My 89 year old mom is in assisted living and has been on hospice for the last few months. The hospice group has truly been a godsend. Their involvement has given me some much needed peace of mind of not feeling so alone in managing my mother's medical care. I am so appreciative of their skills in dealing with my mom as well the practical and comfort services they provide. Everything was going smoothly until just a few weeks ago when supplies they provided kept disappearing. There were six boxes of gloves in my mom's room and in less than a week there were none. Hospice has a ready supply on them they use, so they are essentially used by the AL workers and only occasionally. So an instance came up when gloves really were needed, and not a single one in sight. This is so aggravating, and so inconvenient. On a recent Friday afternoon I discovered a large full pack of pull-ups had disappeared in less than 24 hours. Within 2 days after hospice sent a few more pkgs, only a partial pack remains.
Hospice today said several of the patients they have at this AL also had large number of supplies missing this past weekend. We have had our share of issues with the AL. But this is just so low it is infuriating. I am very grateful Medicare provides these much needed supplies to the ill. It is a gift, and removes some of the financial burden from the ill and their families. It is disturbing that this much needed service by Medicare is being abused. Management of the AL is aware, but they are lax in monitoring their aids in general so unsure if anything will be done to deter this problem. I am sure others have encountered theft of Medicare supplies in other care facilities. If anyone knows any ways in which to combat this, I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks
I would hide a camera, I know they frown on that, but thief's need to be caught and prosecuted. They never stop without being held accountable and even then it is highly likely they will steal again.
I hope you catch the culprit (s).
I suggest you buy a cabinet where the items are under lock and key. Only leaving out what is needed.
USE OF OPENED PERSONAL CARE ITEMS ON MULTIPLE PATIENTS IS AN INFECTION CONTROL RISK AND IS AGAINST HOSPITAL POLICY.
THIS ITEM IS NOT HOSPITAL PROPERTY
THIS IS MY PERSONAL PROPERTY
TAKING MY PERSONAL PROPERTY IS THEFT
THEFT IS A CRIME
KEEP YOUR JOB, PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION,
LEAVE MY THINGS ALONE
It could be some sort of scam going on, given how much is going missing. But if it weren't for that I'd suspect it's that the aides in that area have discovered a source of supplies that's easier and quicker for them to get to than the correct store - a bit like a commuters' rat-run suddenly opening up outside your house because of roadworks somewhere else in the town.
In any case the managers have NO excuse for not addressing this RIGHT now, and to good effect. Grrrrrrrr!!!
in child care centers, individual supplies (diapers, gloves, wipes, ointment,) are kept in a separate bin, CLEARLY labeled with the child’s name . If you need to lock the bin, do it. Just make sure you label it in marker.
This is so aggravating, as it affects all taxpayers who bear the brunt of paying Medicare in one way or another!!! Theft is no joke.
People with memory issues just pick up stuff. It seems to be a thing with dementia and AZ.
And be sure the director of assisted living knows what’s going on and inform her of the security cam. That is what I would do. I think the threat of it being there might stop this or catch the culprit. It is so frustrating.
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