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RESIDENTS' COUNCIL CONCERNS

Resident Council Concerns

CEO holds workers accountable to carry out resident concerns

Community Meetings - One Resident Rep on each neighborhood who attends community meeting and hears each concern presented.

Neighborhood Resident Representative decides whether concern is to be handled on the neighborhood by Nurse Manager/Charge Nurse or goes to Resident Council.

Resident Representative designated for building collects each neighborhood representative concern. It then heads to Resident Council.

Resident Council - hears concern and decides what is to be done. Has CEO support that workers will be accountable to carryout solution to resident concerns.

RESIDENT CONSULTANT

Resident Consultant

 

---A Resident Consultant - is a resident who realizes that staff often time projects what it is like to be a resident and makes decisions, accordingly. A resident consultant is one who actually is or has been a resident and knows he/she can add an experience that brings more of a reality into the mix. He or she affects change by particularly injecting thoughts on what is ‘’focused’’ on in the nursing inservices. [The inservices that directly affect the resident-caregiver relationship.]

 

----A resident consultant has the wherewithal to do this. He/she has a first-hand knowledge of life as a resident and is willing to spend time in this capacity. The consultant would be as much the same as a consultant in a movie being made. They make sure that things are relevant and realistic, hence done more efficiently, to be sure that the caregiver, volunteer and the resident ALL work together, optimally.

 

---The objective of a program like this is to put staff, volunteer and resident more on the same page. If the correct people are involved on all sides…I don’t see how this can be a negative growth issue.

RESIDENT-CENTERED CARE

Resident-Centered Care

 ---I wrote an article about R-C Care about 5 years ago. The main thrust of what I had written was that R-C Care is something that is different in every case. I am NOT speaking of the needed medical treatment that each resident is involved with to treat his case, because frankly I don’t know about that. I’m talking to the resident as an individual that thrives when he gets that kind of personal attention that he needs.

---The necessary care should be hashed out in every case (with his/her care team) to give the individual the kind of care that HE needs. There is NOT a blanket way to treat people, because folks are individual and respond so differently. Now…we have a care team projecting what they think a resident should want to be happy and cannot understand why this isn’t working. The resident becomes excluded from the whole process. The staff ends up making the decisions and leaves out the resident, still. In my opinion, the resident should lead (where warranted) and improving his decision-making skills and abilities be the objective. The resident would go from a self-loathing to self-acceptance, eventually, and be a happier and more well individual.

---It is very budget-centered and was five years ago. Even so, the priority seems to be to create an image that all-is-well when in fact they should be concentrating on improving the well-being of the resident/patients and making the relationship(s) better  between those on the staff and the residents. Then, truly, all would be well. In my estimation, when they get the resident piece correct, which doesn’t seem anytime soon, they will watch other pieces fall into place.

---I don’t blame any one person for it being the way it is. There is a huge gap between the way the staff sees things and the way the resident sees things. The communication has improved a lot in the eight years that I have been living at LHH. But, they are really not committed to make things right. Focus is lost very quickly and there are far too many self-interest agencies to please. The staff is too understaffed at times and the micromanaging is very inconsistent. A staff person once told me in fact that only thing that is consistent about Laguna Honda is the inconsistencies.

---One person tells you, you are doing well, while another is trying to adjust the way you look so you’ll be more presentable. You are told you’re getting fat by your dietician while being fed donuts by your nurse. These are only examples and made to hide identities.

 

 

RESIDENTS' CARE TEAM

Resident Care Team

 

---All residents have a Care Team. It is made up of many people from different fields of training to, basically, deal with the needs and preferences of the resident. Being a resident of Laguna Honda entitles you to this benefit.

---If any resident has a need or preference that is NOT being dealt with, then, we as resident’s have to first be sure that your team knows about it. The best way may be to simply inform someone on your team about the situation. They should either provide what you talk about or give you a satisfactory reason why this situation can NOT be provided. If you are still not satisfied by the explanation, bring your concern to the Community Meeting Representative or Residents' Council.

---You have a scheduled Residents’ Care Conference 4 times per year. This is where the rubber meets the road. The resident, YOU, has a chance to meet with his entire Care Team to let your team know how things are going during your stay in Laguna Honda. Remember, the team exists because of YOU, so, your voice is important and necessary. Nothing should be left unsaid. These are professionals assigned to help you. If something is not right, let them know. They are only as good as let them be. Inform them, ‘’what is what.’’ If you DO NOT INFORM YOUR CARE TEAM, your team MAY fill in the gaps, themselves. Don’t be surprised by what they assume. The bottom line is - INFORM YOUR CARE TEAM.

---Don’t forget:   1] Inform your Care Team 2] Attend your Care Conference every 3 months 3] If the Resident Care Team is NOT doing its job, bring concerns to the Residents’ Council

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(My suggestion is that we have a check-in situation where a member of YOUR CARE TEAM checks-in on a bi-monthly basis to see how things are going with the resident. They have a mini-meeting so to speak to keep the Resident Care Conference an on-going entity. It would also serve to keep the resident on the pulse of what is going on and keep him aware of concerns that he may have for his next meeting.)

 [The different members of your Care Team is on circular graph, for the most part. Take note where YOU are situated. YOU are in the middle and the most important person.]

THE PROBLEM

The Problem

 

---The problem as I see it is one that has this dynamic - He who is the caregiver has no involvement and is not connected to his/her patient. When it happens it is great. And, it does happen. When it doesn’t (which is all too often) the patient stays isolated.

---Most of the patients I live with have very little connection with their caregiver. It seems that they probably had little connection with anyone in their life. If the caregiver doesn’t have as his/her interest…to bridge that gap. They remain as two ships that pass in the night.

---I heard that a hug releases a chemical in the brain that promotes wellbeing and overall feeling of goodwill. Three per day does wonders.

---To be fair we have basically each kind of relationship. there are relationships that resemble love relationships where there is actual caring involved. We, also, have relationships where there is actual disdain for one another.

 

TEST TIME:
 

To Caregiver

1] Do you feel you care for the people you take care of? How do you let them know that?

2] Do you go out of your way to insure your patients’ happiness? Give examples

3] Does patients’ happiness enter into the equation at all? Do you feel you do enough to earn your paycheck?

4] If this was a member of your family, would it make a difference? If your charge was your parent or child or someone you cared for…do you think it would make a difference?

To Patient

1] Are you aware of your caregivers mood and adjust your needs and preferences so as to NOT rock the boat?

2] Do you call your assistant whenever you have a whim or idea that he/she can fulfill

3] Do you establish a routine and try to get the most accomplished of what is really important…on each call?

 

To Caregiver + Patient -

1] Do you see the other as the opposition (us vs. them?) Do you go out of your way to make things difficult?

2] Do you see ways that you or they - could be more efficient.

3] Are you working to make the experience better? Remember-To improve either one of the team…improves the team.