Know what to expect

I stumbled across this list of the most commonly reported nursing home complaints this morning -- complaints that we should all be aware of in looking for long-term care for ourselves or our loved ones:

1. Insufficient staffing to provide adequate and safe care.
2. Not responding to residents' needs in a timely or humane fashion (toilet, liquids, pain).
3. Staff's unresponsiveness to justified complaints by residents and family members.
4. Fear of retaliation after complaints are registered.
5. Staff's lack of ability to recognize a change in residents' condition or the signs or symptoms leading to serious illness.
6. Staff's lack of skills and knowledge to safely perform medical procedures and lack of ability to understand and follow doctors' orders.
7. Lack of communication between staffing shifts and between nursing staff and physicians, often leading to the discomfort and harm of residents.
8. Unsanitary conditions, breeding infections and illnesses.
9. Insufficient supplies to properly care for residents.
10. Constant loss or theft of clothing, personal items, and valuables.
11. Administrators' and staff's misrepresentation of facts about the actual care given to residents.
12. Intimidation of residents (who are all extremely vulnerable).
13. Medical records that are incomplete, inaccurate, fraudulent or have been destroyed.
14. Bad tasting, poorly prepared, nutritionally deficient food.
15. Insensitive, uncaring, rude, and abusive treatment of helpless residents and a general lack of compassion for all residents.
16. Administrators' and staff's belief that the everyday care level in most nursing homes, which constitutes neglect and abuse, is an acceptable care level.
17. Administrators who abuse the power of their position.

Although such complaints are few and far between at the nursing home where I hang out, I have heard a number of them once or twice over the last 20 years. That's to be expected; I guess I'd be pretty suspicious of a place that every resident loved with the fervor of a Stepford wife.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for a great facility, you'll want to find one that has reduced such complaints to an absolute minimum -- which underscores the importance of doing your homework. 

Medicare offers a handy checklist as well as a searchable database the lets you explore, with a few clicks of the mouse, the quality rankings of facilities in your area. And your state no doubt publishes a ton of information online; just to give you an example, here is Wisconsin's official portal into a wealth of nursing-home data. 

It bears repeating: When touring the facilities on my short list, I would make every attempt to talk with a few residents themselves, and their families, perhaps asking about the items on the list above. And I would ask about each facility's Christian offerings, favoring those with the most robust selection; it's a great indicator of staff members who reflect the love of Christ in every aspect of care.     

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