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Heather 26th Aug 2018 Concierge
Hi, I have loved one in a memory support unit of a highly touted senior living facility. I have seen a lot of shortcomings in the activities program, so I signed up as a volunteer, hoping to make a difference. I have become attached to the other residents there. After 2 days of volunteering, I am ready to quit, as I have been mistreated and the staff is mostly hostile toward me. Today I was visiting my loved one, not as a volunteer, and I witnessed something very disturbing. A resident was enjoying a beautiful late afternoon outside. She uses a walker. Suddenly, out of the blue, the head nurse in charge abruptly insisted she come inside because she was going to tire herself out. The tiny lady meekly resisted. The nurse basically forced her in, walking with one hand/arm in her pants ( I still wonder whether to believe my eyes) and the other arm around the patient's midriff. Mind you, the patient also was using her walker. The nurse said "Its alright- we're going inside" or something to that effect. The patient said "Well, it's not alright with me." I spoke up and said to the nurse, "I don't think she likes that." The nurse loudly replied that no one was going to fall on her shift and she continued handling the resident in the same manner. It was totally unnecessary to put her hand down her pants and her arm around the woman's belly. Should I contact the resident's son? Report her to upper management? Is this considered abuse? How should this be handled? Am I overreacting? Incidentally, this comes after 3 black eyes in one week there. During most shifts the staff do not allow the resident's to stand up. They order them to sit back down when they stand up. This isn't normal is it?
Molly 26th Aug 2018 Activity Professional & Writer
Hey Heather, Thank you for sharing your experience. It is moments like the one you described that blur the lines between the quality of care our residents receive. You were right to speak up, and the resident's in the States have the right (federally mandated!!) to choose their own schedule. The National Consumer Voice http://theconsumervoice.org is a great resource to explain resident rights and how to contact your local ombudsman. We are all working in senior living to support the resident not control them. While the experience of working with unknowledgeable staff members can sometimes be challenging, it is people like YOU we need!!
Sunya 26th Aug 2018 Activity Director
Hi Heather. I am an Activity Director and a CNA at a nursing home with a memory care unit. Everything you wrote shows how unprofessional that staff is on the memory care unit. That do need to be reported to The DON and the Administrator. That is abuse in so many ways. What people forget is the resident’s whether they are in the home or memory unit still have rights. Where is the Activity director in all of this? He or she should have a program in place for the resident’s. It sounds like to me that they are on their own. Please report this and bring awareness to what is happening in there. You are their voice.
Heather 27th Aug 2018 Concierge
Thank you, Molly and Sunya, for your encouragement and advice. Very helpful. The residents are, indeed, very much on their own, especially during the weekends. It is heartbreaking.

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