@healthysenior , @ess77 ~
"Do our best to be patient" - good pun!! Actually, I have been thinking more about the process of choosing a rehab facility since this topic came up, since I know the hearts of my daughter and daughter-in-law who searched for the very best place they could find for my recouperation and therapy. I would not have thought to ask this question, prior to admittance, but it is absolutely essential and should be asked of the facility's ADMINISTRATOR: "What percentage of the staff are actual employees and what percent are 'agency support'?" I'm 79, and I remember how readily a person could assess the levels of preparation in years past. The professional nursing staff wore white dresses, white stockings, white shoes, and a white nurse's cap with stripes, the number of which indicated the amount of training they had earned. Today, almost all the staff are dressed casually with no designation as to their knowledge of the profession, so a visitor who is trying to determine the ratio of professional staff to the patients, might assume a high ratio as they observe people of "authority" coming in and out of rooms with nothing more than a name tag to designate the fact that they aren't themselves patients. A rather scary example for me was when I was told to put NO weight on one foot for several days, and needed to use the restroom. The white board at the entrance to my room, which had directions for the different shifts who would answer a call bell, stated in large letters "Needs 2 persons when walking". The "2" was thickly underlined. But many times only one would answer the call bell and find they couldn't manage me in a standing position because they weren't trained to do that, even if there were two. Being my own healthcare advocate while being immobilized and really out of control of most everything was something I hadn't anticipated, and having to assume that role added a whole new level of stress to what was already the daunting expectation of a good recovery. I'm not explaining this to criticize as much as I am to enlighten so that others may make informed decisions as they make choices for themselves, or for those of their loved ones. In closing here, I'll say, "Take care" and mean that most sincerely ~
Barb