Ever since we started seeing the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on nursing homes and assisted living facilities, it’s been obvious that a lot of the things that many care services once took for granted would need to change. The old way of doing business doesn’t seem like it will be successful in the future, especially if anything like COVID ever happens again. We’ve learned that the care system that many of us took for granted was flimsy once put under pressure and not able to adequately meet people’s needs when strained.
This is why a lot of agencies and governmental groups are calling for changes to the care system as a whole. This is part of what President Biden’s infrastructure legislation had aimed to accomplish, but this was just the first step. This helped to bring about awareness of the issue, but there’s still a long way to go if real, lasting change is going to happen.
The first step here is to recognize why the shortcomings in care occurred. For many agencies and care services, it was because they were already short staffed. As soon as caregivers become sick or exposed to the virus, suddenly there was no way to avoid a staff shortage. Elderly folk being assisted were at the mercy of the health of others.
In other cases, this happened because many people in the care industry live from paycheck to paycheck. Missing time from work was not an option, and some people went to work when they might have been exposed to an illness and brought it in with them because of the financial strain of not wanting to have a reduced paycheck. Unfortunately, even with great intentions, this had disastrous consequences.
If we are going to reform care, resolving these issues is a must. But that doesn’t mean it will come quickly. Like any major change, it is easiest to make it happen on a smaller level. That means it will be easier to make changes for your older loved ones on your own than it will be to enact huge, systemic changes across the country. The principles of high quality care might not be laws all across the state or country at this point, but you can take these ideas and put them into action so that you and your family members are reaping the benefits of a higher quality of care in the near future. Some of these changes could even be made today, if necessary.
Please don’t forget to lean on your team members when needed. Finding the right care team is not an easy process. Connecting the people that you love with the resources that they need to thrive can be hard, exhausting, and time consuming. There’s often no easy road to making this happen.
But you don’t have to do it alone. Whether it’s another family member, a friend, or a professional, having a team of people that you can count on to help when you need it is important. We can be one of those professional resources for you. Give us a call today to learn more about how Paradise In-Home Care can help you and your loved ones find peace of mind in high quality care, designed to meet all of your loved one’s needs. It’s free to go through the consultation process, and there’s never any obligation on your part.
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