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Originally Posted by Fastskiguy
Just a quick update and another couple of questions! We're at the 1 week point in memory care and things are solidly "OK". The staff is good to him, the food is good, and he's making a friend or two as well. Mentally he's improving but physically he's still wheelchair bound and can't do things like move around on the bed by himself, eating, getting to the toilet, etc. It's only 15 minutes from the house so we're able to visit daily and the visits have been refreshingly pleasant....More visiting/less work!!
In this facility there is no "call button", the staff checks on residents periodically and doesn't depend on a resident pressing a call button. The goal is every 2 hours but sometimes it's more like 6-8 (we have the motion activated cameras in the room so we can monitor it). Personally I am happy with his care. He's in pretty good shape as are the rest of the residents.
However, he is NOT happy with the level of care. What he really wants is a call button he can press and then somebody comes running. He's got a lot of wants....TV channel changed, sip of water, adjust the sheets or the angle of the bed, trip to the bathroom, fluff the pillow etc. etc. When he lived with us.....we were doing that kind of stuff at home as a matter of course. Now that he's in a facility, things are different and he goes hours just waiting for somebody to come in and check on him.
Is what he wants possible anywhere? I mean where he can hit a button and somebody comes right away?
Thanks again!!
Joe
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Since your elder is new to the facility, and no longer has full time family care, this is a huge adjustment.
Our Granddaughter in med school, works at 3 facilities (her specialty aging ortho trauma).
At each facility 5-12 patients per hands on employee. Even with 5 patients, if you are engaged with one patient, 4 others would be pushing buttons wanting needs to be taken care of immediately.
5 is doable at a small private facility, but patients can sometimes wait for an hour. Why because you could be in a room for 5 to 40 minutes. (Clean up is time consuming)
One facility has push buttons. A full time non patient caregiver takes request, caregiver grabs request slips as they run by. She honestly thinks her care level is less hands on, with call button then to the stop in each room. Mainly because some patients just want and expect immediate attention sometimes 15 times in an hour.
Sadly what she has found is those who’s family rarely if ever show up, is the patients pushing the buttons constantly. They are lonely usually want that human contact more than needs.
You have found a facility that you are happy with, have a camera in the room in case of emergency, give it some time. Otherwise your best option is spending great deals of time in the room, which doesn’t help in adjusting to a whole new life for you and him. Our experience is button doesn’t get better care, if staff is overwhelmed
Good luck and take a moment for yourself, your wellbeing is very important