By Jennifer Beach, LSW, MA, C-SWCM
Rose is 90 and lives in a newly renovated assisted living memory care facility. It is beautiful, with all the modern bells and whistles, from heated floors in her bathroom, spacious living quarters overlooking a lovely courtyard, and TV screens so big you feel like you’re in a movie theater. But what’s most important to Rose is getting to the bathroom when needed, and a caregiver who is gentle and doesn’t rush her when getting dressed. Unfortunately, Rose has shared with her close friend that she doesn’t like several of the aides, as they don’t seem to like her, they make her uncomfortable; even fearful. She absolutely will not say anything to anyone about these aides for fear of retaliation.
Fear of speaking up in senior communities or nursing homes is a real problem. Residents frequently believe, if they tell or report about the way an aide interacts—or in many cases, does not interact—with them, there will be repercussions. After all, they are the vulnerable ones needing care and assistance. Once an aide knows a resident has complained about them, they may very likely take it out on them. If a resident thought their treatment was poor prior to voicing a concern, imagine what it will be like after they have said something.
“Fear of retaliation is a pervasive phenomenon that inflicts significant emotional harm on nursing home residents,” says Eilon Caspi, the principal author of the report, “They Make You Pay.” (Research Project 2023 Long Term Care Community Coalition).
The title, “They Make You Pay,” was inspired by a survey report which detailed how residents at a Florida nursing home (Boca Ciega Center) chose not to report or file grievances related to poor care because they feared retaliation by staff. In an interview with the surveyor, a resident said she did not file a grievance “because they get back at you… They are watching even now to see which rooms you go to and listen to what you ask.” According to the resident, staff and administration at this nursing home retaliated by delaying resident care or sabotaging meals.
“They make you pay,” she said. The resident then asked the surveyor to leave and return later because staff were lingering at the door. The report discusses in depth resident fear of retaliation. The hope of the project is to heighten awareness of fear of retaliation and result, bring real changes in policy, practice and enforcement actions.
Speaking up matters. Here are steps we can take to ensure our loved ones are not afraid to speak up:
- There is no perfect place; mistakes and misunderstandings happen. A caring community wants feedback. If the issue or concern is not brought to someone’s attention, it cannot be addressed.
- Document specifics – dates, times and details of concern. Try talking with staff and management; maybe there are simple misunderstandings.
- Request a meeting to talk about concerns with the team.
- As a family member or friend, always introduce yourself to the direct care staff. Know their names, learn about them and take interest in what they do. Being valued for our work is something we all appreciate. Caring for individuals is hard work and often undervalued.
- If problems persist, go through the chain of command, talk to the manager, director and finally the administrator about your concern.
- If things are not addressed internally, move on to external support. Contact the local Ombudsman (this information is required to be posted in all nursing homes). This is a confidential, free service.
- Always be clear, specific, calm and respectful when discussing your concerns. Bring a support person with you if you are uncomfortable addressing grievances alone.
- As a family member or friend, regular visits allow you to observe and monitor how things are done, and the ability to notice changes in your loved one’s mood or concerns.
- Take advantage of the facilities suggestion boxes, resident council meetings and volunteer opportunities to help be a part of the facilities and therefore a part of the solution.
Rose’s concerns about feeling rushed when getting dressed were discussed at a group care conference in a respectful way that Rose was comfortable with. Her friend visited regularly and slowly got to know the staff, which gave her the ability to share some ways for the staff to work best with Rose. Not all situations turn out this well but no matter what, it is important to speak up!
Original Article: https://www.northeastohiothrive.com/blogs/fear-of-speaking-up/