Many Search Intensely for Improved Care...What will it Take?

We Search Intensely For Ways to Improve Care.....When Will It?

From: The Founder of EA, Paula Mueller

• When we stop repeating the issues repeatedly that are well known and start making

solutions a major part of all conversations.

• When the Healthcare Associations are not able to block any enforcement from going

into new laws, for without consequences, these “enforcement lacking laws” do nothing.

The industry will only endorse laws that give them loopholes from what EA has seen. We cannot seem to get

help from our representatives unless it is approved by the Health Care Association. This

is a major change of direction that needs to happen for anything to change.

• When advocates stop worrying about being “liked” or “not rocking the boat” ...” and

engage good trouble” is what will make change happen! No advocate wantsto attack

anyone and should not, however, a good advocate will pledge to agree to disagree with

things they know are not working as they should. Being silent when you strongly

disagree is not a good path to change.

• When we stop thinking the issues are just with the Health Industry and we take time to

do surveys on the services of our different agencies. We need data on satisfaction of the

afraid to speak up instead of giving it to a resident with possibly an aide helping them fill

it out in fear of possible retaliation for bad reviews. We need surveys from the people

that file the complaints such as resident reps on the Survey Process, and many other

agencies that are supposed to help us, but will not realize this until they are willing to

get feedback from reliable sources, they cannot improve or correct any “cracks in the

sidewalk “within the services offered. This is not to attack; this is to improve and make

better which will lead to quality care.

• The Ombudsman’s saying is to “Expect Excellence in Your Care”, there is no excellence we see and ends up being a big

disappointment. Their saying would be better served to say here to help and mean it!

We must start with what is, not what we wish.

• When we have advocacy groups in every state.

• When we stop allowing those facilities that give the worst care to bring in more

residents when they cannot take care of the ones they have.

• When a family member is never banned from a facility without justification from

unbiased outside witnesses and instead, we find other ways to resolve issues in a more

positive way. Many feel this is how family members are retaliated against for speaking

up or questioning things.

• When we speak up when the industry says to “trust them” when we lost that trust when

we tried to work with them when many of our loved ones were not getting the care, and

the bad actors failed us. Trusting most facilities has not worked. The bad actors

have already eliminated the chance for trust without something being done in good

faith that gives a reason to trust them now.

• When it is not accepted that there is not enough help to take care of residents. When

we realize it for the crisis it is instead of thinking this can take years to just start

correcting. If any facility cannot take decent care of the residents they already have, they

should not be allowed to admit any more residents to the facility. No facility should be

allowed to operate a business that is widely acknowledged to not be able to do what it

is in business to do. In this type of business, when you say you cannot do what you are

supposed to do, human lives suffer, struggle, and even die in ways that should not

happen because facilities are missing a key element to their business in not having enough help.

• Did we forget that the Baby Boomer Population is exploding into aging numbers never

seen before and that we were to prepare for the shortage of healthcare workers or are

we just ignoring this issue ever existed and now is compounded by the current short

staffing that we do not understand?

• Things will change when resident reps and families do not live in fear and/or

retaliation. Family Councils can give the path to improved care sooner than later. We

must push back because if we do not, many of our loved ones die with poor care

involved. Many of us live with regret, we did not push harder. It may stop a bad event.

We do believe and have seen some facilities having the desire to improve care and work with

families and advocates as a team that is a win for all. However, there are too many bad actors

giving the good facilities a bad rap, we need to keep growing the number of good facilities!