Thoughts on "Life and Death in Assisted Living"?

[EsthyLady]

Hi all, LPN student here, also currently CNA in an ALF. It's no secret of course that LPNs are very likely to work in LTC, including of course ALFs. Wondering if anyone else caught PBS's "Life and Death in Assisted Living" documentary that aired recently: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/life-and-death-in-assisted-living/

I have mixed reactions to it myself. I feel that a lot slides by that wouldn't be allowed in nursing homes. On the other hand, I feel that the families knowingly choose an ALf vs a nursing home for their loved one because they think it is best. Then they are shocked when the residents don't receive the same the same type of continuous care as in a nursing home (which of course has its own down sides). Interested any thoughts/reactions y'all might have had to this. Cheers:unsure:

[Kevin57]

I'm also an LPN student and spent a clinical day in an ALF this past week. Here's my journal entry from that day:

"At (name of ALF redacted). Today was a real eye opener. Wow. What a hot mess that place is. Probably saw a dozen med errors today (possibly more, I quite counting after four) including dropped meds that were picked up and given (several times), meds left with residents to take at their leisure (again, several times), meds signed off as given before they were administered (all the time), meds signed off as given that weren't administered (a couple), no pain assessment/follow up assessment on pain meds, and the pièce de résistance - a cup o' meds left over from yesterday found in the top drawer of the med cart. I lost track of how many times I heard "you didn't see that." It was a great experience for "this is how it shouldn't be done" learning. I'm flabbergasted that this place is even doing business (and wonder how many more are out there doing the same thing or worse). Yikes.

[chrisrn24]

^ While picking up dropped meds is a no-no, there could be reasonable explanations for the other things. Some residents have "self-administer" orders. Perhaps a nurse pulled some meds, got called to an emergency so he/she put the cup in the med cart, came back and repulled the meds.

[Kevin57]

Nope. I was at clinicals observing the med pass. Clients who self-administer don't get meds from the drug cart. I was observing the entire mess directly as it happened, that's why I was repeatedly told "you didn't see that." They knew they were effing up and didn't even care.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I have never worked in an ALF however I have had several fellow Nurses tell me how frustrating it is. I also was looking at a Rehab/LTC/ALF facility for rehab, for my father before be passed away. He was in no way able to care for himself, but this facility kept insisting he would do well in the Assisted Living part even without rehab prior. It is so scary to think about how many other families were convinced to put their loved ones there. Needless to say even though this facility was brand new and beautiful I left ASAP and removed them from my listed of possible places for placement.

[libran1984, ASN, RN]

I have never worked in an ALF however I have had several fellow Nurses tell me how frustrating it is. I also was looking at a Rehab/LTC/ALF facility for rehab for my father before be passed away. He was in no way able to care for himself, but this facility kept insisting he would do well in the Assisted Living part even without rehab prior. It is so scary to think about how many other families were convinced to put their loved ones there. Needless to say even though this facility was brand new and beautiful I left ASAP and removed them from my listed of possible places for placement.[/quote']

That's why so many ALF's are not really ALFs.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

We did have one lose its Medicare/Medicaid certification due to poor patient care. It's still open though.