Sunday, May 26, 2024

Lessons Learned



Lessons I learned


Shelley has lived at a facility in Houston since 2021. Due to Covid, we had to move her quickly from a wonderful facility in Columbus, TX.

 

The new facility in Westchase, Houston, was under the name, Colonial Oaks. Frontier Corporation bought it and changed the name to The Reserve at Royal Oaks.

 

The Reserve has had wonderful aides there, but management has always been a problem, and directors have come and gone many times.

 

In July, 2023, the Frontier informed all residents the monthly rate was increasing. They gave no warning. As of August, 2023, we were to increase our amount by 63%.  One resident had hers increased by 115%. Most of the residents had to find other facilities. In the contract, residents had to give a 30-day notice. Frontier had no such wording in their contract.

 

We complained to the Ombudsman and to the Texas Department of Human Services. The Ombudsman assigned to the facility was of no help. Human Services assigned us a case number. It took them until October to investigate, but they sided with us. They said the facility was indeed in the wrong and could be subjected to fines.

 

The Reserve at Royal Oaks gave notice to residents and employees in September that they were closing their doors. We suspect this was the plan from the beginning. The building was old and in need of repair. The property is in a prime location for an apartment complex, so management decided to go up on rent to rid themselves of residents. At least, that is how we see it.

 

Due to sudden price increase, one of the caregivers had to move her loved one from the same facility that Shelley was in. She interviewed a lovely place, but when she found out it was owned by Frontier, she left quickly.

 

Frontier has a beautiful online presentation, but I wouldn’t trust them again. Here’s their link. https://frontiermgmt.com/about-us/

 

When placing a loved one in a facility, here are a few suggestions.

 

1.    Investigate the ownership.

 

2.    Is it a corporation? Privately owned?

 

3.    How long have they been in business?

 

4.    Have there been complaints or citations against them?

 

5.    Talk to the family who pays for the services. Any complaints?

 

6.    Read the contract! It won’t be in your favor.


I've included these Texas numbers once before, but here they area again.

 

Helpful Numbers

 

Office of the State Long/Term Care Ombudsman

Texas Department on Aging

P.O. Box 12786

Austin, TX 78711

512-424-6840

Email: www.dad.state.tx.us

 

 

Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Complaint Hotline

1-800-458-9858

www.dads.state.tx.us

 

Texas Department of Protectect and Regulatory Services

Adult Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation Hotline

1-800-252-5400

www.tdrps.state.tx.us

 

Health and Human Services Commission

HHSC

1-800-458-9858

 

facility

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

My Friend Visits Shelley

 

Shelley's Memory Care Facility

Someone once reminded me that I spend so much time taking care of Shelley’s needs that I neglect my other daughters.

This is true, to an extent. One daughter lives nearby, and I see her often. The other daughter lives in Kentucky, so the distance creates a problem. She can’t come here on a regular basis, and I can’t go there much.

I changed that a few weeks ago.

I invited myself to her house for Mother’s Day. She accepted my invitation to come, and I flew to Kentucky. We had a marvelous time. I’m writing about that trip on another blog.  You will find it here.  Gay N. Lewis

My friend, Dee, checked on Shelley while I was away. In fact, she went twice to see Shelley and sent me pictures. 


She told me Shelley’s hair was combed and her clothes matched. This is important to me. She also made sure Shelley ate her lunch. There are times when the aides who feed her grow tired of the job. Supplying food to someone with dementia takes time and patience.

On another day, Dee noticed Shelley was cold and asked for a blanket.

This friend really blessed me by going to see Shelley while I was away. She drove thirty minutes each way to do this. A sacrifice on her part, but I felt at ease knowing Dee would voice an issue for my daughter if one arose.

Of course, my husband went to see Shelley too, but men don’t always see needs. And hubby doesn’t wish to complain about a situation for fear he will make it worse. Dee used diplomacy to bring needs to an aides attention.

I'm thankful for Dee. She is a Good Samaritan. She helps me more than she knows.

~~~

Hints to Help a Caregiver.

1.    1. Offer to go by a facility and give the caregiver a break.

2.    2.  If something seems out of place, point it out. The employees will keep the facility in shape if more people stop by and notice things.

3.    3  Ask questions. They can be a way of expressing diplomacy. For instance, “Is it normal for her not to eat that applesauce?”  "She is cold, is it okay if I get a blanket?"