Are assisted living facilities a good option?

 

Recently I came across an article by the New York Times detailing the horrific incident that took place in Hacienda HealthCare an assisted living facility, where a patient gave birth to a baby boy. This after being raped by one of the employees and caretakers in the facility.

According to other accounts of the events, this woman has some movement and isn’t in a complete vegetative state, which for me makes this case even more heinous since the victim can see what was happening but was unable to stop it.

“She was not in a position to give consent to any of this,” Sergeant Thompson said. “This was a helpless victim who was sexually assaulted.”

This woman had been in at this facility since 1992 when she was just 3 years old. According to exam results, her prognosis and chances of discharge are “poor”. This means that she will probably need an assisted living facility for the rest of her life.

This event shook me to my core! As a latina, assisted living facilities are almost taboo in my family. In my culture, we take care of our family no matter how hard or difficult their condition is.

I understand that this might not be an option for everybody so here are my two cents when deciding on an assisted living facility:

  1. Reviews! Make sure you take into consideration reviews from other patients and family members who have had contact with the facility.
  2. Get all the paper: Get in contact with the local health department and make sure you are familiar with all the necessary paperwork for needed to operate this type of facility. When seeking information from facilities make sure to ask to see these papers. In the case stated above, the facility had a Health department rating of “below average” in their latest inspection.
  3. Get involved: as the person in charge of the patient, it is important to stay up to date on everything that is going on in the facility. Make sure that the facility offers a newsletter or a way for you to know how your family member is doing and any and every change in staff or structure.
  4. Explore all options: the facilities are trying to get your business so they might offer many things for it. Make sure you know all the options available before making the decision. Explore in-home treatments, in-home care and all other options available locally.

Relinquishing control of a loved one’s treatment is a scary thing, and these reports, which are rare but not isolated, can make the process even worst. The truth is that there are great facilities out there, but even the best facilities can have bad employees. Make sure that you explore all options and have had a good look at all treatment options for your loved one.

It is important that all facilities have the best staff and all the paperwork done and a transparent and honest company will not hesitate in showing evidence of their hard work and commitment to their patient’s health.

Have you gone through the process of finding an assisted living facility for a loved one? Let me know I would love to hear from you!