LTC big dogs at the top

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I live near a nursing home that has always had a reputation for having a lot of turn over with employees, and not the most eye appealing decor/environment. I had applied for a job there and also knew of a few people I had worked with in the past at another LTC facility who weren't particulary happy working there. A few days ago, I observed on my way home from work (I got a different job) a looooooong stretch limo with two businessmen, briefcases/bags hung from their shoulders, and a limo driver dressed the part, and another taking pictures of the facility. I guess one should expect those at the top to have such luxuries, after all it is corporate America. But, I just thought of all those employees who work their butts off and also the little old folks who in their final days, spend mega bucks on LTC and in this particular facility, the surroundings are rather drab and depressing. Perhaps this new owner of this LTC facility will make changes, but it sort of doesn't set right with me that there are suits/businessmen being escorted in limos while it would be only a drop in the bucket to make the facility eye appealing and a place the residents would be proud to invite family and guests. I'm just glad I didn't see this limo and driver thing while I was working in LTC.

Climbing down off my soap box now.

You are singing my song!MAYBE if nurses would form a HUGE STRONG NATION wide union(see the CNA-California Nurses Assoc. website) we actually could channel some of those huge profits our way and in turn make LTC facilities be a great place to work and for our patients , enough staff to give the the care they deserve.It is way past time that we got ourselves out of the dungeons.

be careful what you generalize. I'm one of our top administration in a small not for profit home. Lst week some of my staff saw me getting in and out of a limo as I was taken to "jail "for Muscular dystrophy. and then had to recruit donations for bail. Some of my nurses make more than myself , DOn and administrator( also a nurse). Weekly I opurchase things for residents .60% of our population is medicaid , but they still like to have nice things or extra things. Not everyone at the top is evil or just out for money

Key words being "NOT FOR PROFIT". I've noticed things are run quite differently in a NFP organization, than in a For Profit one. VERY different. :scrying:

I'm sure those BIG DOGS will make a grand splash in hell when it's their time to go! I, personally hope they see the face of every person they denied basic care for - surrounding their bed as they lay dying.

I live with this stuff every day. Yesterday, for instance. We have a resident with a Stage 2 pressure wound to his coccyx. He is immobile and is currently on a pressure mattress. I asked if we could keep the mattress for him for a few more days d/t his immobility issues and chronic wound issues. The ADON told me ... "Heck, NO!" It cost us $20 a DAY!" ... $20 a day? And they charge $285 a day just for room and board? That doesn't include the $30 a round charge x Q 2 hrs for the aides, PER RESIDENT. And every incidental charge they can bill. I'm sure it's more for skilled nursing as well.

We hear the same stuff about how "wonderful" we all have it with our Corporate organization. But reality is something else. I've been at this place for a year, and I've called off twice in that year. Once for flu and the second time I had pnuemonia and was in the hospital. I was still just lumped into that same group of people that call off every other weekend consistently, but still have a job.

I honestly think that sometimes we are an armpit of the medical field. We have our fair share of aides that don't want to work. We also have attracted at least 2 that I know of Druggie diverting nurses. PATHETIC! It took this facility more than 5 months to get rid of the first one and it took about a month with the second. I guess their getting better. We do have our good points too. We have some exceptional aides that adore their residents and take very good care of them while they are there. We also have way more wonderful nurses than we have bad ones. I have seen some of the best nurses I have ever worked with at this facility. They do their job, they get it done even with the odds against them. Most of us cannot take a lunch but maybe get in one break in a 13-14 hr. shift. We bring in goodies for our residents and we've gone to our local markets to buy them clothes when they had none. (Our facility wouldn't allow us to give them the clothes. I don't get that one.) And most of us have fallen in love with our people. They really are extended family to me.

Sorry this was so long.

That's criminal!!! :nono: These people should be locked up!:madface: God bless the staff...they are truly angels of mercy!

Ditto, What a shame.:angryfire

I thank my God I am not working in a nursing that not care about resident care!!!!

Specializes in psych, geriatric, foot care.
God willing, I do not want to get old and live in the United States. We are truly a pathetic nation.

I think LTC issues are world wide. I just hope we can improve things before it's our turn or our childrens turns.

Specializes in ICU/ER/Exec..

It's up to the nurses to set standards and stick to them. I've come to see that if it weren't for nurses many patients would be left to rot.

After reading these postings, I have a few thoughts.

For the facility that quit providing hs snacks-in many states there are laws through the dept of health that state how many hours are allowed to pass between when you feed residents which is why we offer hs snacks in the first place. That should be looked into to see if your facility is meeting the state laws by not offerring the hs snacks anymore.

I too, have worked in many facilities where the "big dogs" were business people instead of medical people. In fact, most are. How about this idea? What if, in order to be an administrator, consultant, board member, or owner of a long term care facility, you had to pass certain criteria? What if there were laws stating that in order to be in any of these positions you had to be either an LPN or RN with at least 5 years of LTC experience with good attendance and good references from your superiors? And what if you were not accepted into a health care administration program in college unless you had these references? And what if the government/community/other agency would not let you own or manage a LTC facility unless you had been an LPN/RN who had then met the requirements to get an administrator degree and then been an administrator for 5 years in a LTC facility? And what if, as an owner, administrator, board member, etc. you were not allowed to socialize with the department of health workers (or whoever your governing state board of inspectors are) so that things could be fair between facilities? Basically, what I am saying is, what if you had to prove yourself worthy of being in health care before being in a position to make health care decisions? Wouldn't that make a big difference from what we have now?

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