Assisted Living Woes in Kentucky

I’ve been taking a few days to recover from something. Not sure what, but hope it’s not COVID. With half the staff being out with it though I wouldn’t be surprised. The coughing is beginning to get me down after two days of non stop coughing. Not my usual kind though. This one is dry and hacking. And it was all started a few months ago when the administrator kept coming to work while ill. Ultimately she was hospitalized and on a respirator with COVID. The staff members began wearing masks but we were still not informed about the danger she put us all in. Since she returned most of the day staff have been out with the disease as well. Not to mention the dozen or so residents, all hospitalized with COVID. Kentucky law actually does mandate that any health care worker with the virus, or any other communicable disease should self quarantine themselves until they are released by a doctor. Around here two weeks is the limit for time off for illness of any kind.

I have been reading over the original guide for COVID prevention by Kentucky Public Health services and apparently they are no longer valid. At least not here. One part says all common area surfaces are to be cleaned and disinfected daily. Give special attention to high-touch surfaces. When they can’t even keep the bathrooms clean how can we trust areas that are not so blatently obvious. And how do we find the one who, well not a pretty way to say it but here goes, the one who poops all over the toilet area, seat, floor, wall, and doesn’t flush ever. I have my own cleaning products and use them constantly to try to keep a sanitary area each time I have to clean hers up as well. Happy to say I’m not that disgusting, but I sure wish someone could find out who is and start some basic potty training with her. I’ve started photographing the area each time, but will spare you the photos. If anyone in charge would only return my call or come to meet me about this…..

My thanks to Vic Crain for the websites he supplied for trying to get in touch with someone in the Kentucky Public Health services, The Health and Human Services division, and the government site where grievances can be filed — maybe. I have attempted to subscribe as an advocate and a resident in one of the facilities but my application was refused. Only the professionals are invited to be part of the action. They have spoken with residents in some of the facilities over the years but from the looks of it nothing was done to address the concerns they uncovered. And yes, they did uncover several concerns during their interviews with residents.

There is more to come, but for now I am going to the store to get a bucket,, scrub brush and cleaning solution to attempt to get some of the ground in dirt out of the carpet in my room. It doesn’t look as if it has ever been cleaned and I’m tired of looking at it. Is it my job to do this? No! One of the reasons I moved to an assisted living building was to be free of mops, brooms and dust cloths. Another one was the freedom from cooking and doing dishes. Guess what? I’m not actually cooking now but am putting my own meals together. The “nutritious” meals we get three of each day kind of lose something in translation. The breakfast I backed away from in the dining room a couple of weeks ago consisted of one slice of bacon and a pop tart. Not exactly my idea of good nutrition.