Someone has to stick up for our families.

[Dadshelper]

Well dad has been in a skilled nursing facility since mid-Sept. His needs became more then I could do at home plus juggle my wife and son duties.

I looked at several places and called a bunch. Some places I wouldn't let my dog stay at, sorry... others heck I'd stay there, like a 4-star hotel, of course price is accordingly. In the end I had 2 places I liked and went with one my friend's mom has been in for about a year.

So far the staff has been great, I am there for a bit 3-4 days a week so that probably has something to do with it. Last Thursday evening about 9pm I get a call that dad had a fall and they are sending him to ER. I know I need to be there since dad is very hard to understand. Upon arrival I talk to nurses and the ambulance crew is still there, come to find out an aide dropped dad transferring to bed.

Dad has 3 stitches in middle of his forehead and 2 across bridge of nose where he hit the nightstand, to say the least I am not happy. ER gets CT scan done, it's clear, and stitch him up. Ambulance crew loads him back up for trip back, this is 5 hrs later.

I know in dad's care plan he is to be moved with a hoyer lift or 2 people. I got to nursing home and talked to staff, come to find out a new aide on dad's wing tried moving dad by himself. It's around 2:30am at this point so I make sure dad is in bed and head home telling staff I'll be back 1st thing in the morning to discuss this more with managers.

Bright and early I am there and request a meeting with shift head nurse and manager. After a LONG talk they agree it was an avoidable accident HAD aide followed the care plan. All staff members will be undergoing a training review to check the care plan each shift for residents under their care.

Dad is doing fine now, little sore and looks like he was on the losing end of a bar fight.

Ron

[easterncedar]

FWIW, the wonderfully wise nurse in charge of my sweetheart's care program told me more than once that he would not necessarily be safer from falling in the best nursing home than he was at home with me. Oh, the falling was terrifying, and the image of his bruised face and lumpy head still twists my heart.

[Ratcliffe in reply to easterncedar]

I lost count how many times I got home from work, or the carers arrived to find David in a heap near his chair or in the hallway having tried to go up the stairs. He was stubborn as anything, and determined to keep trying, but it always ended in blood and bruises.

A couple of times he rolled off the loo to the right and smacked his head as I used to try and give him some privacy on the loo and use the time to make the bed or something.

The worst one was the day I got home from work and couldn't open the front door because he was laying behind it in pool of blood having tried to go upstairs and fell down backwards smacking his head on the floor tiles and the door frame. I actually had to push him out of the way with the door before I could get in to help him.

The falls are a nightmare, I used to sit at work waiting for the phone call to say his falls sensor had gone off and the crash team were on their way round.

I think regardless of how much you try and eliminate them, some of the falls will always happen, our loved ones seem to find new ways to fall!

[Heady in reply to Ratcliffe]

Totally understand where you are coming from. Steve was exactly the same, solve one fall hazard and he always found another. PSP just loves floor hugging.

Hope you are doing OK!

Lots of love

Anne

[Ratcliffe in reply to Heady]

Yes, I am doing OK thanks Anne, the OK days are slowly increasing although lots of evenings still end in tears sat alone at Home, but it's the same for all of us in post-PSP.

How are you doing now, you're a few months ahead of me...

[Heady in reply to Ratcliffe]

Not bad, as of this particular moment! Think the searching phase is just about over, waiting to see what replaces it! Least it means I am moving forward. Find I can talk to Steve now, i even feel he replies occassionally, if only to laugh, because I have done something daft!

Lots of love

Anne

[Julieandrog]

Hi

depressing but a horrible fact of psp , rog has been through a stud wall, and cracked the glazed front door with his head, his scarring makes him look like Harry Potter! Bizarrely now they have witnessed how they fall the staff will be more on the ball!

Might be worth seeing if they have an alert mat which will alarm if dad tries to get out of a chair unaided.

Julie

[Spiralsparkle]

Wow carers should not need training to be told to read care plan at each shift. On a positive note though they will no doubt be extra careful now with your Dad. Glad to hear he is doing fine now but how sad he ended up having to go to hospital for someone elses error.

[Katiebow]

Ben just home from a very nice care home after respite. I realise that they are never going to do things the way you do but when it comes to safety procedures preventing falls, that is another matter. I had a scare with double up carers not supporting him properly when on his stand aid , I had to complain to the management that he doesn't need a second broken hip, it seems to have done the job. I'm sure they will be extra vigilant now, I hope he is recovering well.

[Ratcliffe]

A good thing that our care providing company did, after David had a slight oops you fall with the carers here, was to print off a descriptive item from the Internet about PSP and the way they fall. It was printed on bright coloured paper and placed in the front of his care notes folder, so any new carers spotted it straight away....

[41273416a]

I am so sorry to hear of your Dad’s fall. I have PSP, am 71, and no longer am able to work, but I worked in hospitals, most of the time in critical care, and know when in facilities, patients tend to either forget to call for help, or just feel they “don’t need help”. They end up falling. I worked for over 40 years, and only had a patient fall in my first year. I thanked God at the end of my shifts that no one fell.....but it sure could have happened. It happens even at home, and.......It happens to even the best staff! But, There is no excuse for not following the care plan or the rules, especially in providing for patient safety. That is a biggie!! The staff will say “I couldn’t find help, or there was no one available”. The home needs to have more staff available. In the same token, the staff needs to use the extra staff appropriately. It shouldn’t be that it’s break or party time. There is always someone who needs their hair washed or.........to keep the extra staff busy and productive. I have people who come in to give me care, but our money will run out, unless I die first so i’ll end up in a home too. I hope and pray they read and follow my care plan and are adaquatly staffed. Good Luck!!! Love, Mary B.