THAT time of the year
Posted by Kim on April 23rd, 2007 / 
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This isn’t news to me, or to most aides I suspect.
We see it. We experience it. We hear all about it.
WHAT? The PANIC mode our DON and Administrators go into when it’s THAT time of the year. The biggest pony show is often put onto the stage during these times.
THE ANNUAL SURVEY.
Weeks before they expect the inspections, the leaders go crazy. Everything is painted and cleaned and polished to a high voltage shine.
Suddenly the food is much better- it’s hot when it’s supposed to be, or cold when it should be. More food is served; it looks better and smells better and….YES….it even tastes better. The nice table linens come out. The dishes are apt to be prettier. The cook is suddenly more responsive to resident requests for an alternative. The servers show some respect once again. And the aides HEAR about IT when they’re not in the dining rooms right exactly on (cue) time. The dietitians suddenly show up more at meals and actually taste the food, check it’s temp and go through the motions they’re supposed to have been doing all along.
The DON changes too at this time of the year. She or he goes on a witch hunt, scouring through employee records to see who needs to be updated for in services and background checks and all that. She might realize the nursing home hasn’t offered enough education hours so we the aides are forced to attend stupid movie in services by the half dozen for several weeks. Then we’re coached as to what to say IF the dreaded SURVEYORS ask us questions. An innocent and idealistic aide might ask why she can’t just tell them the truth? Lo and beho, the SIN this person just committed. The DON goes further into her self imposed bitchdom with the resident care plans. And the nurses are the next target of the scorn and attacks. Care plans are re-written; aides and nurses and others are asked, no TOLD, to re-sign endless pages of flow sheets and similar stuff.
The residents get the most out of SURVEY EXPECTATION ANXIETY TIME. They get brand new towels and sheets and linens. They have new toothbrushes with their names on them…and shampoo and soap and creams and lotions. Things they haven’t always had all year long. Their rooms are suddenly really well cleaned- rugs are washed, walls are re painted, much needed repairs are done. Windows might even get screens placed in them; AND, the bathrooms! The toilets are fixed so they stop clogging up; the showers magically spray hot water again. And residents have an endless supply of needed items like briefs and wipes and the likes. The scents of the home are just wonderful too, at this time of the year. Air fresheners and flowers and the smell of baking food is abundant in every nook, corner and crevice.
THE BEST PART of THAT time of the year is the increase in STAFFING. Yes. Everyone benefits now. Not only are there enough aides scheduled, often we have too many. SO many that a couple might be sent home or better yet- put to work doing special things like restorative nursing stuff, or activities. The nursing home appears to be a well oiled, well run shop. Enough staff; good food, excellent building and yards; a great activity program…and perfect care plans with well written goals and all signed off by the right people, at the right time, for the right resident.
Yep.
Too bad this isn’t how it works ALL THE TIME.
Now go this article. And consider my rant above. It’s all relative and yes, some nursing homes are NOT like this (or shall we say, some nursing home management teams) BUT many are. Hide the truth when IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR. Cover up those things that are cosmetic and can be altered for a few days. And forget about the rest of the year.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:30 am
LOL Kim this is funny. And so true.
The admin. at my nursing home runs around carrying a bottle of air freshener and sprays behind him, constantly. Everywhere he goes. So much that it makes us all sneeze. And the housekeepers, poor things, have to dust 30 thousand times a day. It is all about looks, for the most part when there expecting a survey. I usually can’t wait for it to be over because the stress is so high it can be cut with a chain saw.
April 26th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Thankfully I work the overnight shift and don’t have to deal with the drama. When the state is my nursing home, 3rd shift gets lots of notes with extra things to do with cleaning and building type things. One thing- when the state is in house we are not allowed to get up our list of residents we usually are assigned to do.
Why is that?
April 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
This about sums it up. The other thing— we’re not allowed to “sit” around at the nurses station…even when we’re there to do our books. And the nurses are not allowed to be there either, even though this is where they do their charting — we use computers too and there aren’t too many to use! Another thing– everyone has to QUIET…not as in NO talking, but toned down talking. As if we yell all the time or something.
We can’t be our usual selves in other words. When the surveyors DO ask to speak to an aide, someone from management is always hovering around, trying to be nonchalant about it…but it’s pretty obvious that they’re just trying to be nosy!
I hate that time of year. It is stressful. It is silly the way management behaves. If they would just relax and stop acting as though they have something to hide. Oh wait…most of them are trying to hide things.
Great post Kim LOL!!
April 26th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
David I imagine they don’t want the state to know that residents are getting OOB in the wee hours- they don’t want to explain this. I’m pretty sure you do this because day shift demands it and…it is helpful. BUT when it comes to resident rights, the state will not accept staffing issues as an excuse. So, when the state is in house, the residents are in bed when they’re supposed to be.
April 26th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
As an administrator, I must admit this was one of the most frustrating and difficult times. The bottom line is, if we do our job everyday we never have to worry about survey. I have preached this for years.
I hate the effect the “running around like fools” mindset has on the staff. It is phoney, obscene, and much of the reason that staff lack respect for management.
Here’s the problem, many corporations believe that there must be a different approach during survey. They lack the understanding that again…if you do what’s right everyday you never have to worry about survey.
I spent 10 years at one facility where I was able to get the management staff to understand this concept. During that time I never had more that 3 deficiencies and went through 3 surveys when I was not in the facility at all!!!
Set a course, communicate it, treat people right, provide great care everyday, and you will never have to worry about survey.
Take this to your administrator…they will think I’m nuts, but it works and I can give you the results to prove it.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:36 am
Thanks for the comment Craig.
So you’re saying that it’s the upper management that sets the tone for the yr round operation…and when the state enters each facility the uppities go nuts huh?? Doesn’t surprise me…those who are furthest away from the actual units are the ones who have less and less CLUE about what’s going on.
As aides, this time of yr is not only phoney and obscene, it’s an insult to us and the residents. We’re not worth doing the right things except for one week out of the year…and even then management treats us like dirt with their own sweaty palms of anxiety, LOL…
May 4th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Hi!
I came across this site via Change of Shift, and I just wanted to thank you for putting your articulate, intelligent, thoughtful selves out there.
This particular post rings verrry true, and is part of the reason I left LTC management several years ago. My frustration with the administrator and the corporate-types around survey time was one of the things that drove me over the edge. That need to put a shiny veneer over some very fundamentally broken stuff was insulting to me and my residents. They deserve good care from well-trained staff, good food, and a clean environment every day.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
[...] the planet, Kim Delaney discusses the miraculous changes appearing at nursing homes because it is THAT time of the year posted at Nursingassistants.net. Why can’t things can’t be like that all the [...]