Would you put your family member in a LTC facility?

[Cattitude]

What I'm learning about LTC facilities scare me. I know there must be some good ones out there somewhere????

But really, between staffing issues, cheap owners who shortchange on supplies, MD's who don't want to be bothered.

Is there anyone here who would put there family member in a nursing home? I think of the day when my mother will need care. She is ambulatory now but in the next several years may not be.

I have other options but what about people who don't?

Would you do it? I think I would be very nervous to do so. I know there are wonderful nurses and CNA's in LTC. But not enough to do the job safely. What's the solution?

[Vtachy1]

I think the socialization statement is a bunch of hogwash!!!!!!! Truly it really is.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

My dream is for my parents to live to old age, be able to function independently, and remain mentally sharp and lucid. After all, I am their only child, and there would be no other siblings to share the task of caring for them if they were to require constant care.

However, my mom and dad are making lifestyle and financial choices that might cause my dreams about them to never convert to realities. Both parents are heavy smokers, diabetics, HCV+, hypertensive, etc. My mother is also over 100 pounds overweight.

If they wanted to delay and/or reduce the burden of caring for them, they would make some serious lifestyle changes that would lead to better health. My greatest fear is that one of my parents might have a massive stroke at a young age due to their habits. This idea is not too far-fetched, since my paternal grandmother did have a major CVA at age 48 (she died at age 60).

In addition, they have blown through thousands of dollars that could have been used more wisely. My father is 52 years old without a dime of retirement money. He chose to obtain a $60,000 home equity loan for the purchase of a fancy car 5 years ago. A few months ago, he ran up $22,000 in credit card debt and proceeded to obtain yet another home equity loan to bail him out. If he wants or needs private duty care someday, the money will not be there, and I will be unwilling to physically provide it or personally pay for it with my own money. Hence, the idea of a nursing home sounds more appealing.

[Jo Dirt]

I would put my family member in the nursing home where I work now. The care they give is second to none. I know of several I would never put a family member in, though.

[Jo Dirt]

I really think that it's unwise for adult children to take over the nursing care of their elderly, disabled parent(s). You can burn out more quickly doing that, than someone who gets to go home after a shift with them. We must lobby insurance companies that don't provide this coverage, to cover home care 24/7, rather than pay the higher bills for profit making institutional care. Those elderly folks who are able, may benefit more having day care at a well rated place, to socialize (just as preschoolers do). They need more than physical care. That is also better than staying with familoy members day in, day out. :heartbeat

In Tennessee, Medicaid pays way more for 24/7 private duty nurses than they pay nursing homes. This is why the system is shot.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

Well, it depends on which family member we're talking about...(insert evil laugh here).

[Plagueis]

No, I would not put a loved one in a nursing home. My parents and grandparents are deceased, so, in that sense, I don't have to worry about whether to put an older family member in one. However, I know that I don't want to be put in one, so I would never want to put someone I care about in one. While I do hear a few stories about how there are some good LTCs out there, the bad stories seem to significantly overwhelm the good ones. They seem to be related to the fact that many nursing homes are understaffed.

I am a CNA who has between 10 to 15 residents to care for, depending on whether someone calls out. Let me tell anyone who is wondering: even with "only" 10 residents, I am running around, exhausted, during my shift. I rarely get to take the 15-minute breaks that I'm supposed to get. These are also total-care residents, and most require the assistance of another CNA for transfers, and due to the fact that some are physically combative. It is truly tiring to toilet/change 10 residents every 2 hours, plus feed 2 to 4 of them who can't feed themselves, bathe 2 of them, answer call lights, and help other CNAs.

I focus on CNAs, since they are the ones who provide most of the hands-on care in nursing homes. In my experience, it is impossible to many CNAs to care properly because of the high number of residents they have to care for. Let's use mealtime as an example: If a resident cannot feed him or herself, and it takes 30 minutes to feed her, and the CNA has 3 people to feed (I know CNAs who have up to 5 to feed), then she will be spending 90 minutes out of the 8-hour shift just feeding. What about the other 10 residents she may have to care for during that 90 minutes, such as if 2 have to be toileted? There isn't always another CNA around to help out. What about toileting every resident every 2 hours? If it takes, say, 10 minutes to toilet one (and it can take longer if a mechanical lift is required), then the CNA can only do 6 residents in an hour. If a CNA has 12 total-care residents, then that is 2 hours spent toileting everyone. By the time that's done, it's time to take the first resident to the toilet again!

Basically, based on my personal experience, and the horror stories I've heard from other CNAs and in the news, many nursing homes are not that good because of the understaffing, period. Therefore, I don't think I would be taken care of properly if I was put in one.

[nckdl]

I have a couple of comments. First I work in an Alzheimer's unit and I love it dearly. I have noticed that all my patients receive the same care because the nurses and cnas do not know who is on medicaid/medicare or is private pay. Secondly the family members who do not come to visit and do not involve themselves into their loved ones care are the ones who do not think ltc is acceptable and think their loved ones are getting the raw end of the deal. Even the family members who live far away yet call frequently and visit once a year think we are doing a good job. My third comment is that I would keep my family at home as long as i could,but would not hesitate a second to put them in nh if it had to be. I of course would shop around for the best care, which would probably be my nh! I told my children the other day, that if I had alzheimers they better take care of me if they can for awhile at home then take me to an alzheimers unit so I can enjoy the rest of my life with other people my age and like me. If you feel the nh is bad for your loved ones then look for a new one and keep looking if you need to, it doesnt have to be close to you for you to still be a part of them and your loved ones with think more of you if you find them a nh that cares properly for them.