No Respect For The Elderly

An immediate family member recently had surgery and had to do a few days in a rehab facility so that their wounds could be properly cared for and for physical/occupational therapy. This rehab facility was actually a nursing home – and I understand that is often the case. I am gutted after hearing the poor treatment they received. This family member, mind still in tact, was demanded upon reaching the threshold of their room to remove all of their clothes. They still had their coat on, hadn’t fully entered the room and the door was wide open. The two aides stood there and watched as they barked orders to remove the clothing in full. Never explaining why, ignoring the questions asked, they examined the whole body, including between the thighs, but never once looked at the two surgery wound areas. In fact, during their 3 day stay, no one ever took care of the wounds!

It also took 3 hours (after requesting it) to receive pain medication that my family member brought with them to the facility.

At night, an aide came in and started rifling through their toiletries bag asking if there were and “drugs” or “jewelry.” Seriously. At one point a nurse came in the room, gloves already on (so how do we know they are clean?), and proceeded to stick her finger up my family member’s nose without telling them first what the hell they were doing.

Oh, the list goes on and on. Breaks my heart that my loved one went through this and that other elderly folk are being mistreated and taken advantage of. I’ve worked in nursing homes, and there are good people there. Perhaps we medical field workers become numb? Perhaps we assume all have lost their minds once you step foot in a nursing home? Perhaps there’s just a mix of people who care and people who clearly don’t. I don’t know. It is interesting, I was told by that my family member that the weekday staff was much more caring and efficient than the weekend staff.

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