Comments on: The Nursing Home Gambit

By: Dianna

Dianna — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:30:37 +0000

I work in a nursing home. I have spent the last 23 years working in nursing homes. I went to school, got my degree in social work, because I love working with the elderly. So to those who responded- “Nobody ever wants to work in a nursing home”, or “kill yourself before you go to a nursing home” needs to re-think the statement. I work in a facility that is kind, caring and loving to our seniors. I work in a facility that is staffed appropiately, so our residents needs are met (call lights answered, residents turned and repositioned etc),and I work in a facility that is 5 stars out of 5 stars on HealthGrades. If you are considering nursing home placement for a family member, you can check out facility scores on http://www.medicare.gov and compare survey scores of individual facilities in your area. There are good teachers, good cops, good physicians, and good nursing homes. There are also poor teacher, bad cops, poor physicians, and very bad nursing homes. To lump all of us together is unfair and wrong. Good luck in the future.

By: Juri

Juri — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:22:20 +0000

Sue those fuckers! Give that case manager a good tongue-lashing and let her know that if she ever comes to Denmark I’ll be happy to give her another one.

I don’t even dare to imagine how the nursing homes will be like 20-30 years from now when it’s time for me to sign in. We’ll probably read about Victorian workhouses and sigh “what a fucking luxury That Oliver Twist lived in!”

By: OMGGMAB

OMGGMAB — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:47:50 +0000

UGH, hear, not here!

By: OMGGMAB

OMGGMAB — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:43:32 +0000

hear, I meant

By: OMGGMAB

OMGGMAB — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:15:15 +0000

Leslie,

YES! I intend to jump into the Grand Canyon. Thelma and Louise style. I hope I maintain the mental where-with-all to make that happen!

Can you here me children?

By: OMGGMAB

OMGGMAB — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:12:43 +0000

Can Max possibly come home with home nursing care???!!! Fight for it. Bring him to an environment where at least his family gives a shit what happens to him if he happens to vomit on himself.

I hate insurance companies. They are like the Catholic church. If it is about money and power, they are all about it. If it is about the poor, sick, or dying, dig yourself a hole a jump in. Let’s sell the Vatican to pay for U.S. healthcare!

By: hammie

hammie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:38:33 +0000

I hate my parents. Send me the link. xx

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:24:11 +0000

When (if) I have children, I will write them out of my will if they send me to a nursing home. At least let me die the way I want.

By: annemarie

annemarie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:12:54 +0000

I plan on dying like an animal. Alone, under a bush. With dignity.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:13:07 +0000

After my dad had mostly recovered from his horrible car accident in June 2000, the doctors advised he needed to stay in a rehabilitation facility for a month for physical and occupational therapy. They gave us a list of facilities that Blue Cross would cover. Many of these “rehabilitation facilities” were nursing homes. I asked my dad’s doctor, a lovely 28 year old man-child, where he would put his father if he were in my shoes. He kindly told me to fight as hard as necessary to keep him in the hospital’s rehabilitation center and not send him to one of the nursing homes. I was shocked at his candor and asked why he felt so strongly about it. He told me that most of the nursing homes listed were dumps, and a place where people go to die, not to be rehabilitated, and he was concerned my father would fall into a depressive state if he had to spend a month in such a location. He had me apply for my dad’s residency to be at the hospital, which I did, but I still needed to find a backup location in case the hospital denied him.

I visited what the doctor reluctantly deemed to be “the best” of the nursing homes on the list. It’s in West Palm Beach, FL, called Darcy Hall of Life Care. I took one step in the place and could not believe what I heard, saw and smelled. Incoherent patients screaming at walls, groaning from their beds, meandering unattended and in disoriented states down hallways in wheelchairs and walkers (no offense, Sister), and the unmistakable smell of urine and fecal matter. I turned and walked right out, crying as I left.

We were lucky and my dad was able to stay at the hospital for his rehabilitation. 9+ years later and he is healthy as can be. Reading your story brought back the most awful memories and I would sooner die than send anyone I even remotely care about to a nursing home in this country. My love and blessings to you and your family, and my staunch promise to wield that blunt object to the back of your head before I let anyone take you to any such place.