Healthcare Providers: Listen!
My grandmother got home a little over a week ago after being in the hospital and then rehab. When an employee from the personal care agency that provides her services came to readmit my grandmother I stressed to her to be extra gentle because Cille was still weak. She said she would relay the information to the aide. Less than a week later the aide was transferring Cille from her chair to her wheelchair. In the process my grandmother missed her wheelchair and fell to the floor, scraping and bruising her back and leg. Thankfully, nothing was broken.
When we called the agency to tell the supervisor on my grandmother' state my mother relayed the information that the aide had not locked the wheelchair, the supervisor said the aide felt terrible and was upfront about what happened. My mother kept repeating the wheelchair brakes were not locked. The supervisor kept repeating it was just an accident and the aide felt bad. Mom kept telling her the wheels were not locked. The supervisor finally registered the fact and told mom the aide had not told her that fact. She then later called the aide and the aide admitted she didn't lock the chair. After telling my mom this, she told her she was right to which my mother responded, " I know."
Now, of course I'm going to rant about this. As a caregiver- both "professional" and family I can respect those in the healthcare field. Those jobs are hard, stressful, and you get a lot of flak-from family members and others. I can understand you get tired of complaints. However, even though we're told by healthcare agencies "Let us know if anything is wrong or if you have any concerns ". Ok then we will. So when we do please don't brush off our concerns, make excuses, or tell us if we're not happy you can always go with another agency. Well, there's options for us- we can complain to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or other governing bodies or if we were litigious, sue. But what I and my family and other families want is for healthcare providers to LISTEN and let us know you care and understand. I know families can be pains but we're pains that keep you in business so please don't brush us off.
When we called the agency to tell the supervisor on my grandmother' state my mother relayed the information that the aide had not locked the wheelchair, the supervisor said the aide felt terrible and was upfront about what happened. My mother kept repeating the wheelchair brakes were not locked. The supervisor kept repeating it was just an accident and the aide felt bad. Mom kept telling her the wheels were not locked. The supervisor finally registered the fact and told mom the aide had not told her that fact. She then later called the aide and the aide admitted she didn't lock the chair. After telling my mom this, she told her she was right to which my mother responded, " I know."
Now, of course I'm going to rant about this. As a caregiver- both "professional" and family I can respect those in the healthcare field. Those jobs are hard, stressful, and you get a lot of flak-from family members and others. I can understand you get tired of complaints. However, even though we're told by healthcare agencies "Let us know if anything is wrong or if you have any concerns ". Ok then we will. So when we do please don't brush off our concerns, make excuses, or tell us if we're not happy you can always go with another agency. Well, there's options for us- we can complain to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or other governing bodies or if we were litigious, sue. But what I and my family and other families want is for healthcare providers to LISTEN and let us know you care and understand. I know families can be pains but we're pains that keep you in business so please don't brush us off.
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