Surviving the Nursing Home

Hi! My name is Angelo Edwards and I’m a resident at a healthcare facility (nursing home) in Muncie, Indiana. Here is a little background information about myself:

 

I had a single car accident in October 2011. I’ve been in and out of nursing homes the last ten years. I have about a total of about five years living in the nursing home and the other five I was able to live at home with the assistance of caregivers and nurses coming to my home. The first time I came to the nursing home, I was a  resident for almost three years.

 

Even at that time I had to become my own advocate and make phone calls and connections trying to find a place that was wheelchair accessible so I could try to go home. At that time I was in really bad shape but  was receiving therapy to get myself stronger and as independent as much as possible. It did take a lot of hard work and a lot of phone calls but I was finally able to find a home that was wheelchair accessible and big enough to bring my family back together under one roof. 

 

I was so excited to be going home. At this time I was 38 years old. All the way up to the morning that I was to leave,  things still weren’t in order. None of the equipment I needed immediately at home had not been ordered by the caseworker of the nursing home. A phone call was made to every place dealing with equipment to deliver whatever they had. I ended up with a old but decent bed, a hand pump Hoyer lift, a bedside potty chair. This wasn’t good because I couldn’t support myself to use the bathroom unless the chair was placed over the toilet. We had to  use the Hoyer sling to hold me over the toilet. The bed did lift at the head and foot but not enough to sit up.

 

Fortunately, an electric wheelchair had been given to me so I could use the other money to be able to get a few other nicer things like a better Hoyer lift and things to help me shower In the end though, I had to resort to getting bed baths.

 

I had to return to the nursing home due to a lack of staffing in the home healthcare field. Indiana Disability Justice asked me how I feel about living in the nursing home. All that I can say is I’m surviving.  

 

I don’t know how many times I have had to call the Director of Nursing (DON) to go over the same BS concerning a lack of care I and others receive. I’m set to take a shower twice a week or as many times as I supposedly want,  but that doesn’t happen.  Out of the last eight scheduled showers,  I have had three.  This has really been tough on me because I have always been anal about my hygiene.

 

I have wounds from not being turn from side to side every few hours. I have to use a wound vac machine to help with the healing process of wounds,  but the machine isn’t properly cared for.  The wound vac is scheduled by doctors orders to be changed every Monday,  Wednesday  and Friday. As I am writing this,  It’s almost 11pm Tuesday night, and it hasn’t been changed yet. It hasn’t been changed since Saturday. This could cause my wounds to not to heal correctly or get them infected. I also have other wounds and sores that are not being treated properly. Fortunately,  I have the opportunity to go to an outside wound center every two weeks for intervention. By the time you read this,  I would have had to be placed with a colostomy bag because of certain things not being done properly or regularly.

 

During May of 2020,   I got COVID in the nursing home.  I was placed in the hospital for nine months.     While I was fighting for my life,  I heard my things at the nursing home had been gone through.  Sure enough,  when I returned I found some of my things were missing.  I met with the old director,  the new director,  and the case manager.  After more than a year later,  nothing has been replaced. My wife repeatedly says niceness doesn’t get you nowhere nowadays.

 I have called the state to address these issues. 

I have had friends contact the state.  I have had family contact the state.  All the results being the same:  nothing being done.

They say the root of the poor quality care is there are so few aides.  I appreciate the aides that do their jobs well.  I don’t know what we would do without them.  I’m so blessed to still be able to speak out about my treatment I can only pray for those who can’t

 

Update on the Author:

Angelo Edwards first shared his story with IDJ at the end of 2021. As of June 2022, Angelo reported that after two years, his wounds have almost healed. The staffing at the nursing home has been a bit more consistent. Angelo is actively seeking getting out of the nursing home in order to get back to living his life! He is coordinating with agencies, friends, and family to do this. He can’t wait, and hopefully he will be in his new place by September! Angelo also happily reports having his first grandchild. He thanks God for helping him survive the nursing home.