Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2023

Good morning everyone.

Hope you all have a nice weekend planned, no boring or least favourite tasks on the agenda...just nice ones only at weekends.

Had a nice visit with my brother yesterday but sadly noticed a few concerns that are not of his doing but, imo ,lack off his care plans being followed.
I came away feeling low and sad....in himself I think he's fine as he doesn't realise that things aren't as good as they should be but I think he's being let down in certain areas of his care, the ones we trust to care for him aren't really doing there best......I think.

Today's weather isn't looking too good as we have yet another weather warning for rain. So the weather will definitely be dictating what does and doesn't get done outside today.......it's a ' go with the rain flow day' I think.

Enjoy your day.

 

Sorry to hear about your brother not receiving the care he deserves @Upsydaisy, nor probably the level of care being paid for. It must be worrying for you.
You hear so many stories like this, there was one on the Welsh news last week, and when I was a social worker (seems like 100 years ago) I could see it with my own eyes.
Sad to say the worst places were the private ones, while the council-owned ones were quite good in comparison.

I'm going out for lunch with a friend (ex-colleague who's kept in touch with me and B over the years) She was a social worker too. She is on her own now, like me, so we meet up occasionally.
Neither of us would do that job again !

Enjoy your week end x x

 

Morning Upsy and Michael and all who follow.

Early start here as Ben the Gardener is coming at 8am and he is always on time. J has gone out to shift cars around. Hopefully the forecasted rain later keeps away. There are two major jobs I need him to do first, the Jacaranda and the Melaleuca which block out Winter sun.

Catch you later. xx

 

Morning Michael and thank you.

He's in a lovely setting but I think staff skimp a bit on their agreed duties, to save on time and I appreciate they are overworked. They know he won't be able to tell us what has and hasn't been carried out due to having zilch memory now.

Social work is so tough, my sister is a social worker and deals mostly with children and young adults.....truly harrowing cases some of which have been prominent ones.

Enjoy your lunch catch up with your friend.xx

 

I could never have done that. I dealt with elderly and disabled people, and that was bad enough.

 

Morning all, thankfully no storms in the NW just plenty of heavy rain….I’ve just put a new waterproof cover over my small greenhouse, when would you start insulating Cordylines ?, I don’t want to loose them again ?
Loving these poems and the cats

Upsydaisy so sorry to hear about your brother, it was the same in hospitals, not enough staff to cover the work, it seems to be the same everywhere apart from the hospice, sending big hugs

 

Morning Flumpy.

It all depends on your temps and the position they are grown in. We never have to bother here, my parents plants never seemed to suffer despite the official cold lows because their garden was sheltered and they grew them directly in the ground and not in pots..

To be on the safe side at this time if year, just get on and bind all their leaves in an upward position and wrap them up ..if in a pot then bubble wrap it. I always err on the side of caution and protect as soon as possible , my cold frames are pretty jammed packed already and we haven't really dipped that low yet let alone seen a frost.

 

Morning all. Not home yet. Today we drive back. Not a far drive to get home, 3 hours. Will be glad to be in my bed tonight.
Anyway, can't help but read @Upsydaisy issues with her brother's care. Working many years as a Social worker/administrator /marketing director/ admissions director, in a nursing home myself. I would say the top things you need to assess when there, is his skin--any red areas because of lack of turning over as they are suppose to, does he smell like he's gotten bathed recently. A full bath is given 3 times a week and the bits the other days. And his weight, should not be loosing, is he eating well, or being feed if that is the necessary thing for him to do. How often is he gotten out of his room, taken to an activity area even if he can't participate, he can watch etc. If he is able to walk, is he walked, encouraged to walk?
Ok, off to make some coffee /breakfast and get packing. its 7AM here. Take care all. Later.

 

Good day
It is raining steadily however the guessers say the clouds will break up later and allow the sun to bring us up to 50f - a nice warm up

When my best friend was in a nursing home, I popped in there at various hours at least 4 times a week just to visit for a short spell and get nosy about how his care was holding up. It was expensive - $11,500 Canadian dollars per month and I made sure that he got well taken care of for his last years. The staff sometimes think they can get away with not doing small things and I would just say, gee, is Bruce stopping you from doing that? Do you want me to take him out for a walk so you can get at it? It usually worked without any bad feelings erupting.

I have been quite busy again and probably will be infrequent with my appearances here and I apologize for that. We're off to a crafting place today to find more alphabet beads in gold for one of the little projects my friends and I will be doing at the end of the month. We'll be making personalized wine glass rings, felt hand warmers and if time, some simple origami ornaments.

Emily wants to buy some supplies too. I have set up a desk for her to use to paint and do other crafting. She's having a good time working with all of the colours. I believe she really likes some of my art and is trying to use the same style with her own twist.

And I had great mail yesterday. I received my favourite and in my opinion, the best hand sewing needles ever produced.


Cheers all

 

Hi redstar.

Thanks for your helpful comments , but they don't really apply to my brother's circumstances.

He's in a 2 bedroomed apartment that he has purchased and WE have drawn up his care plan and pay accordingly for it. Although he has Alzheimer's he is still registered as being fully compos mentis and still has the final say on things and what he feels like he wants help with each day ....if he says no then no it is...by law.

As you are undoubtedly well aware you cannot make or force anyone to participate in any personal care if they don't want to...certainly not be made to have a bath 3 times a week and 'bits' washed on the other days.

With Alzheimer's they are often in a high state of confusion and can get quite confrontational if they feel uncomfortable/ unsure. This behaviour can change from minute to minute, day to day....most days are good but not all.

Although he has been disabled for most of his life this has, to some degree, become a bonus as despite now moving very slowly he can still do things inside his home with a fair amount of independence. He's certainly not bed bound so doesn't required bed turning and doesn't have bed sores.

He has his main meal of the day in the on site restaurant. The lovely chef and his staff provide high quality freshly cooked meals.

We all note the food he has in his store cupboard,fridge and freezer all are restocked by us, although funds are left for the staff to buy emergency food etc if need be. They come in and do his breakfast and supper with the food we have provided.
He has cleaners in twice a week and all bed changing and laundry have been included in his weekly care plans. All in all his lifestyle is pretty good.

He has his own outside space which we have kitted out with patio table and chairs, this opens onto a lovely central courtyard with garden and communal seating areas with the restaurant to one side of it.

Activities are provided everyday but...due to his physical and mental issues he has chosen not to participate in ...and to be honest.....he wouldn't cope . He enjoys tv and his pet . He is almost wheelchair reliant now sadly.

What I witnessed yesterday was not related to any of the above it was a case of specific instructions not be carried out....corners being cut.

The complex he lives on is really lovely.....somewhere I wouldn't mind ending up on. It's not a care/ nursing home but an assisted living establishment. He is the youngest....early 60s most of the older residents are quite abled bodied and have chose to live where they can buy into levels of care as and when they feel they need it.

Thanks for your help though and have a safe homeward journey.

 

Sorry for the unsolicited advice. I should have kept my trap shut as you didn't really say what was not up to snuff.

My apologies.

 

Oh no,no ,no Lori please there is absolutely on apologies needed. I am always up for hearing about and learning from the experiences of other people.

The issue was just way too personal to post about on here unfortunately, I found it too distressing too, I shudder to think what would've happened if we hadn't chosen yesterday to visit...bless him.

 

@Upsydaisy , OK, was going to get into his level of care etc. but you supplied me with that.
We call that also assisted living here/personal care. And within that care level there can be extra $$ attached for certain tasks by staff, but to a certain point before the "facility" says they now have to go into Nursing home Care. And that is laid out at the onset of admission.

I studied for the Nursing home care situation, digesting the 3 inches of regulations, spending a year as an apprentice under a seasoned Nursing home administrator, attending Temple University for 2 years, and then finally sitting for a FOUR hour Federal test, and then after lunch a 2 hour state test to get my License. Passing it I was able to run a nursing home, my license also allowed me to run a personal care home, of which is what I chose to do for a few years.

Back to you @Upsydaisy , so your bottom line with him is "Safety" is he safe, he stays alone for a good percentage of the time, I gather, so still your focus is, is he safe. I know you can't "make" someone do something, but sometime there are areas that need to be persuaded. For instant, if his head is not washed, etc, he can get cradle cap. I hope there is no stove in his place.

I have toyed with getting a part-time job as an ombudsman with the state to investigate complaints in the nursing home industry. Still considering.

Anyway, good luck dear @Upsydaisy .

 

Yes, I am home. unpacking, laundry etc.
Tons of leaves have fallen, I know my task tomorrow to get stated. Yippee.

We leave again on 11/14, and return, 11/28.
Lots to do in 10 days.
Later.

 

Thanks redstar, no all that you mention is fine or taken care of. He is perfectly safe too, no stove.


Good job he has all his sisters looking out for him ...between us we make a formidable team and we have perfected our persuasive techniques too Thankfully one being very much on the ball as she is a Social Worker and has a good background in the care home/ nursing home system.

Thanks for your very kind response, very much appreciated indeed.xx