“We love our parents and they’re the reason we’re here. That’s why we care so much, as they age, to make sure they’re properly taken care of. It’s a calling and a privilege, and honour really, when you look at what our parents did for us.”
This statement was shared with me earlier this week from a call on our free helpline. Permission was given to share this story with you.
This week we spoke to a concerned man in Alberta. His mother has Alzheimer’s and her home caregivers, which include a team of nurses, missed a sore developing on her leg that grew and became infected. The standard of care is prevention of bed sores. Their mother spends upwards to 18 hours a day in her bed and so she relies heavily on her medical and home care team to make sure these type of issues do not happen.
Her son called us concerned that having home care that is becoming increasingly inadequate, is no longer an option for this family. Occasionally the nurses miss the mark: They fail to respond to the family when called, days go by, and still no follow-up or answer. Over the past few weeks, the care team was absent due to illness, calling in sick, or not at all. It became so bad, the family had to hire another home care agency.
“We hired a new home care agency. The day they were supposed to start, nobody showed up and when we called this agency, they said that they didn't have the resources to help us. Even though when we met in person, the week they were to start, they were committed to helping us. Therefore we were stuck, either to continue with the original home care that had already let us down or this new one.
We are now placing our parents in a home, though we were promised by all the home care agencies we tried that Mom and Dad would "Never have to go into a home". I am disappointed in the system. A Seniors Home to us feels like a prison. These are people who contributed to the Good of our country and our society and they are treated like complete garbage. What an embarrassment. Our country should be ASHAMED of how our elderly are treated.”
At Compassionate Community Care, we believe in having provisions made for home health care and often prefer it over nursing or long-term care facilities, in order to help the family remain unified and the patient and loved ones connected to the home. Home care also helps place more control in the hands of the individual and the loved ones involved, and protect from other issues, when they arise, in particular, lockdowns and health outbreaks. However, in this scenario, when home care is no longer adequate, unless of course, there are other options and agencies that might work better for this family. The family is located in Coaldale, close to Lethbridge Alberta. If you happen to know of a home care agency with nursing help that has high credibly, reliable staff, and best regard for it’s clients and patient care, we greatly appreciate the referral.
We understand that home care may not always be the best option for a family or realistic with needed 24 hour care. This family has supportive children who deeply care for their parents and are involved with the details and various complexities of care. What about the patients who do not have the same support of their loved ones, or children, or anyone involved enough to care? Or when they don’t notice when the system is failing them?
While I spoke to this man over the phone we agreed, this mother is among one of the fortunate ones, as she has loving concerned children involved. What about those who do not have loving families? Mom and Dad are still together and can help one another, but what about those who are left alone with no one. This is why our Being With, My Story Volunteer Program and Patient Advocacy Program teaches dedicated community members to be involved caring, and compassionate visitors who care for those they meet with. It might just be all they have.
If you know of a home care agency or reputable company in the Lethbridge, Alberta area, we appreciate the kind referral. Thank you in advance.