted diet.

  Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated! I just initiated a ministry called "Adopt A Senior" and it has gotten great community support so far. I am designing a complete package that any group could use to start this in their town including criminal background check info for applicants.

  Thank you,

  Kate
• 

  garybuss

  I hope you're both an attorney and broke because I'd say you're gonna need one and be the other.
  
  When I hang somebody, guess who's rope I use.
  
  
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  Mulan

  Both of my elderly parents were in assisted living facilities for a few years. I saw a lot that I would suggest as changes. I suggested them at the time, but was ignored because of cost concerns.

  An aide forced my mother to take medications that were not hers. The aide was new and not familiar with the residents and she was mistaken. I reported it to the state, and they did investigate but didn't fire the girl. My mother was 92 and she still has all of her faculties at 94, so she is not demented. In fact she is very well read and highly intelligent, but was not treated as such. The aide forced her to take the wrong prescriptions by saying she would lose her job and that her doctor had just prescribed these things for her. One was an anti seizure mediation and the other was a heart med. Neither are problems my mother had. Within a few minutes they were calling 911 for her and she spent a couple of days in the hospital.

  So................I think the aides should be taught to be absolutely sure of medications, and if the patient balks at taking them, go get help.

  Also, not all elderly are deaf, so don't shout at all of them.

  Not all of them are in dementia, so treat them with respect as another adult. Mom was often treated like a child, which was insulting.

  Both of my parents were very lonely, and I visited several times a week. Don't know what to suggest on that one, but maybe they can visit them more.
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  hambeak

  Mostly it is time spent and running errands for those in assisted living. Reading or writing letters is also appreciated.

  I would recommend a call to the ombudsmens office and have them send you some guidelines.
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  nelly136

  when i used to escort patients to appointments at other hospitals or services the nursing staff or clerical would often talk over their heads and address me instead of the patient to ask simple things like 'name? apointment time?'

  if i took them out anywhere other people would invariably do the same, almost as if they were invisible/incapable of speaking for themselves

  if the patient i was escorting was capable of speaking for themselves i used to redirect the questioner to the patient.
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  crazyblondeb

  You might want to contact your state agency of senior services. There are also legal issues as to what they can't and can do.

  Everyone has already mentioned the obvious that is needed.Letter writing, reading, games,shopping, looking at photos.

  Only licensed people can give out their meds. Anyone can make sure they have all their prescriptions if they are at home.

  Make sure they not only have food in their home, but that they are actually eating.

  If the patients are in facilities, you need to go thru them. Contact their social worker.

  Also, talk to Abandoned, he has done some wonderful articles that have been published about this.

  Let us know how it turns out!!

  shelley
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  exwitless

  I'm a nurse and worked at a nursing home for over 4 years. Volunteers are always needed there. They can help escort patients from their rooms to the activity room; assist with activities, like bingo or music time or whatever. Sometimes patients would just like someone to come sit with them and chat, unhurried and undistracted. Female patients love having their fingernails trimmed and painted. Some patients love having their hair combed for 10-15 minutes (like a scalp massage). Patients who have poor eyesight might enjoy having someone stop by with the newspaper or a magazine and having articles read to them. On a pleasant day, volunteers can take patients outside in their wheelchairs and walk around the premesis, even patients who are semi-vegetative. Of course, most of these things need to be OK'd through the nurses or volunteer coordinator first. There are endless things a volunteer can do at a nursing home that can make a difference in the quality of life for the patients.
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  Apostate Kate

  Thank you everyone! Thank you Hammy for even responding considering all you are going through. You have been deep in my heart all day.{{{{HammyHugs}}}} I am going to contact the Ombudsman and several other agencies to promote the group and receive more information.

  The reason for the research is to help cover legal issues along with common sense. We will be screening every applicant and doing a criminal background check. As a church we have that capability since we do background checks for the children's ministry. Applicants will file forms also with the facility that they will be volunteering at.

  Mulan- I can't believe an aid was even giving meds! That is so wrong. I don't even think that is legal in California, I have seen what you mean about them being treated like children. I was appaled to find them sitting at a table with crayons and childrens coloring books. I was embarrased for them. No one who works there smiles either. One thing I am going to teach my volunteers is to not be effected by the way those around the Seniors treat them. One may start to think that is ok when it is not. One comment that really bothered me on so many levels was when I was being introduced to one of the Seniors on my list. She could not remember the aid and the aid said; "of course you remember me, you are just being a stinker". Then another day a patient could not move her wheelchair out of the way and someone in a high position there said "why are you being like this today, what is wrong with you" ...

  The program is underway. It is called "Adopt a Senior." I have fallen in love with my adoptee. She is blind, wheelchair bound, so very sweet and appreciative. To be a volunteer they must agree to adopt them into their family as if they were beloved family members, visit them at least once a week, and since this is beginning as a faith based ministry, to pray for them daily.

  We have designed a certificate of adoption to be signed by the pastor. Two copies will be made, one for the adopter and one for the adoptee to be hung in their rooms. We're asking for a lifelong commitment but will understand of course if something comes up and assign another volunteer.

  nelly-I have seen that behavior on the part of the staff and it really confounds me. I don't have a psychology degree but do you really need one to learn how to treat Seniors with dignity? This so needs to change!

  Shelly-The other aspect of this ministry will be a home delivery of food, clothes and blankets for Seniors at home. Also home repairs and or referal guides to help them get all the help they are intitled to. I'll be coordinating with the local senior center. I am doing fundraising daily to get the Senior account filled up. Not bringing in as much as I want but not giving up! I get new ideas on who to hit up. Donation are tax deductible so I don't really like taking no for an answer when I know the business has made plenty of money off this local resident for many years.

  Recently my town has had an overnight real estate boom and that caused rent to skyrocket. Now we have Seniors living in their cars! My friend is an RN working for the County and she is feeding me all the info as she gets it on what is going on, she is on the front line so to speak. My mother who lives with me now, she posts here on the forum as "yucca" she is 76, was paying under $350 a month for rent. This year it went up to $700! She would have been up a creek.

  exwitless-I asked my precious adoptee if she could tell the world one thing, what would she want the world to know. She said; "I want them to know that we are very lonely in here. There are many who have nobody to come see them, no one to talk to them, we just need people to come visit, it would mean so much to us." My new friend is a smoker so I take her out to the patio to toke a doobie lol...I'm learning to watch where the feet are at all times and go through the doors backward..I'm going to show her how to use a CD player and get her books on CD. She used to read mysteries, she has been blind about 5 years.

  I am wanting to cover all I can legally so I'm wanting to design a chart with the Seniors name on it, then have the nurse initial all items which are aplicable such as; is this patient on a restrictive diet, can this patient have their nails trimmed (some can't due to diabetes) etc..have them date and sign it and make sure the volunteers have it signed once a month.

  We are working to gather gifts for the Christmas party. My hubby is going to go play Christmas songs with his band for them next Saturday the 16th, the party on the 21st..uuuuhhhhhggggg the activity director is going to dress up like SANTA CLAUS!!!!!!! For goodness sakes!!! Hopefully we can add a little sanity and dignity to it. We being myself and my team of volunteers. I have about 4 just getting started.

  I'm also creating a poster, it is in my head. It has pictures of Seniors around it, and the certificate of adoption in the center with a caption. So I also need pictures of Seniors with written permission to use the picture in a poster that may end up being used and seen by many.

  Well enough for now. I'll post the mission statement tomorrow.

  Thank you all so much. Bookmark this thread if you want and add your thoughts as you think of things.
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  Abandoned

  Good luck in your endeavor. I worked at an Alzheimer's home for two and a half years. Two of those years I was a med care manager and one of those years I was a lead care manager. OK, those are just titles and I worked in the unlicensed side of the field, but I did have hands-on, daily access to those at all different levels of the disease and learned a lot. I've written some articles on the subject and had one published this year in Long Term Care: Interface. The title is Do Visits Matter? I provide an explanation of why I feel visits are important even when those suffering can no longer recognize their loved ones.

  I don't know if what I've done is what you're looking for, but if you want to pick my brain or anything, PM me.
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  Apostate Kate

  That is wonderful! I'd love to read it! You are the kind of people with the hands on experience I need to learn from. Unlicensed or not you have the experience and thus the are in the position to teach others. I want to write descriptions of what my volunteers will eventually face working with Seniors, and why it is still important to maintain those minimum weekly visits even if they don't recognize you.

  I am visiting a dear friend daily who is in the hospital on a ventilator. She can not open her eyes or move as she is heavily sedated. I talk to her about the trivialties of the day, and am reading a story to her. I tell her silly things like hurry and fight to get better or else I'll have to dress her old dog Shadow up as a reindeer and sneek him in to ICU for Christmas. The family is going to pull the plug next week.

  This morning I read the local paper and found two stories in there on this subject. One is a story of a man who found himself in a care facility and described it as a three month nightmare. He turned it into a carreer as loving care provider, I'm going to see if I can contact him. The other article is on Ombudsmen and a a little about them and how to become certified. If my health permits I'm going to do the 36 hour training. Either Ombudsmen is not very effective, or there are not enough of them since conditions are so bad across the country.

  If anyone is interested it is a volunteer position of love, takes 32 hours of training, and they ask for 20 hours a week of volunteer work. 1-866-229-0284