It's not independent living........and it's not a nursing home. It's not a secured Alzheimer's facility.........yet it does house some Alzheimer's patients. It's definitely NOT a 'retirement community'..........but some tenants who still drive, live active lives, and manage their own affairs come here for the meals and housekeeping service.
What is it? Why, assisted living, of course!
And as anyone who works in this relatively new field knows, ALF nursing has its own unique challenges. We care for residents with a wide range of conditions and abilities, from the independent 65-year-old retiree who does his or her own thing to the blind 95-year-old diabetic who needs daily glucose monitoring insulin injections. We serve as supervisors, administrators, confessors, staff developers, mentors, companions, receptionists, marketers, counselors, even chief cooks and bottle washers from time to time. And we are guided in our practices by a set of regulations that vary by state, are often muddled and contradictory, and WIDE open to interpretation by state and federal surveyors.
This thread, then, is for us---the bold, the brave, the confused---who go to our "cushy 9-5 desk jobs" every day (any of you fill in as NOC shift med aide lately? I have;) ) and put our careers on the line to assure quality care for each and every resident in our communities. Please feel free to ask for or offer support; share ideas that have (or have NOT) worked in your community; or even just vent!
