ARTICLES / General /
When A Loved One Needs a Skilled Nursing Facility
by Trish Hughes Kreis
Have patience with the staff
Realize the staff has many, many patients and
are on a schedule to give high quality care to
all of those patients. No day is like any other
because there are always unpredictable
emergencies, but there are meals to give out
every day at particular times; medicine to be
carefully sorted and charted and given to
patients several times a day; showers and
restroom assistance to be given as well as
physical therapy and doctors’ visits to be
scheduled. Have patience if butter didn’t come
with your meal and you’ve politely requested it,
but it hasn’t come when you would have liked.
Have patience with the nurses as they count and
recount the dosage of the medication to be sure
each patient receives the correct medication.
Have patience.
Be involved in your recovery
The administrator reiterates, “The partnership
involves the resident as they need to be receptive
to care as well as staff from the facility.” If you
need physical therapy to improve, don’t resist your
physical therapist. Be involved and be honest with
your therapist. If the pain is too much, maybe the
time of your session can be adjusted to better suit
you. Communicate with your therapist so they can
give you the best care for you and your situation.
Being the Good Visitor
Get to know the caregivers
It is crucial to establish a rapport with the
caregivers. Know who is taking care of your loved
one. Working in a SNF takes a certain caring type of
person and it is not always pleasant work. There are
cranky patients, diapers and beds to be changed and
sometimes, oozing wounds or sores that need to be
carefully handled and managed. This is difficult
work and it does not hurt to thank someone for being
kind or to know them by name. Bringing the
occasional baked goods as a way of thanks doesn’t
hurt either.
When necessary, talk to the caregivers about a
problem. Some are easily resolved, some may need to
wait a short time for the maintenance person to fix.
The administrator stresses “families need to
advocate for their loved one.” The care facilities
expect families to communicate with them about any
perceived problems or issues. To help ensure success
in resolving issues, start with the assumption the
caregivers care about your loved one (they do).
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