Minnesota ombudsman Deb Holtz cuts “dehumanizing” stay at nursing home short. As the state ombudsman, Holtz is the top consumer advocate for elderly Minnesotans, but she had never experienced nursing home care first hand until recently.
After Holtz checked into a post-surgical rehab facility recently, originally intending to spend a week, she checked out after just 25 hours and gave local reporter Brad Schrade her story.
She described the experience as “dehumanizing,” largely due to how much patients have to be handled by aides. An example of this is the required skin checks in which the patient needs to be moved around and inspected for any skin damage. Skin checks are important for preventing pressure sores in immobile patients, but since Holtz wasn’t at risk she declined treatment, despite the nurse’s protests. While she knew that she legally was allowed to decline treatment, she wondered what happens to those who don’t fully understand their rights. Holtz said,
If it was that uncomfortable for me and that scary for me, I just kept thinking of the older people that come in and don’t know that they have choices or are already confused and sad or probably depressed they are going there.
Remember, if you or a loved one are in a nursing home, it’s crucial to know your rights. If you believe that a loved one has suffered abuse at a nursing home or other care facility that promise to care for vulnerable adults, take action now and contact the Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm online or
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