What are your plans if families cannot visit your residents during the fast-approaching holidays? What will you say to your residents and their families about visiting, enjoying, and celebrating family-time holidays?
A recently released study found a high amount of deaths have occurred among dementia residents that was attributed to “shelter-in-place” orders and residents prevented from seeing their families. The “excess mortality,” the study stated, was directly tied to residents’ “isolation and loneliness.” The rate, compared to previous years, increased 900%. Also reported were increases in resident falls, pulmonary infections, and depression.
A researcher from the University of Pennsylvania gave his perspective: “The loss of interaction and caregiving that residents’ families provide to…residents is significant,” said Jason Karlawish, M.D. “If you think of Alzheimer’s as a disability, family members are almost like a cognitive wheelchair for patients who have lost part of their mind. They (family members) are essential. Social and mental stimulation are among the few tools that can slow the march of dementia.”
Criticism is mounting against city, county, and state governments about opening universities, bowling alleys and malls, but keeping care facilities closed.
Providers are begging for state and federal relief from having to purchase protective personal equipment (PPE) that has skyrocketed in price, up as high as 386%, and a halt to mandatory Covid-19 testing for staff and patients. The testing is costing facilities up to $15,000 a week. Then, in the midst of escalating costs, advocacy groups are pushing to increase minimum wage to healthcare works to a “livable wage” meaning providers should increase wages to staff as much as 15.5% claiming the industry would “greatly benefit.” That increase could be as much as $1.55 more per hour.
Hey, advocacy groups, who ends up paying for that wage hike? Who are you advocating for—the residents, the staff, or providers? (Now you may see why staff opted to remain on unemployment rather than work.)
PPEs, testing, and higher wages hurt the providers and residents. “Someone must pay for all of it.” That someone is the resident, of course.
What is the maximum a resident and his or her family, not willing to pay, but able to pay? With the rising costs…that someone who must pay is the resident.