Hi everyone. I had an 'annual' review on Thursday with the boss of my mother's nursing home and someone from the local authority's care maintenance team. I say 'annual', because it was 18 months ago that we had the last one, even though I had requested one more recently - apparently, staff shortages were to blame. Anyway, during this meeting, it transpired that on some 4 separate occasions my mother had somehow managed to get out from the home and walk a (for her) considerable distance without being missed. Now my mother is a creature of habit in the home and spends most of the day walking back and for the whole length of the home endlessly. She thinks she's going shopping, love her and everyone knows roughly where she is, so imagine my anger when this came to light.
A similar incident happened last year, under a different manager, when she was missing for FIVE hours and only when the Police returned her did anyone start to be concerned. Subsequently, after my late father made a formal complaint, the manager was sent packing and rightly so. But this current situation is as a result of a fault on the main door to the home and even though the necessary new parts are on order (from Sweden of all places!), I would have thought that it would be a priority to get this damn door fixed. Apparently not. I remain very concerned that one day I will receive a phone call (THAT phone call that we all dread) and if I do, I told them in the meeting that I will sue the home and the local authority for every penny they have. My mother loves it there and I am loath to move her at this stage.
A similar incident happened last year, under a different manager, when she was missing for FIVE hours and only when the Police returned her did anyone start to be concerned. Subsequently, after my late father made a formal complaint, the manager was sent packing and rightly so. But this current situation is as a result of a fault on the main door to the home and even though the necessary new parts are on order (from Sweden of all places!), I would have thought that it would be a priority to get this damn door fixed. Apparently not. I remain very concerned that one day I will receive a phone call (THAT phone call that we all dread) and if I do, I told them in the meeting that I will sue the home and the local authority for every penny they have. My mother loves it there and I am loath to move her at this stage.