Summerland Seniors Village Problem

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DaveC
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by DaveC »

metallica wrote:My condolences to the family. Never thought I would add to something like this. A job is a job, regardless of what wage you are paid. Minimum or Maximum. You either like you job or you leave it. To say someone cannot speak out on this abborition of human neglect in a work place is sick. I hope the people responsible will pay for this poor mans neglect. After all he was someones family left in charge of people that were to look after and care for him.



Like it or leave it? *bleep*. It is far too hard to find a job these days to be picky. Employers know it, and they are pushing hard. That includes the government. Simple fact was stated above by Fritz: staff are too scared to lose their jobs to complain. I'm sure if people are unhappy they would like to leave, but when you have rent/mortgage/kids there's too much at stake to just walk away.

I have been in a job I hated, (not a care home fortunately) and I was looking for work every day, but it took 9 months to find a new position. EI won't cut it it for me and for many.

I have absolutely no knowledge of this facility or this person. I do know a bit about some of the faciliites in the area. There are some good and even great facilities. But some are bad. In a place like that you keep your mouth shut, do your job and hope to hell no one dies on your watch. You look for a new job and you get the hell out as soon as you get a chance.

I have heard even the children of the clients tell horror stories of what happens when they complain or question the quality of care. The care gets worse, because their family member is "labelled" as a complainer and treated very badly afterwards.

In my opinion the lack of regulation and oversight is making it worse, not better. The simple fact is, it costs money to care for people who aren't able to care for themselves. Don't pay the full nut and people will suffer, and some will die. i don't care who is running the place: government, for-profit or charity. For-profit operations will always choose the bottom line over care. Every time. They have to, or they won't exist and they know it. Governement or charities just never see the money and don't have the choice to make.
bipdl
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by bipdl »

metallica wrote:To say someone cannot speak out on this abborition of human neglect in a work place is sick.


I spoke out... and promptly got sacked! THAT'S sick!

I was told I was being let go because I "wasn't fitting in" (exact words used).
'Authority' is not a reason.
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DaveC
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by DaveC »

bipdl wrote:
I spoke out... and promptly got sacked! THAT'S sick!

I was told I was being let go because I "wasn't fitting in" (exact words used).



Sorry to hear that. Obviously you make a poor sheep. When I'm elected king, people like you will be protected.
bipdl
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by bipdl »

VOTE FOR DAVE!

If the overfed, overpaid egomaniacs in the Legislature possessed a bit more of Dave's attitude, people like Mr. Bonaldi and so many others would receive the level of care the righteously indignant ones on this thread have come to assume and expect.

TELL THOSE WHO WANT TO GO TO VICTORIA THEY'D BETTER GET THEIR SPENDING PRIORITIES STRAIGHT! Make the sh#t flow UPHILL for once!!

Fancy multi-million dollar buildings don't do any good if they're neither managed, staffed, nor maintained appropriately because of insufficient funding. Quality attention costs money, plain and simple. So, either pay up, or shut up! Can't have it both ways! (Hey, I didn't make the rules of the "Free Market" society we live in, so don't blast me!)

DaveC wrote:Obviously you make a poor sheep.

Thanks Dave... that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!!!
'Authority' is not a reason.
The most universally violated human right is the Right To Be Treated With Dignity.
Pffft, you humans. It's amazing you've made it this far. - Prot
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Queen K
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by Queen K »

I was pondering those opalent independent living building, especially the foyers, and guess what? They aren't built for the generation that grew up with The Dirty Thirties, took vacations in station wagons and packed lunches in lunch boxes.
Now having said that, plenty of seniors flew to Hawaii or Palm Springs every Winter, but didn't reno their house either, or drive their money. They saved for that vacation.

Those things are built for the Boomers. Boomer have to feel good about where mom/dad are living and the first thing that hits the eyeballs is the opalent foyer. It's all about projection and image for our generation. Hence the bank warnings about personal debt loads and the high demand for McMansions with opalent interiors.

Now project that directly on the independent living facility.

I must admit, when reading some of the comments mixing up independent living with "care home" I feel like someone out there is banging their head on the keyboard.

The two are not the same.
They do not deliver the same services.
They imply different legal obligations with the services all printed out. Like I said, watch for what is NOT included.
Independent living is not Assisted Living.
You can make them the same in your head, but that won't change the facts.
As WW3 develops, no one is going to be dissing the "preppers." What have you done?
motorhomebabe
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by motorhomebabe »

So now the latest on castanet is saying Independent/ Assisted living. There is a big difference between the two. Even so a meal check is only commen sense , especially when you take into account the big rents these facilities charge.
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Queen K
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by Queen K »

Yes there is a big difference.

I was contemplating the logistics of meal checking every resident for one missed meal compared to the logistics of checking on someone who has missed them all day to days.

Especially in the size of those complexes obviously built for efficiency in space. But how would a private/for profit outfit run if they needed an employee to start room checking three meals a day?

Not hard to do for the occassional miss, but awful for a long term plan.

As Tony said in his earlier post, inexcusable for so many days missed.
As WW3 develops, no one is going to be dissing the "preppers." What have you done?
juz516
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by juz516 »

I believe there are many more horror stories out there where the elderly and/or young, incapacitated people in the same setting as the elderly. I had a friend that worked in a couple in another town and she was disgusted that some were even denied to go to hospital and/or see a doctor. I am so glad neither of my parents had to go to a "home".
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Darlin06
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by Darlin06 »

I happen to know someone who is currently working at the village so I have a few comments...

When they go for meals, there name is checked off on the list. Sooo, either the person doing the checklist, just checked his name off, or they didn't and the next person in line to sign off on it(office staff), didn't take notice that he hadn't been to meals for a few days...Somewhere one of those people made a mistake.

2nd, he was on the independent side. However, someone earlier in this thread commented on how he should have used his call button....For the independent side, the call button is by the door!! Yes, by the door. And only one! So, while he was dying in his bed, he probably didn't have that energy to get up and use the button.

Also, someone said that there should have been a daily phone call to him from family...If he was perfectly healthy, like my Grandma was when she first moved into a home, then maybe there aren't daily calls...Maybe weekly. Nobody knows how they did that...

I have been told that the lack of care from some of the employees is just outrageous...I can't say for sure, as I am not the one employed there...
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0gopogo
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by 0gopogo »

I go in there every day as I walk someones dog for them.
Most times I run into this middle aged dude wearing scrubs who is always nursing a cup of coffee or helping himself to one. He looks really homely-kinda weird he's always drinkin' coffee when I just happed to walk in. Doesn't he do anything else???? lol

Oh yeah-then there's all the smokers outside on the west side- they look really grumpy, as if they wish they were somewhere else. Were like that all summer too. So it's not just a weather thing where they have to freeze their butts off for a smoke.
Bretbaby
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by Bretbaby »

Darlin06 wrote:I happen to know someone who is currently working at the village so I have a few comments...

When they go for meals, there name is checked off on the list. Sooo, either the person doing the checklist, just checked his name off, or they didn't and the next person in line to sign off on it(office staff), didn't take notice that he hadn't been to meals for a few days...Somewhere one of those people made a mistake.


I don't think you need to say anything more... independent or not.. if there is a checklist, someone needs to follow it.


People are so heartless.
bipdl
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by bipdl »

Interesting developments and drastic changes are afoot at the Summerland Seniors Village.

I see there's a complete transition underway involving major changes to this facility's operation. Most notably; the General Manager's position is vacant, and there are numerous never-before-seen medical professional and technical positions now available and needing to be filled. There are also more Registered Care Aids and support staff being sought (albeit most of these are now "casual only" positions, so you do the math as to how desirable a job that is).

Evidently, there were indeed serious problems and deficiencies with how this place was being operated under the former General Manager on Retirement Concepts Inc.'s behalf.

Perhaps the silver lining to Mr. Bonaldi's regrettable death is that some good will flow from the fact that his tragedy caused a light to be shone on how poorly this place was being operated, a watershed situation which ultimately appears to be leading to significant and substantial improvements for future seniors entering homes such as these.

If the company begins to demonstrate as much dedication to it's employees as it is being required to show it's clientele, Retirement Concepts might actually become a great company to work for.
'Authority' is not a reason.
The most universally violated human right is the Right To Be Treated With Dignity.
Pffft, you humans. It's amazing you've made it this far. - Prot
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Queen K
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by Queen K »

When I saw the size of that place I wondered about the staffing level.

But to all out there, remember this, independent living is exactly that. It's a product offered like any product and you have to know the ins and outs of how it works, and more importantly how it DOES NOT work.

Ie. a lady in her nineties falls in her room. At 9 pm. No one does "rounds" in an independent living situation. Three things are going to happen.

1. If she is part of home support situation, which means a worker comes in who is NOT part of the situation she lives in, as in a health worker, or her privately highered healthcare company worker (Nurses at Home, WeCare, etc.), she will be found at the agreed upon appointed time they had set up. The healthcare worker has a set of protocols to follow when they find someone who has fallen. Nothing is left to chance. The healthcare worker does not try to get someone up.

2. OR, if she is known to go down for breakfast, the home will check on her. Okay, a home will send worker up to see if Mrs. Smith is there. A good check will include: behind the bed, in the bathroom, all walk-in closets and the balcony. Some of these people who don't go downstairs in the AM actually get tray delivery, at an extra cost/day, and the deliverer may find them. I say "may" because unless that person is accustomed to seeing the resident, and then doesn't, AND investigates the entire room, the resident may not be thought of as "in trouble." The bathroom is the number one place people fall, is the tray delivery person going to see that Ms. Smith is not in her usual chair and actually going to open the bathroom door if a light and fan is on? That light and fan may have been on since 3 am folks.

3. OR if she is not known to go down for breakfast, and stays reclused in her room, quite honestly, the answer is who knows when who will find her. Just being honest here. Those who make it a practise to never show up, never get seen but live without daily supervision of Assisted Living 24/7 care, live at a certain level of risk. And pay less accordingly.

I don't know if the RCMP still have volunteers who do this, but one woman I know used to get daily calls at a certain time of day to make voice contact. She had no family so it made sense. I know lots of family members who call mom/dad/uncle etc. daily for voice contact, set up for a pre-determined am time.
Last edited by Queen K on Apr 5th, 2016, 5:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
As WW3 develops, no one is going to be dissing the "preppers." What have you done?
hooterman
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by hooterman »

Hi!

Just wanted to chime in on this topic. One thing that should be mentioned regarding Mr. Bonaldi is that he had three daughters living in the Summerland/Penticton area. I do understand that these people might have jobs and/or families but it makes me wonder why someone did not check on him sooner. I understand the family had phoned him a few times but had not gotten an answer, (maybe assuming him to be "out"?) It wasn't until Mr. Bonaldi's son-in-law went up to check on him and found him in his condition, which he had been in for three days at that point. Now, I do realize that someone (staff) should have realized that if he hadn't come down for a meal, it would have been prudent for someone to go up to his suite and check on him.

However, if I had a parent or relative in a place such as this, I would want to at least phone them once a day (and actually talk to them on the phone, not just leave a message) just to make sure they were still up and around. With regards to Mr. Bonaldi, he had three daughters, at least one son-in-law (and possibly other relatives), couldn't one of them pop in there on their way home from work and actually check on him, face to face, to see that everything was okay.

I realize that many people who live there (or in this type of housing) may not have family close by that can check on them regularly but unfortunately, I get the impression that some (not all) people figure that once their family member/loved one is put in "Independent Living", they don't have to check up on them.

I moved back to S'land in 2010 to look after my aging parents. Mom had some memory loss and was diagnosed with cancer. Dad also had cancer and a heart condition. They both passed away in 2012 but I was able to keep them at home until the very end. (They ended up in Moog and Friends Hospice House in their last days). I never had to deal with putting them in some type of senior's residence as they lived with me at my home, but even though I work, I still kept a very close watch on the day to day stuff. I feel that once person gets into their "Golden Years", even if they are still in reasonably good health, it really pays to have someone keep tabs on them so that if their situation changes, it can be dealt with ASAP i.e. you can act on the change, rather than react to a "surprise".

Long post; hope it makes sense.

P.S. - Kudos to posters Fritzthecat and QueenK - I can tell they definately understand the operations of senior's type residences and the issues that can arise. Their posts are well worth reading as they obviously know what they are talking about.

Thank you
TeeLS
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Re: Summerland Seniors Village Problem

Post by TeeLS »

I hate it when people suggest that the Bonaldi's daughters are somehow to blame for this incident by "neglecting" to check on their parents. I realize that assisted living and independent living are two very different things, but really, if it were not implied that these people would be at least head counted once in awhile, then what would be the point of them living in a facility at all? If it were still 100% up to the family to "check" on them, then they may as well stay in their own home.
Anyway, the daughters did check on their parent. If they hadn't, their poor father may not have been found for MANY more days.
In my opinion it just goes to show that health care and/or seniors care should not be trusted to a company who is more conerned with their "bottom line" than the welfare and well being of our parents, grandparents, veterans, friends and family.
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