I thought for a long time just trying to come up with a way to watch the local nursing homes. This, I have found, is a great way to stop or at least slow down any potential abuse to our elderly loved ones that are residents at those places. I have started up a service called “Angel Eyes” and this is how it works. When hired by family members, Angel Eyes sends out a hired visitor to spend time with their loved one at the nursing home. Time slot is only 1 to 2 hrs and during that time, our hired visitor will take note of how the resident is feeling, acting, being treated, and will also note the condition of the room and environment while there. The visitor will officially be hired to offer simple companionship only to the resident at this time, no medical help or legal advice is offered or suggested. During this time, staff will usually not be on alert as they are known to be when state inspection time rolls around, or when state ombudsman visit them. The reason is that the staff will not know of the reason for the visit and most likely, will not even notice them, that is, unless the nursing home staff has heard about Angel Eyes and what they offer! The Angel Eyes employee will deliver a written report back to the family once the visit has been completed. What I really like about this service is that just the publicity of the existance of such a service is really going to keep the staff in nursing homes on their best behavior even when unpaid visitors come by! What do you think of this service? Do you agree that it should help cut down on potential abuse in our nursing homes? Stay tuned for more ways to help stop nursing home abuse.
