Coin nailed it. Cervaise, take the names, dates, incidents, etc. Documentation helps in ass-kicking. I know this from experience. But as already noted, be sure to remove all the off-color words from the final draft. I’m glad you’re not afraid to make waves.
Cervaise, I’ll definitely be thinking of your grandparents and you as well. I can’t imagine (since I have so little family) how painful that must be to go through for everyone involved. Good vibes sent your way.
Not nearly adequate, but… {{{hugs}}} 
I also have to agree with Aries28. She nailed it with this part:
Right after high school I worked at a nursing home. At 18, because I was willing to work hard -and- full time, they immediately, without any training whatsoever, put me on the most difficult shift (7:00 am to 3:00 pm) with two feeding breaks and on the most difficult wing (those that were bedridden, etc.). Then, after work each I day I was expected to attend classes for some kind of certification. It’s been too long, so I don’t remember exactly what all it was for. Sorry.
Anyway, I only lasted a week. The pace and attitude was grueling. We no sooner got everyone up and barely dressed when it had already begun time for lunch. And it seemed like breakfast couldn’t have even started yet! They expected the ‘orderlies’ (or whatever we were called) to also give out medication and make sure it was taken, attend to any necessary facilities, like bathroom stops, do any cleaning and, of course, the getting up and ready required for meals. Add to this the demands of those who point the shit to role downhill and it was unbelievably heartbreaking. I cried myself to sleep every day for the time I was there and it was exactly because we couldn’t give them above sub-standard service or none of them would have gotten any at all.
If you tried to take your time and treat them with dignity and respect, it was a nightmare from your superiors. Not to mention, every second ‘wasted’ left someone else without anything usually. I also saw plenty of assembly line help too. People so hardened by the system and their time there that their actions were beyond inhumane. Gah!! I hate, hate, hated it. So, I can certainly understand your anger and frustration. I have a hard time imagining much worse. But I’m afraid the biggest problem lies with the administrative level (which I’m sure you already know) that only concerns themselves with profits. They sure as hell didn’t give a damn about the patients or those supposed to care for them. I wouldn’t wish that fucking system on my worst enemy.
I’m so very sorry. All the way around. Godspeed.
How horribly awful! It’s a good thing she had people to advocate for her and worry about her - it makes me ill to think of the many elderly people who have no families or no families nearby to make sure they have quality care and pull them out and take care of them if necessary. My grandparents are in a good assisted living facility that takes care of them well, but I know how lucky we and they are that this is the case. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for your grandfather.
Damn, Cervaise, that sucks.
Do like others have suggested and go the Ombudsman route. It works wonders. I used to be a CNA and a couple of times I spoke to the state Ombudsman myself after trying to go through channels to fix problems. Progress can be slow, but it does happen.
Good luck to you and love to your grandparents.
Update: We got the contact info for the ombudsman’s office and will be pursuing that option. Also, it turns out my grandfather was thinking ahead; the day my grandmother went into the hospital, he got a camera and took pictures of the injuries on her face and body. He and my mother have also documented the timeline and associated details for future reference.
I’m a little calmer now. Venting here, and getting support and advice, was a great help. Thanks, everybody.
I’ll update again as events warrant.
Cervaise, I’m glad to hear this and glad the photos were taken as well.
Best of luck in this.
Also, if you know anyone who works for the local ambulance company, we’re the ones that take people to and from these places.
I don’t have any useful advice, unfortunately, but I share your fury. My grandfather was injured in a similar situation, which led, at the very least, to him being in excruciating pain the three days before he passed. For all we know/knew, it could have hastened his passing, as well.
If there is anything at all that I can do, up to and including contributing to legal costs (not that I can contribute much), please, email me.
Good luck, man.
Update: Found out a little while ago that my grandmother died earlier today. No way to know whether the trauma she suffered at the nursing home accelerated her decline, but it certainly couldn’t have fucking helped.
Also had a chance to see the pictures my grandfather took of my grandmother’s injuries on the day. Fuck. If those fuckers have half a clue, they’re gonna take one look at what they did and roll right over.
More to follow as I know things.
Aw, Cervaise, I’m so sorry. What an ordeal.
I just now read this thread for the first time. Christ on a cracker!
I’m sorry for your loss. May your grandmother be at peace.
Cervaise quite sorry to hear about that. Sad conditions indeed, and many condolences on her passing.
It’s a horrible business, that I was in many years ago, and I can’t imagine it’s gotten any better.
Ugh. Sorry, Cervaise.
Damn straight. Nail them to the wall.
- Tamerlane
I’m very sorry for your loss, Cervaise.
Cervaise, I am so sorry for your loss. There’s little words can say at a time like this, but know that I mean everything that I can’t wrap the right words around. May you and your family find some peace.
And do what Phlosphr said – it’s important that this sort of shit be stopped!
My son’s wife is a CNA. She and her long-time best friend got their GEDs and a couple of months in-service training, and sat for the exam. Both are very serious about what they do, and working towards studying for and getting their LPNs, to try to know more about giving decent care. There have been days she came home from work ready to chew nails and spit tacks at the lousy care her seniors at the job were giving the old folks, whom she came to know and care about. (She’s now doing private care for a well-to-do and sharp but physically feeble 84-year-old; she just couldn’t take the stress of trying to do the right thing by the enfeebled people in her care while fighting the bureaucracy at what’s supposed to be the best nursing home in our home town.)
Cervaise I am so sorry for you loss. You loved your Grandmother very much-that comes thru so strongly in your posts.
Fogive me for horning in here. I am a nurse and stories like yours make me mad as hell and frustrated beyond reason. I wish I could say it was rare.
There is no defense for what happened to your loved one–I am not here to defend the actions of the staff.
But, I do know, w/o a doubt, that the staff was most likely poorly trained, understaffed and burnt out.
I work acute care–I wouldn’t touch long term care with a ten foot pole. Those RNs are lucky to have only (only!) 50 pts a person, on average. The RN passes meds and do treatments for the most part in places like this; it is the CNA’s that do the physical care. There are not enough RNs and not enough CNAs. Some are hardened. I would say that most are burnt out and overwhelmed by the needs–too many mouths to feed, too many people to keep clean, too many endless needs, needs, needs.
I am not holding the staff blameless, but the true culprits are those who set up such conditions–the administrators and I wil pit the insurance companies who do not reimburse facilities adequately.
Sadly, it is too late for your grandmother. If such a situation should arise again–ask hard questions like “what is your RN (NOT “nurse”*–specify RN or LPN) to patient/resident ratio?” “What is the policy for bed checks?” “How often are residents toileted?” “How does your bladder training program work–do you have one?” etc. I am not saying that knowing this going in would have made a difference, but it is a way to ascertain the quality of a facility. Typing this, I realize that your family did try to get her into a 'good" place–but there was not room. IMO, equal options should be available–it shouldn’t be that b/c #1 and #2 are full, that you have to settle for substandard care…
In the end, we the public must demand high quality care-- we have done this in other areas, OB for example. As the Boomers age, we as a society, must make elder care just such a hot topic. NHs are so regulated that the paperwork way overshadows the actual care of the pt. I am not sure how to solve this many headed Hydra, I just know that as a health care provider and as a sandwich generation person–things must change.
- reason being that in some states, anyone can call themselves a “nurse”.
I’m very sorry for your loss, Cervaise. My thoughts are with you and your family. Sending bad vibes to worthless piece of shit no-care center.
My condolences, Cervaise.
My condolences as well.