Thirteen Thursday

Thirteen Resident Rights
1. A resident has the right to a dignified existence, self-determination and communication.
2. A resident has the right to exercise his or her rights as a resident of a facility, as a citizen or resident of the United States and the state of Washington.
3. A resident has the right to be free of interference, coercion, discrimination and reprisal in exercising his or her rights.
4. A resident has the right to manage his or her financial affairs.
5. A resident has the right to personal privacy and confidentiality of his or her personal and clinical records.
6. A resident has the right to voice grievances.
7. A resident has the right to prompt efforts by a facility to resolve grievances.
8. A resident has the right to examine the results of the most recent survey or inspection of a facility conducted by federal or state surveyors.
9. A resident has the right to privacy in communications, including sending and prompt receiving of mail that is unopened.
10. A resident has the right to have reasonable access to the use of a telephone where calls can be made without being overheard.
11. A resident has the right to retain and use personal possessions.
12. A resident has the right to be free from physical restraint or chemical restraint.
13. A resident has the right to be free from verbal, sexual, or physical abuse including corporal punishment or involuntary seclusion.
Please visit other 13 Thursday posts.

Why Elders are tagets for abuse

Because July is Washington State Adult Abuse Prevention month I wanted to include posts with information relating to abuse. Elders are targeted because they are more trusting, often live alone, are lonely, less likely to report a crime due to embarrassment or fear, many keep cash and/or valuables in the home and physical limitations.

Exercise should be fun

What a Saturday! We purchased a table tennis set a while back, so today my brother and I played table tennis for two hours. I'm sure I will pay for it tomorrow but what fun. If a person can find an activity they enjoy the exercise is bonus. Losing extra weight and toning up the muscles does a great deal for maintaining balance and keeps the old brain juices flowing.

Fourth of July

My family and I want to wish all of you a happy Fourth of July.  Have fun and be safe.

Meetings the story of my life

Thank goodness for weekends. By the end of last week, I felt like I had been running nonstop all five days. I usually do pretty well at pacing my work load however there are those times when others re-prioritize the agenda. Meeting seem to have taken over everything we do. I counted four impromptu committee meetings last week, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to 21/2 hours and that translated into additional work and altered schedule. I guess I need to quite bellyaching and be glad I have a job that I enjoy, find challenging and rates high on the satisfaction scale.

Intimidation

Abuse can be so subtle. Intimidation is another form of abuse of the elderly. If a resident is told that if they do something they could be discharged, that could be intimidation. The Washington State regulations are very specific in regards to circumstances for which a resident may be discharged. So if you have a loved one who has been told they could be discharged for some behavior, request to see the Washington Administrative Code that states the specific reason a facility may discharge a resident. Also speaking with the state ombudsman, they may be of assistance in such matters.

Today was a good day!

Today was interesting. I was able to visit the lady I had mentioned in an earlier post who doesn't remember talking to me. However today was a good day because she did remember talking to me on the phone and was very delighted I had time to visit with her in person. She talked for an hour and fifty minutes. The power went out for about ten minutes in the facility, just after I arrived to my friend's apartment and staff quickly came around to check on each resident. My friend did not seem surprised that the young girl came to check on her so apparently this is a routine; when the power goes out at anytime residents are checked on. During my visit, three different staff stopped by and my friend knew them all by name. Yes, today was a good day.