My intent is not to get anyone fired. Most of the employees were good to my Mother. My concerns are that aides are allowed to work 16 hour shifts on the weekends. Many work 4 shifts on the weekends and I don't understand how a person can do this and be mentally and physically able to function at their best ability. I believe the laws that allow this must be revised.
Tulsa Nursing Center is always short of help on the weekends and that's when my Mother fell the most. She did not have access to a drink of water, have meals on time, and would not receive care for long periods of time when the alert light was pulled. I spent a great deal of time with Mother during the end of her life and witnessed her feces covered sheets in the floor, with her dentures in them.
At the same time, the aides had thrown her feces covered diaper open in her trash can in the room for all to see and smell. I personally put the bedding in the hamper and disposed of the diaper. When I picked up the bedding, her dentures fell out on the floor. The aides were trying to hurry to get the food trays out. Again, not enough aides on weekends. I complained about this to the director and others and they said the owners would not allow them to hire more people on the weekend. Also, they told Mother to use her diaper to have a bowel movement, it was easier. Mom was a proud, lovely lady and this was so degrading to her. This is so wrong.
Oklahoma periodically reduces medication to see if the patient can function on a lower dosage. My Mother was bipolar and suffered greatly when this was done. I began to realize when this had been done to her . . . her anxiety was unbearable. It took a year to have a note attached to her meds stating that her meds were not to be reduced.
The state is playing with our seniors' well being and causing undue stress on them. When doctors prescibe a certain dosage, it shouldn't be changed. No one at the nursing home realized the cause of Mother's actions until I told them. They thought she was just being difficult. Her nails had dried feces under them at times. I found dried feces on her siderails and cleaned them with antibacterial wipes myself. There was a major roach problem due to constuction.
Mother was legally blind, deaf (lost her hearing aides), and unable to walk alone. She lived there for several years and I didn't move her because the home and people were familiar to her. She knew so many people and it would have been devastating to her well being to move her. I was with her when she passed and all were very respectful and many wept. I feel I need to do something to help those that at left living there and for future patients. Thank you.
