Opinion: It's time to improve caregiving at memory-care facilities | February 25, 2022 | Palo Alto Weekly | Palo Alto Online |

Palo Alto Weekly

Spectrum - February 25, 2022

Opinion: It's time to improve caregiving at memory-care facilities

by Barton J. Bernstein

Friday, Feb. 18, was National Caregivers Day, so it seems a propitious time to discuss caregiving. About 5 to 6 million in the U.S. have dementia, and the numbers are growing. Many are cared for at home, but hundreds of thousands are in varied memory-care facilities that range from serving a few residents to well over a hundred.

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Barton J. Bernstein is a Palo Alto resident.

Comments

Posted by Claudette
a resident of Woodside
on Feb 25, 2022 at 10:48 am

Claudette is a registered user.

These observations mirror what I and others have seen in skilled nursing facilities too.......dedicated caregivers who are so underpaid they can no longer live here. They move away or take in-home jobs. Facilities ,no matter how well intended become severely understaffed. Patients suffer.
Thank you for all your work in bringing light to this growing issue.


Posted by Paula
a resident of Community Center
on Feb 26, 2022 at 6:47 am

Paula is a registered user.

Professor Bernstein,

Thank you for this critical data: this article informs us we need to review the resident to staff ratio, staff training, monitoring, medication management, fall and sensor alerts, visiting hours, documentation of events, and oversight. All of these care communities are not monitored by Medicare and or any Federal agencies. The State Department of Social Services and volunteer county long term care Ombudsman programs mediate grievances. At the start of the pandemic, community grass roots groups collected and delivered PPE items to both the 6 person Board and Care Homes, and the large Continuous Care Communities. Our health care, home care agencies, residential care communities, network of professional elder providers in Santa Clara County, did the best we could during the pandemic. We have learned the systems are disconnected in certain ways and need change. The California Master Plan on Aging is trying to address these issues. I will certainly send this article to all of the many contacts in my professional networks. Kind Regards, Professor Bernstein. PW


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