Providing Services for the People Who Need Us Most

I am the owner of a small home health care agency that has recently opened in St. Charles County.  We serve disabled and aged individuals in St. Louis, St. Charles, and St. Peters and the surrounding areas.  Gateway Premier Services, LLC is an independent agency that prides itself on providing the absolute best care for our clients. We employ exceptionally competent, insured, well-trained staff to not simply meet but exceed our client’s expectations. 

This post could simply be a shameless plug for my business but it's not.  I had a very surreal experience last week that reminded me of why the services my company provides are so very needed for individuals who are elderly or challenged with a disability.  These individuals very often need advocates that will stand up with and for them.

I spent several days at a local hospital with a loved one while they recuperated from heart surgery and became a witness to an instance of negligence and disrespectful treatment of an elderly patient by the hospital staff.  My family member's roommate was an elderly woman that was 90 years young; we will call her Mrs. C.  She was a very feisty woman that might have been considered by some to be a little demanding and difficult to please.  But let me ask you...if you are blessed enough to live to be 90 years-old, haven't you earned the right to be a little hard to get along with sometimes?  I think so. 

What people must understand is that when a person becomes elderly or disabled their life changes in a very dramatic way.  There is a loss of independence, control, sometimes physical mobility’s that can cause a person's general the state of mind to be a very volatile thing.  These feelings and affects are only compounded when you are confined to a hospital, a place where even individuals who are not afflicted with life-threating or chronic conditions find themselves going "stir crazy".

So, back to Mrs. C...I found her to be a delightful woman that sometimes floated in and out of the beginning stages of dementia but had an excellent gift for storytelling.  It was clear upon our arrival to the room and observing her interactions with her nurse that there was some tension that couldn't be overlooked. 

In one instance, Mrs. C rang the bell for her nurse to help her to the restroom.  She was experiencing dizziness, light-headedness and walked with the assistance of a cane.  Mrs. C was taken to the restroom and left there for at least 20 minutes, while her nurse vacated the room to complete other tasks.  After about 10 minutes, Mrs. C. began loudly announcing that she was done and would like to be taken back to her bed.  The nurse’s station was 20 feet from the room and the doors were open, permitting the sound to travel freely.  No one responded to her calls.  After about 5 minutes of listening to her, I got up and went to the bathroom door to find Mrs. C standing in the doorway, frustrated and upset.  I requested that she didn't move and told her I would get someone.  I proceeded to the nurse’s station to let them know that she was a "fall hazard" and they might want to get someone there soon. 

Long story short, Mrs. C was returned to her bed after 20 minutes.  When she complained to the nurse, the response was, "You're not the only patient here. I told you I was coming back.  You should've waited or pulled the yellow cord to let me know you were ready."  Mrs. C was in tears at this point and exclaimed that, "You shouldn't have left me there and I can't see the dang yellow cord!"  Banter continued back and forth between them for a few moments until the "bad" nurse left the room.  After which, I could hear Mrs. C in her bed quietly weeping and mumbling to herself.

Where was her family?  Well, Mr. C arrived a short time later to check on her.  He was a 94 year-old, gentle-spirited man that had a disability of his own.  Mrs. C's face lit up when she saw her sweetheart and she told him to, "Come on over here and get some of my kisses.  I missed you!"  This joyous and romantic reunion was over-shadowed by the fact that the next words out of her mouth were those describing in detail the mistreatment she had been experiencing by the staff.  Unfortunately, this was only 1 of the 3 incidents that I personally witnessed.

I later spent some time talking to Mr. and Mrs. C and was told that they had children but they were too busy with their own lives to take care of them.  How sad is that?  Mr. and Mrs. C were reunited lovers and had only been married 25 years.  Their stepchildren, they didn't have any together, were adults and lived in other states.  Mrs. C was the primarily responsible for the domestic and financial management of their household and two of her main concerns, while in the hospital were whether or not Mr. C had any money and was he eating! So, these wonderful seniors were solely responsible for their care? Say it isn't so.

Before leaving the hospital, I shared my company's information with Mr. and Mrs. C and told them to please contact me if we could be of any assistance. I also contacted the charge nurse and reported the treatment that I had witnessed.

I pray every day that no aged or disabled person ever has be a victim of mistreatment or neglect at the hands of a person who is tasked with providing their care.  This experience provided a very real reminder of why company’s like mine are a necessity.

Gateway Premier Services, LLC is a private pay agency with reasonable rates, offering care for as few 3 hours or as many as 24 hours. Whatever our client's needs are, we can accommodate them.  We understand that caring for a disabled or elderly loved one can be challenging for both the person in need of assistance and their family. Whether it's Alzheimer’s/Dementia care, companion care, personal care, housekeeping or meal prep, these are just a few of the services offered, we can help ease that burden.  Whether the services are needed in the home, hospital or assisted living facility we are available 24/7.  Our #1 goal is to deliver affordable, dependable and compassionate care to you or your loved one. Call us today at 888-959-8194, for a free assessmentor visit our website at www.gatewaypremierservices.com

If you have a family member, friend, neighbor or encounter a complete stranger that happens to be an adult that is disabled or aged, I hope that you will see them in a new light or gain a greater respect and appreciation for their circumstance after reading this post.  Treat them in the manner that you would like to be treated because you never know what your future may hold.