Lets Treat Our Seniors With Dignity
One of the things I always promised to my Mother was that she would never have to live in a seniors residence. Fortunately it was promise I was able to keep. Here in Ontario and I'm sure in a lot of other places, unless you have a lot of money and hire private caregivers, the standard of care is pretty poor. One of the very first things they do is put these poor people in diapers, even if they are not incontinent. The reason for this to save time and money. It takes older people longer to negotiate themselves and their walkers and canes to the loo and generally they need assistance to get there. Diapers are easier.
The problem is this; they do not change them very frequently, in fact the standard is that the diaper has to have a minimum of 2000 ml of liquid to qualify for a change. The new ones come with a little blue strip that shows how much liquid has been absorbed. This is friggin bizarre.
This is not only done in nursing homes, it is also as I discovered pretty standard practice in hospitals with senior patients and they did the very same thing to my Mother over my objections. My Mother was not incontinent prior to her what was to be her last hospital stay. When I asked to have her changed and cleaned up I was told she'd have to wait they were busy. They expected her to eat her meals in that condition.
So George Smitherman, the Minister of Health for Ontario is considering wearing one of these diapers and testing them himself to see how uncomfortable they are. I would suggest that he fill them up with water first and see how easy it is to walk around in one without it falling down. I mean, that becomes a pretty heavy diaper. He is making a mockery of this horrible problem and he's been forced to apologize. Doesn't solve the problem though.
He should be doing a lot more than testing diapers, he should be ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens receive proper care and personal support. No one, absolutely no one in our society should be sitting eating their dinner in a dirty diaper. That's not my Ontario and not my Canada.
A very good friend of mine always tells me that when she gets to be that old, she'll just go play in the traffic. Almost seems preferable to a nursing home somehow...
posted by Rositta @ Thursday, February 28, 2008
16 Comments:
Rositta,
You're absolutely right! Here in Quebec it's the same thing.
My mom who is 86 now is in long-term care...because of all her heart failure's...rheumatoid arthritis...diabetes...I can't take care of her. Every day her meds need to be adjusted and I'm not able to do that.
The minute she went there...they put diapers on her...and it took away her pride and dignity. She doesn't need them...she still can go with her walker...very slowly...to the washroom. They use the diaper as they know that with elders they may sometimes dribble or leak through their clothes and this would give them more work...to change their clothes...so they put diapers on them. Who cares about their pride or dignity? They don't.
All the diaper does..is give my mother a hard time to pull them down...as they cling to the skin and she has arthritis in her hands.
I have fought and argued for my mother and I can't win...unless I have a lot of money...which I don't have... to put her in a more expensive place. I really don't know if that would make a difference.
There would be hell to pay if someone complained that a day-care did not change diapers of their baby...they wouldn't be open for too long....but our elders? Nobody respects them...out of sight..out of mind.
I hear nursing home horror stories in the US. It's really a shame and I wish we had a culture that respected our elderly parents more.
There are some very horrible nursing homes out there. The diaper thing, unless the patient needs it, should not be used. There needs to be respect for the persons autonomy.
The home where my husband's grandmother is, is quite good, it is a public one, but it is in a small town. We are lucky with the care that she receives. There have been a few issues, but mostly, she is well taken care of, and the family makes frequent almost daily visits. Better than when she was at home with her husband, who, did try to take care of her. He would put the diapers on the outside of her pants. . .
I have always told my parents that if there comes a time, they will be welcomed with open arms here. It is not a flighty decision. My husband supports me fully in this. I don't know if I could care for my in laws, but my parents, yes.
I think there should be some kind of grant that allows families to build suites on to their homes for aging parents, and make home care visits more frequent, to ensure the level of care is up to snuff.
What I find sad, is that no matter how old you get, your brain doesn't really age. You are the same person in the core, regardless of dementia etc.. That's my view of the elderly anyhow.
Disgraceful! is all I can say. How undignified, eating your meal wearing wet diapers.
Reading all of this makes me, once again, so darn thankful that I was able to bring my mother home to die. The hospital wanted to put her into a nursing home, but my husband and I, with the help of Hospice, were able to take care of her at home. I can't say enough the folks here at Hospice; they were a godsend.
It is shameful that any senior should suffer like that!
There is a lot of anger out there for the way elderly are treated but unless we all of us write letters to our respective governments things won't change. It's not so much the diapers I objected to rather it is the new super duper absorbent one that holds 4 water bottles full of water before it needs changing therefore reducing labour costs and our Health Ministers cavalier attitude. A diaper with that much water in it would make it a very heavy thing for a frail senior to even walk with...
ROsitta, a blue strip that tells them how much water is in the diaper? That is extremely pitiful. Why do we allow our seniors to be treated in such a way?
Cathy we allow by simply not speaking up enough about the issue. What we maybe forgetting is that as we all age we will all end up the same way unless we have daughters to care for us. Out of sight out of mind seems to be an attitude...
such a pity how they are treated. i hate these health personnel who seem not happy serving their patients. they ought not be in this profession unless they have compassion.
can you imagine being in this uncomfortable situation?
shame on that mayor.
How sad... I'll never get over the fact that elders aren't respect more for their wisdom & contributions.
No one should ever have to have their dignity impaired.
We are so self-involved and lacking in respect. I actually find it quite sickening. I agree with your friend; why not play in the traffic? We think we are a compassionate country, and we judge other nations, but we have much to address.
You know Matty if you fight and argue too much with these people they can actually ban you from visiting your Mother. I just recently found that out and I almost got thrown out of the hospital once myself. Ian, your correct...us boomers are very self-involved but we'd better realize pretty darn quick that we might end up the same way. Me, I have a plan that doesn't involve an old age home. This subject has generated a lot of anger and many letters to the newspapers but by tomorrow it will be old news...
Here in the United States, is the same situation but the only difference is that they try cover it up by saying that there is a difference between minimium staffing and short staffing. And that it should not be used interchangeable. How can two CNA for a 53 patient unit be a minimium requirement and therefore the only way these staff have to go about their duties is to leave this residents in soiled and dirty diapers for hours. It is making it even difficult for the management to deal with constant reports of bed sores which goes against payment because the medicare payment are not being made in fully for services and therfore the only way to keep the facility afloat is to bend the standards at the cost of our senior citizens. I hope someone in congress is reading this because they could afford private care and not majority of these residents.
Rositta,
I agree with most everything that is posted. I personally disagree with the care from daughters statement. I am a male who became a nurse after doing end of life care for my mother and sister in law. They were both incontinent in the end and I worked with my wife to do all of the care. It was actually under my direction since I have EMS backgound. I will not have any family members in a nursing home unless they choose it.
Also being a nurse I have changed alot of adult diapers. I agree that some places use it as a convienience but I can also say that staffing to client ratios make other solutions sometimes impossible. Many times we cannot leave someone on a toilet so we have staff tied up for 30- 45 minutes for one toileting event.
Keep up the good blog and info.
Dave
Dave, being in poopy diapers too long caused my late mothers bladder infection and she died of toxic shock. It's now almost six years. I have a son who has told me he couldn't change a diaper for me. You are rare me thinks.
I may be rare but nothing is out of range for me to help another person. I am very sorry for your loss. I had my sister in law die in my arms. That was a hard day but lead me to know that I needed more trining so I could help others. I guess I just wish that everyone - male and female could realize we all have bodily functions and we need to treat others as we want to be treated.
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