Welcome Once Again to As The Assisted Living Facility Turns
As our latest installment opens, it is a new month which means two things. The monthly meeting of the Resident's Council, and the monthly meeting with the Director of Food Services (aka The Chef).
We had a larger than normal turnout for the meeting of the Resident's Council, probably nothing more than the Patient Care Assistants doing a better job than usual of rounding up residents with nothing else to do for the meeting.
One resident had a complaint that the beds in their room were being made up with the wrong sheets. For whatever reason, the staff is making up their twin-beds with full-size bed sheets by folding those sheets. Sounded a lot to me like having your bed "short-sheeted" something I have experience with thanks to military training. I'm not sure if we were required to suffer from having our beds short-sheeted in basic training, but everyone went through it at least once. Knowing how to short-sheet was almost certainly a training requirement.
One resident complained that they didn't want anyone in their room to clean up and move their stuff around when they weren't there. Since the same resident also complained that they wanted their bed made up before they returned from breakfast, the President was forced to ask: "how do you expect them to make up your bed if they can't go in when you aren't there?" Eventually it was clarified that what this resident wanted was to be present only when the staff is moving things around for cleaning purposes. Making the bed and cleaning the bathroom when they weren't present was fine by them.
One resident doesn't want the staff to be allowed to make personal calls at night because they are afraid that they might not respond to a call-light from a resident.
One resident wanted to know if the staff was allowed to use the popcorn machines for themselves late at night, because the odor of popcorn would permeate their room. A check after the meeting with the Facility Director revealed that the staff may eat popcorn if there is any, but may only pop a fresh batch if a resident asks for it.
The resident who had complained about full-size sheets being used on twin beds made the same complaint a second time. The President acted indulgently and did not mention that this complaint had already been raised by this resident.
Several residents complained that the front desk is not manned at every moment during the night. The issue was passed on to management.
A resident suggested that all of the thermostats in the building have signs put up next to them that read "Staff Only, Do Not Touch". The Facility Director informed the President later that day that all of the thermostats in public-use areas will be covered with lock-boxes and only staff will have access.
One resident complained that their roommate speaks only Spanish and is always making it too hot in the room. It was pointed out that when two people share a room, they need to compromise on issues like the in-room thermostat.
The resident who had raised the issue of full-size bed sheets being used on twinbeds brought up the same issue a third time. Several residents tittered but the President just repeated that it will be dealt with.
At the meeting with the Head Chef, which was even more well-attended, the one interesting complaint was that the kitchen is no longer serving red jello. It was explained that the one supplier the facility buys from ships jello in mixed-variety boxes and the recent shipments haven't included red jello. This did not go over well with that resident.
This morning at breakfast, there was a bit of a problem as a resident who has been away (probably hospitalized) for several months is back, but someone who moved in while they were gone is now regularly seated at the returnee's seat in the dining room. Eventually the newly-returned resident was settled in at another table.
Hopefully our next installment will be posted sooner than the extended break between this and the prior episode. Until next time....
We had a larger than normal turnout for the meeting of the Resident's Council, probably nothing more than the Patient Care Assistants doing a better job than usual of rounding up residents with nothing else to do for the meeting.
One resident had a complaint that the beds in their room were being made up with the wrong sheets. For whatever reason, the staff is making up their twin-beds with full-size bed sheets by folding those sheets. Sounded a lot to me like having your bed "short-sheeted" something I have experience with thanks to military training. I'm not sure if we were required to suffer from having our beds short-sheeted in basic training, but everyone went through it at least once. Knowing how to short-sheet was almost certainly a training requirement.
One resident complained that they didn't want anyone in their room to clean up and move their stuff around when they weren't there. Since the same resident also complained that they wanted their bed made up before they returned from breakfast, the President was forced to ask: "how do you expect them to make up your bed if they can't go in when you aren't there?" Eventually it was clarified that what this resident wanted was to be present only when the staff is moving things around for cleaning purposes. Making the bed and cleaning the bathroom when they weren't present was fine by them.
One resident doesn't want the staff to be allowed to make personal calls at night because they are afraid that they might not respond to a call-light from a resident.
One resident wanted to know if the staff was allowed to use the popcorn machines for themselves late at night, because the odor of popcorn would permeate their room. A check after the meeting with the Facility Director revealed that the staff may eat popcorn if there is any, but may only pop a fresh batch if a resident asks for it.
The resident who had complained about full-size sheets being used on twin beds made the same complaint a second time. The President acted indulgently and did not mention that this complaint had already been raised by this resident.
Several residents complained that the front desk is not manned at every moment during the night. The issue was passed on to management.
A resident suggested that all of the thermostats in the building have signs put up next to them that read "Staff Only, Do Not Touch". The Facility Director informed the President later that day that all of the thermostats in public-use areas will be covered with lock-boxes and only staff will have access.
One resident complained that their roommate speaks only Spanish and is always making it too hot in the room. It was pointed out that when two people share a room, they need to compromise on issues like the in-room thermostat.
The resident who had raised the issue of full-size bed sheets being used on twinbeds brought up the same issue a third time. Several residents tittered but the President just repeated that it will be dealt with.
At the meeting with the Head Chef, which was even more well-attended, the one interesting complaint was that the kitchen is no longer serving red jello. It was explained that the one supplier the facility buys from ships jello in mixed-variety boxes and the recent shipments haven't included red jello. This did not go over well with that resident.
This morning at breakfast, there was a bit of a problem as a resident who has been away (probably hospitalized) for several months is back, but someone who moved in while they were gone is now regularly seated at the returnee's seat in the dining room. Eventually the newly-returned resident was settled in at another table.
Hopefully our next installment will be posted sooner than the extended break between this and the prior episode. Until next time....
posted by me at 2:30 PM
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