Group Home Environments Can Offer Different Levels of Care
A group home environment where senior citizens come to live in an independent, assisted living, or a complete nursing care arrangement can mean very different levels of care in each setting-differences that can literally mean life and death, as seen in a recent news story.
Surrounded by staff, yet no one would help An 87-year-old woman who was a resident in the facility collapsed in the dining room.
Several workers who were present-including registered nurses-refused to perform CPR on the woman, despite the 911 operator pleading with the staff to do so, saying the woman would die unless she received assistance until the ambulance could arrive.
Despite the 911 operator's urging, CPR was not performed and the woman later died at the hospital.
The distinction in this case was that the woman resided in an independent-living unit of the facility, which is basically an apartment where additional services such as meals and housekeeping are provided-as opposed to the more traditional nursing home portion of the licensed facility, which provides comprehensive, ongoing medical care.
The facility's policy did not allow the worker to perform CPR on the woman, yet had the woman been a resident of the more full-scale portion of the facility just on the other side of the grounds, CPR would have been administered immediately.
Management of the facility was contacted and they confirmed that the nurse had indeed followed policy, undoubtedly in an effort to limit issues of liability.
The incident has many organizations in the assisted living industry examining their own policies to get out ahead of such an occurrence on their watch.
Some administrators believe the failure to act could put the nurse's license in jeopardy, regardless of whether she followed company policy.
Others agree, saying they want their staff to err on the side of caution to protect the lives of all residents regardless of whether their residents are there on a limited or full care basis, believing that so-called Good Samaritan laws would offer protection from liability if a worker were to attempt a lifesaving act on a patient in an emergency situation.
In any event, the sad outcome prompts administrators to be extremely cognizant of their coverage plans, policies, and procedures.
Ask exactly what kind of coverage is in place; is the amount and type of protection appropriate; is every member of the staff trained to know what to do (and what not to do) in an emergency situation; are prospective residents given complete information if differing levels of care are provided in different parts of a large facility; and how can the facility help ensure that residents and their families truly understand these differences in care and know what they can expect? Talk to a professional Consult a professional insurance agent for guidance about how the facility's practices could affect various aspects of its group home insurance policy.
Surrounded by staff, yet no one would help An 87-year-old woman who was a resident in the facility collapsed in the dining room.
Several workers who were present-including registered nurses-refused to perform CPR on the woman, despite the 911 operator pleading with the staff to do so, saying the woman would die unless she received assistance until the ambulance could arrive.
Despite the 911 operator's urging, CPR was not performed and the woman later died at the hospital.
The distinction in this case was that the woman resided in an independent-living unit of the facility, which is basically an apartment where additional services such as meals and housekeeping are provided-as opposed to the more traditional nursing home portion of the licensed facility, which provides comprehensive, ongoing medical care.
The facility's policy did not allow the worker to perform CPR on the woman, yet had the woman been a resident of the more full-scale portion of the facility just on the other side of the grounds, CPR would have been administered immediately.
Management of the facility was contacted and they confirmed that the nurse had indeed followed policy, undoubtedly in an effort to limit issues of liability.
The incident has many organizations in the assisted living industry examining their own policies to get out ahead of such an occurrence on their watch.
Some administrators believe the failure to act could put the nurse's license in jeopardy, regardless of whether she followed company policy.
Others agree, saying they want their staff to err on the side of caution to protect the lives of all residents regardless of whether their residents are there on a limited or full care basis, believing that so-called Good Samaritan laws would offer protection from liability if a worker were to attempt a lifesaving act on a patient in an emergency situation.
In any event, the sad outcome prompts administrators to be extremely cognizant of their coverage plans, policies, and procedures.
Ask exactly what kind of coverage is in place; is the amount and type of protection appropriate; is every member of the staff trained to know what to do (and what not to do) in an emergency situation; are prospective residents given complete information if differing levels of care are provided in different parts of a large facility; and how can the facility help ensure that residents and their families truly understand these differences in care and know what they can expect? Talk to a professional Consult a professional insurance agent for guidance about how the facility's practices could affect various aspects of its group home insurance policy.
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