Every year we have the fortunate or unfortunate depending on how you look at it, State Inspectors come to look in every nook, cranny, chart, old records, under the beds, stand over you while you do anything that is remotely connected to caring for the elderly and this year is no different. I have managed to miss this annual inspection a couple of years by taking my vacation just at the right time. However, this year my vacation didn't happen to fall on the dates the inspectors arrived. So with that said they so proudly walked into our facility yesterday.
Most of you know I work in a Long term care facility or better known as a Nursing Home for the elderly. I know that the inspections are necessary to maintain cohesive levels of care in all N.H. and I understand the need to make sure our elderly are well cared for with dignity and respect. To be given kind gentle assistance in any or all levels of needs and that we as the staff are to turn the other cheek when the confused, occasional combative and in general difficult resident dishes out obscenities or lashes with a fist. All this I understand and have dealt with for over 28 years, but what I don't understand is when inspectors stand over you with the authority of a bull dog attitude and question you with every move you make and what some of that has to do with the direct care given to these precious old people. To me it would be obvious to look around themselves with eyes wide open to see if anyone looks unhappy, abused or scared. To check the records to make sure that proper care is being given with an eye mostly on not what is written so much as looking at the individual, or listening to what is said to each resident.
Yes, yes document document document, is the key word and often times it has saved many a person from an awful lawsuit, so that is part of the nursing skill. But it has gotten to the point that one almost has to be a law student or have a PhD in something or other to properly document exactly what, the ever so watchful inspectors want put in the records, which by the way changes every year or six months.
Not to mention you are at the whim of someone either not having a good day or having a really good day, depending on how their( inspector's) life is and where they are at with dealing with whatever they are dealing with. I do think that they are given classes on how to be condescending, ridiculing and at the same time smiling in your face with passive aggressive behavior. All the while making you feel you have just wasted your entire life taking care of the elderly with compassion, concern, care, empathy, sympathy, respect, in awe of what our older generation has to offer not to mention wisdom. There are many more attributes of the older generation that can't be listed here due to lack of space. Speaking of senior citizens I am in that classification of age group so I can say I have seniors best interest at heart, because I am one...
Now with that all said I also know the Bible teaches us to be under the authorities of our government and our government has set up these inspections so that there is control to keep bad things from happening to old folks. I take my hat off to the inspectors and the difficult job they have but I do feel a bit overwhelmed with the controlling nature in the way they do their job... Nuff said.
Romans 13:1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. for there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God.
