Corporate Care

I feel your pain!! The facility that i work at is managed by an outside firm. they have made so many changes to the interior of the facility when we could have spent that money on the residents. I shudder to think how much they spent on the new paint and wallpaper, which by the way belongs in a funeral parlor. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but as soon as they put up that ugly, overpriced, uneeded funeral home wallpaper, 5 people died! it does get a little disgusting when you know that a good day does not mean everyone is safe, well cared for and happy, but instead that corporate made a buck.

Not only is it paper work.. It is the same paper work over and over again. The same information writen in 50 different places.

I am so p****ed off with working for a corporate company and I've only been there 1 month! The management do not have the residents at heart. Examples of this are:

1) The 'visitors toilet' is homely and immaculately clean, the residents toilet is sterile and marginally clean!

2) If a resident is admitted to hospital - they go alone because there is not enough staff to go with them. In my last home run by nuns, a member of staff always went with residents and if they could not be spared a volunteer who knew the residents was called in.

3) I heard that staff fundraised recently to raise money for a new garden, the recognition went to the company who would not give the money in the first place.

4) Paperwork, paperwork,paperwork. If the company trusted it's nurses, they would not fear litigation as much.

5) The food offered to residents is muck. I would not eat it if I was paid. Usually cold, puddings consist of cheap mousse or tinned fruit, a piece of bread and banana is considered a meal more than twice a week and for a drink residents can have tea, tea or tea!

I am currently seeking employment elsewhere but care homes in Britain seem to prefer to hire agency staff or foreign people.

How can they get by with feeding them that stuff and calling it a meal?!! What kind of dietician do they have?

At least in my facility the food that I've seen them get looks and smells good. They will even have cookouts once in awhile.

Yes, the paperwork is crazy sometimes - and I really wonder if anyone even looks at it. It seems that some of it is just being done to point at and say "here it is".

Thank your governments at all levels-they have the power to stop this garbage! I am currently a med-surg nurse and would love to work in LTC, except for this, and this is why I stay in a hospital environment-too many fears of lawsuits keep most hospitals on their toes. If only someone would sue over one of the residences pi** poor care, maybe it would spur someone into action. To think, try to live a good life, get old, and then be treated like you are less than human--sooooo degrading! Oh well, off my soapbox....

Have you thought about an anonymous call to "Help the Aged" or your local MP? What about the local newspaper?

I worked in a care home while waiting to start my nurse training & it was a well run home. They do exist & with all the new legislation coming out there really should be something that you can do about it.

What do the relatives of the patients think about it? If you get them on side you're on to a winner for sure. As you're aware, elderly care is very much the buzz words in the media over here right now.

I'm not for a minute suggesting you put yourself in jeopardy but there are more subtle ways to go about it.

Thank your governments at all levels-they have the power to stop this garbage! I am currently a med-surg nurse and would love to work in LTC, except for this, and this is why I stay in a hospital environment-too many fears of lawsuits keep most hospitals on their toes. If only someone would sue over one of the residences pi** poor care, maybe it would spur someone into action. To think, try to live a good life, get old, and then be treated like you are less than human--sooooo degrading! Oh well, off

my soapbox....[/quot

Don't ever get off your soapbox, really appreciate someone that is willing to stick up for the elderly.