Time for another installment of...

"As The Assisted Living Facility Turns".  Today is the second Wednesday of the month and that means it is time for the monthly meeting of the resident's council.  Now these meetings are announced a month in advance, published in the monthly activities calendar that is available from the front desk, and posted on the bulletin board that lists all scheduled activities for the entire month.  There's no way anyone has any excuse for missing the meeting.  None at all.

Several people who the President spoke with, within the last week, made mention of their intention to get to this meeting.  One had issues with the food she wanted to address.  One wanted to talk about problems they are having with getting the staff to let them know on which days they will and won't be getting a shower.  Another wanted to address the fact that there is no longer anywhere out in front of the building to just sit and relax, as planters have replaced the space where chairs used to be.

None of those people came to the meeting.  Not one.  There were a few people there, but it was by far the most sparsely populated meeting since I've lived here.  Worse than that, some of the people there were only there because staff members brought them.  They had nothing to say, weren't interested in the proceedings and would have rather been in the activities room watching television.

Before the meeting began one of the residents was talking to another at the back of the room but the President's excellent hearing enabled him to hear this resident posing a very personal question about the President.  So the President said "I heard your question and I'll answer it.  It is none of your business.  Further more if you are rude again, I will politely but firmly ask you to leave."  What he didn't say, but the intent was clear, was that if any further rude things were said, the President was going to get up and wheel that resident out into the lobby and close the doors behind him.

The meeting took nine minutes.  Here is the list of things people had to say.

1.  We should compliment the facility on all it is doing to beautify and improve the physical plant.  And that with them working so hard to make it nicer here, a bad meal now and then shouldn't be a big deal.

2.  One person asked if she would be allowed to leave if too many people were complaining about the food (the fact there was a meeting yesterday with the chef about food was probably the reason there were no food complaints).  That didn't happen.

3.  One resident complained that when they were at a doctor's appointment and were going to be returning too late to attend a normal meal time, the kitchen had said "we're out of food and we're closed" even though they had called before the meal period ended, in order to make sure there was something for them to eat upon their return.  That resident did get fed on that occasion, but the President promised to discuss the matter with the Chef.

4.  One resident complained that the staff no longer wears the laminated name-tags they used to wear under prior ownership, and therefore they don't know who it is they are dealing with.  Again, the President promised to discuss this, with the Facility Director.

Nine minutes.  So is the fact everyone appears to be happy indicative that the President is doing a great job, or that he is doing an awful job and people now feel they won't get a response to their complaints?  Time will tell.