Marshfield - One of the critical issues facing
organizations that care for elders is the shortage of
qualified labor. Due in part to the well documented lack of
adequate staffing at all levels in many hospitals, nursing
homes and assisted living facilities, many individuals seek
to have additional private care. Organizations that provide
private caregivers to elders in these facilities can offer
individuals and families a solution.
Skilled nursing homes
provide round the clock medical assistance for those who
require extensive care and supervision or rehabilitation.
Despite the fears most people have of “ending up” in nursing
homes, only about 5% of Americans will need skilled nursing
care in their lives. Nursing homes generally have the feel
of a hospital setting and care is administered by medical
personnel. Most residents of nursing homes are there only
temporarily, recovering from surgery or severe illness. They
return to their own residence when they are ready.
Bringing in a companion or caregiver can help an individual
with things the nursing home may not be able to easily
provide. Having a companion in the nursing home or hospital
can help an elder with the little things that can make an
inpatient stay more bearable such as fetching water,
adjusting bedding, companionship while eating and engaging
in activities and coordination with their outside life. In
one instance for example, a caregiver may take a woman who
resides in a nursing home out to church and community
activities twice a week since her family lives far away.
Additionally her caregiver helps her organize her mail and
correspondence. The nursing home welcomes this involvement.
Assisted Living Facilities are different from nursing homes.
Assisted Living Facilities are cropping up across the nation
and according to estimates published by the American Health
Care Association there are approximately 28,000 of these
types of facilities in the United States. Because assisted
living is a form of supportive housing that enables a senior
to maintain a certain degree of independence, many seniors
are opting to relocate to assisted living when they do not
need skilled round-the-clock nursing care. The nature of an
assisted living facility attempts to emphasize independence
and privacy. They usually include the features of private
rooms or apartments with meals, security and some form of
24-hour supervision. Social activities and recreation are
often available. Personal services vary according to the
degree of assistance needed by the resident and the capacity
of the facility to provide that service. That capability
varies widely between facilities. Some can provide a great
deal of service while others are quite limited.
Residents tend to utilize more daily living services the
longer they reside at such a facility. In some cases
residents need or desire additional care and/or help with
daily living beyond the maximum amount of care that the
facility can provide. These may include meal preparation,
medication reminders, help with fall prevention, errands or
personal transportation. Residents may also need help with
activities of daily living such as eating, hygiene
assistance, dressing, housekeeping and laundry services.
Roughly 30 percent of assisted living facility residents do
not need any extra assistance with daily living and are
quite independent. For the remaining 70% private home care
can be brought into their facility either by the resident,
their family member or through referral by facility staff.
All assisted living residents in Massachusetts have the
right to hire additional private care at their discretion.
Residents, in particular those that do not have family
close-by, might also simply desire a caregiver that serves
as a “familiar face” for assistance and
companionship—someone to be there to read to them, talk with
them or share a laugh and a cup of tea. Typically these
caregivers can spend extended periods of time with the
resident in a way facility staff may not.
What should you look for in a private care agency? First
make sure that the organization is owned and administered by
human service professionals. You don’t want to be dealing
with a company that does not have the expertise to
adequately supervise their staff. Secondly be sure they have
employees who are well screened, insured and bonded. Ask for
their licensing information; in Massachusetts all such
agencies must be licensed through the Department of
Occupational Safety. Lastly, get references. It is not only
important to talk with former clients but also to receive
professional references. These individuals will be most
likely to provide comprehensive and accurate information.
My
experience in many of the facilities in our area has been
one of close cooperation and positive working relationships
that benefit the resident and the facility. The facility
coordinator, who can be the Social Worker, Nursing, Wellness
or Resident Life Director typically discusses and shares
facility protocol with any private agency involved with a
resident. Agency contact information as well as specific
caregiver information is obtained, documented and shared
with the facility. This details the responsibility of each
organization and effectively establishes a plan of action
while opening the lines of communication. Above all it is
essential for the facility staff and the private care agency
to recognize they are both working toward the same goal
which is the health, happiness and well being of residents. |
