A growing shift in elder care
Posted by Patti on January 25th, 2008 / 
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Are we seeing a trend here?
PRESTON, MN — It’s not easy telling an 82-year old woman the place she calls home is closing its doors for good.
But today, that’s exactly what the Good Samaritan Center in Preston is doing.
Not only a tough decision, but unfortunately one that’s becoming more and more common and not just in Preston.
The entire state is seeing this “slow death” of nursing homes, as senior citizens are choosing home care or assisted living over nursing homes.
But for the residents and employees at the Good Samaritan Center, it’s an unexpected shock.
Bernadine Redalen, lives at Good Samaritan says, “I was kind of surprised in a way; I mean, it’s been home for ten years.”
Home is here for Bernadine Redalen – at the Good Samaritan Society in Preston.
Bernadine says, “I’ve met some beautiful friends here; everybody is real good to us.”
But 60 days from now, on March 8, she’ll have to find a new place to call home.
Officials here told Bernadine and 34 other residents Tuesday evening that the center will close its doors for good.
Tom Syverson, Good Samaritan Regional Director say, “It is a very difficult day sharing that a home that a home that people have lived in for many years is no longer going to be here in Preston.”
Here – on Kansas and Winona Street, partly because of financial struggles, but mostly because of a growing shift in elder care.
Tom says, “Seniors have many more choices, which is a good thing – through assisted living and other home and community-based services.”
Are nursing homes on the way out? I must say: I hope so. At least nursing homes as we know them. Other community living situations are better, offer more choice and freedom and have superior outcomes. Maybe the traditional nursing home is indeed on the way out.
January 26th, 2008 at 8:53 am
What a sweet story! Let’s look at some reality. The corporations that own many Nursing Homes in America consistently under staff those Nursing Homes, turning them into very dangerous places for seniors, with resulting State Inspections that consistently turn up tag after tag showing just how dangerous they are. Nursing Homes in America are failing because Corporations that own them are running Nurses and CNA’s into the ground through a lack of Staffing by Acuity of Resident Needs, and then dumping the entire responsibility on those same Nurses and CNA’s. Nurse’s and CNA’s shift from Nursing Home to Nursing Home, looking for something better, and do not find it. CNA’s and Nurses often find themselves with more people to care for than they can possibly humanly provide care for, resulting in healthcare which is substandard, and errors are made endangering residents. THIS is why Nursing Homes are on their way out in America.
Meanwhile, Politicians and Lawmakers continue to refuse to enact laws that will require Staffing by Acuity of Resident Needs. The endless paper-chase that Nursing has become continues to grow as Corporations, Nurses and every other Medical Staff member attempts to cover their legal rear end, and meet the demands of increasingly picky Insurance Companies. The Nursing Home System cannot help but fail in its current form.
Seniors, their Families, Nurses, CNA’s, and the Family Members of every single Medical Person associated with Nursing Homes will continue to suffer as Nursing Homes fail. Corporations that own Nursing Homes continue their reach for money, while ignoring the needs of the Seniors who are residents in these Nursing Homes, all while presenting images of, “Chef Pierre,” flipping omlette’s for breakfast in the morning despite cafeteria food on trays being delivered by harried Nurses and CNA’s who should be NURSING. Corporations make lying statements about, “Putting care of their Residents First,” while Seniors lay in bed in their own excrement with mold in their Foley catheter bags because their are not enough CNA’s and Nurses on the floor.
FAIL, Nursing Homes; Fail…
January 26th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Thanks for the comment Thomas. You bring up great issues- and these are the reasons so many want to see nursing homes fail. Ideally elderly should stay within their own homes or the homes of their grown children (if they have any). One big problem is the rate nursing homes are paid, by both federal and state governments. The rate comes from me, you, and every other tax paying person. Currently the fed pays out over 20 billion dollars to take care of roughly 1.4 million adults who reside in nursing homes. Can we imagine how much more it would cost, US, if there were more people needing care? Are we willing to cough upwards of half our paycheck to cover these costs? I think if people really thought about it, the answer would be NO. Let’s find another way. So we have alternatives popping up all over the US, that cost less, produce better outcomes and make for a happier healthier older adult.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Thank you for the response Heather!
The AARP has noted that for the first time in American history, we about to see a population of Americans that is largely older rather than younger! The, ‘Baby-Boom’ generation has not really even begun to retire in-force, and already America’s Nursing Homes are in this horrid condition. Already there is a shortage of Nurses and dedicated Nursing Assistants who desire to remain Nursing Assistants in our nation.
The needs of the aging population in America cannot be ignored. America is quite willing to spend (B)illions of dollars on defense of these same citizens – the money to care for their daily health must come from somewhere as well. The very level of this crisis that continues to develop daily may require a very restructuring of the American economy itself.
America has developed some long-time habits of relying on Political Figures and the Medical Community as they currently function; great change is needed in order to fulfill the needs of American Citizens. The, “status-quo,” is no longer sufficient. As Albert Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem on the level at which it was created at.”
Whether America reaches for creative solutions to the problems surrounding the Baby-Boom generation, and the millions of American’s with disabilities in our nation or not, you can be assured that these people in our country are not going to go anywhere soon. The problems surrounding the care of these populations, which continue to grow, will not simply, “disappear.”
January 27th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I think one of the ways out of this potential problem is to promote the old fashioned value of keeping loved ones within their homes…taking care of our own. I realize it’s a foreign concept to many, BUT it used to the only way. There weren’t always nursing homes.
Nursing homes are the invention of a generation of people too selfish (that not being a negative thing in all cases) to take care of their own. I feel that when we depend upon government to take care of us, we get what we pay for and deserve. The government cannot handle all the money needed- since WE pay for it all via our taxes. Pouring more money into the system won’t work…pouring money into families so they can bring their loved ones into their homes MIGHT work BUT the industry fights this tooth and nail. Yet the industry rarely puts that money into the hands of the aides or nurses or supplies or anything else. State governments take the money and use it for other programs.
Let’s get nursing homes out of the equation here and then see what options are there….we’de be surprised to see how creative we could be.
January 27th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Patti there are always going to be those elderly who have no family, friends, relatives to take care of them. So I think we will always need nursing homes- maybe not as many, maybe one or two for each state or something like it. Even then those nursing homes should be open, truly giving good care vs. government “approved” care. There is a difference I will say.
This whole culture change concept is great but it’s not catching on fast enough for 99% of nursing homes. Window dressing isn’t enough. Management needs to change and level down a lot…flatten right out, before we’ll see true resident centered change.
January 27th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Yes, but perhaps still there would be other options. I have a woman living with me who is not related to me…she was in a nursing home but her family removed her and placed her with me…it’s working out quite well.
Culture change won’t work until management accepts that it will no longer manage. That the role of managing belongs to everyone, not just a few sitting at desks most the day. Look at how the Eden facilities work. The aides make the day to day decisions; they hire, train, terminate, counsel, one another. Not the so called leaders. The aides order the supplies and cook the meals and wash the clothes, right next to the RESIDENT. Not for the resident. Big difference there.