Monday, February 12, 2007

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Yes I know I'm late blogging today, Monday is always a busy day!
Beauty seems to have got into the habit of waking up and getting straight out of bed, no more lingering.............just up and away.And the first thing that she does is head for the computer and play on CBeebies, usually Charlie and Lola but she has also started to go more off piste and now I find her playing on welsh language sites and older children's BBC sites. she is a star!
I asked Beauty yesterday what her name was and she said, 'I AM ME'. The perfect answer!
She also is getting better at telling the time and the other day she told me that it was 8 o'clock but it was in fact 20 to 12. She has difficulty working out the small and large hands but she is getting there.She is on the computer at the moment, flippy-flapping and giggling and laughing at her games.
The last of my website classes today but a new class will start in two weeks, I also have another Digital Scrap booking class on Thursday before we break up for half term. Beauty also has an in-set(buzzy bee) day on Friday and then the whole of next week off and of course Ariel is going to Florida to visit Beau and Belle on Thursday(lucky moo). Please allow me to comment on your blog Belle, you can adjust the setting so any comments can be sent to your e-mail...........I need to be able to comment on that amazing puppy! He is so cute.
Can you also take photos of your scrap booking and either email the pictures to me or post them on your blog, I am looking forward to seeing them.
I have kept the Llanedeyrn Chemist in business today, I bought a decongestant and an Olbas(thanks for the suggestion, it's brilliant) inhaler for me, Beechams cold cure capsules and an Olbas inhaler for Ariel and later I went to pick up my painkillers. the inhaler really helps.
BIG NEWS
The BBC phoned me today and told me that they wanted me for their panel regarding the elections, so the serious diet starts now, not tomorrow but now. And they want a photograph of me for their website so I have to seriously airbrush a picture of me.

And to the news.
Elderly at risk in nursing homes
link
Elderly people were put at risk in two substandard nursing homes, says the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

A whistleblower, who worked at Laurel Bank home in Halifax, told Panorama of "mental torture" and verbal abuse.The ex-worker said she had seen residents hit with towels, splashed with water and shouted at. One resident said she had been slapped in the face.The homes watchdog says Laurel Bank has improved but plans to shut another home in Halifax, the Haven.


Tariq Malik, whose family run the Haven, declined requests for an interview but said in a statement: "Problems at the Haven are symptomatic of a much wider picture.Many small homes are struggling because they cannot afford to pay good salaries to get the right managers."Mr Malik said funding from local authorities was inadequate but that the company had learned "painful but valuable lessons".The Haven was appealing against closure and it wanted time to bring in a new manager, he said.Mr Malik insisted staff training had been improved, that "improper restraint techniques no longer apply" and that any member of staff accused of abuse was suspended while investigations were carried out.

So what's new?
When I worked as an agency nurse in many of the care of the elderly establishments in South Wales I was shocked to find that much of the work was done by a core of hard working caring staff whilst the rest of the staff did as little as possible. Many of the staff were also very unkind to the residents and did not care about them or their feelings, whilst others were downright nasty to them. To leave a person all night in their own waste to me is abuse and many carers would rather leave their residents all night and only change them and their beds at 6am.
And what happens when you try and tell these carers they are caring enough?
I have seen in the news of carers who have 'reported' qualified nurses for alleged abuse and it has turned out that there was no abuse and the abuse claims had come about because of the qualified nurse trying to make the carers 'care' more. Yes qualified nurses have abused patients and yes carers have also abused patients but as is suggested in the above article, it is
'symptomatic of a much wider picture'.

The whole system of residential and nursing homes needs to be thoroughly investigated and measures implemented to ensure the residents and patients are kept safe and are well cared for.
Would I work in a nursing or residential home again with the system as it is?
Not on your life!
The staff and the residents and the patients are just too vulnerable as the situation stands.

1 comment:

Steve said...

Big congratulations on being selected to be on Beeb's panel - give 'em cold steel, that's what I say!

I agree with you about nursing homes. I worked in one for 7 years - only as a domestic - but I was very aware that although some members of staff were fantastically dedicated there were also far too many who didn't care a tuppence about doing the job properly and, worse, didn't respect the residents at all. It left me with the conviction that I wouldn't ever want to put one of my relatives into a nursing home or be put into one myself.

MISSY

MISSY
BEAUTY

MAMMA BLOGGING ABOUT BEAUTY AND HER SISTERS


An Irish Blessing

(A Blessing from St. Patrick)
May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

May the rains fall soft upon your fields,

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.