Want to Improve the Care Provided in Nursing Homes?

Dan Frith

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If you do, there are two very good ways which immediately come to mind.

First, spend time there and not just during the day. Go at night and on the weekends. Watch and Listen! Be an advocate for your loved one. Ask why medications have changed? Ask when was the last time a bandage was changed. Ask what percentage of the meals are being eaten. Get to know the aides who are providing care....learn their names and tell them you appreciate what they are doing.

Second, be informed on the issues and the best way to be informed on the important issues in long term care is to join NCCNHR (National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform). This organization is a gold mine of information and serves as a patient advocate on such issues as:

	Inadequate staffing in nursing homes, particularly all levels of nursing staff
	Poor working conditions, salaries and benefits for long-term care workers
	Maintenance of residents' rights and empowerment of residents
	Support for family members and development of family councils
	Development and support for the long-term care ombudsman program
	Minimizing the use of physical and chemical restraints
	The high cost of poor care, such as pressure sores, dehydration, incontinence, and contracture of residents' muscles
	Accountability to taxpayers for nursing home expenditures and failure to fulfill government contracts