Inspection Denied - What Next?
As a conscientious caregiver, I make my way to Dad’s memory care unit most days. By showing up, I can give him a once-over, look the staff in the eye as I ask questions and observe the tone of the unit. Great plan - until COVID-19 crops up, abruptly disrupting my pattern of presence and inspection.
Lack of presence makes inspection difficult, but not impossible. There is a workaround. True, senior communities no longer allow families to visit, but they still welcome a wide range of visitors. For example:
Caregivers. Persons hired to sit with or help care for seniors.
Home health professionals. Nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech therapists who work for home health agencies.
Hospice professionals. Various personnel working for hospice companies.
Medical professionals.
Pharmacists.
Social workers.
Either of these professionals could be your eyes and ears during the pandemic. Sitters are probably the easiest to plug in because agencies offer vetted sitters on a short fuse. Alternatively, colleagues in your personal network may know of good sitters and be able to recommend one, bypassing the use of an agency. Depending on your loved one’s circumstances, other health care professionals might be good options.
Golden Nuggets:
Become familiar with the senior facility’s protocol to understand who is deemed an acceptable visitor.
Identify representatives to be your eyes and ears at the facility. Check your contact list and be sure to leverage those of your friends.
Arm your representative with specific issues to observe and document while on site, e.g., get pictures of loved one’s body, pictures of room, insight on the well-being of other residents, notice scars, bruises or bumps on loved one.
Peace of mind is precious. Besides creating chaos and uncertainty throughout society, COVID-19 snuffed out the light at senior communities and elevated the anxiety level of residents and their families. Gaining some insight, even if only a flicker of light, might be worth the effort and cost.
