Where to go?

When a loved one begins to decline in cognitive and functional abilities, the last thing a family needs is the stress of searching for a trustworthy facility to house and care for them. This process is already tense and taxing enough. “It can be both emotionally draining as well as exhausting,” explained the co-founder of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts. “You’re not looking for long-term care just because you want to…There’s a demand for it; there’s a pressing need.”

Moreover, the increasing number of nursing homes that demonstrate drastic ignorance or uninterest in the well-being of their residents only exacerbates the stress of the situation.

Examples such as the fire at an assisted living facility in Massachusetts, only a few weeks prior, remind us of the blatant negligence that often takes place in such facilities. In this event, 10 residents were killed after a fire broke out at the Gabriel House in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was nearly impossible to save members, as only two staff members were present to care for all 70 residents that night. Families received the call that their family members were in the hospital or had passed away around midnight that night.

The disaster at the Gabriel House is an example of the kind of negligence we should be confident won’t take place in our loved one’s place of residency. In trying to expect the unexpected, families need to be able to count on those running the day-to-day operations of the facility. They should be able to trust that there are enough willing and available nurses and employees ready to help our loved ones at all times. Although the safest way to avoid such disasters is to keep loved ones out of assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, there are times when we have no other choice. In this event, there are various paths you can take to ensure that your most vulnerable family members are in good hands.

First, it’s important to be aware of the differences in care offered at a nursing home versus an assisted living facility: A nursing home is considered more advanced, “skilled care.” Here, nurses should be available at all times, and members are expected to need further assistance when completing activities of daily living.

Assisted living facilities, on the other hand, offer a less advanced level of care where a nurse is not available 24/7. Members are expected to be more self-sufficient here than in nursing facilities. Ultimately, using AARP’s services can help you make an informed decision regarding which is best for your loved one.

It’s also recommended that families begin to discuss the possibility of long-term care solutions as soon as possible to avoid the stress of rushing when the time comes. This way, families have plenty of time to consider all their options and make an informed decision that’s best for them.

When exploring facilities, it’s always a good idea to talk to management to get a sense of the center’s staffing ratios. Staffing ratios are crucial to running a well-functioning facility. In fact, a poor staffing ratio was a major factor in the devastating consequences of the Gabriel House fire. A staffing ratio specifically refers to the number of employees that are available to assist residents in comparison to the number of residents in the facility. Unfortunately, the Gabriel House’s inappropriate 2-to-70 ratio is not very uncommon.

Long-term care facilities are able to allow such dangerous behavior because many local governments don’t require minimum staffing levels in facilities. For example, Massachusetts does not have a minimum staffing level required in assisted living homes, allowing facilities to staff as few employees as possible. This is often the case, as most long-term care facilities are run by profit-driven businessmen who are known to sacrifice the well-being of residents for financial gains. Therefore, it’s crucial that members do their homework and request this information before committing themselves to a facility.

Finally, members are encouraged to ask as many important questions as they can think of. Jennifer Benson, the state director of AARP of Massachusetts, recommends asking yourself when touring the facility, “Is it clean? Are there enough safety precautions as far as handrails? Do they have a disaster or emergency plan?”

One should also always keep in mind the state and local resources that are available to them for support in this process, as you should not have to handle such heavy decisions all on your own. Further, any and all concerns regarding the care of a facility should always be reported, without hesitation, to your local Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. The more concerns that authorities are made aware of, the more facilities are forced to hold resident well-being in the highest regard.

In the end, it’s important to check up on your loved ones often and record any episodes of possible negligence. While there are steps that can be taken to further trust the care of a facility, complete safety can never be guaranteed.