Can I have some help please? ( a bit long) kind of UPDATE

[Deleted]

So..  I know I lurk more than post, sorry for bad punctuation and run ons.  I am so pissed right now I am going to be rambling sorry if it is long, but I feel I need to put the issue out here (all of them) before I make a decision on what to do.

My mom is in a Long Term Care facility.  I am in Canada.   She has been there for a few years, and for the most part is getting good care.     

There are 2 parts to this facility and she has resided in both.   Where she is now is the newer part as the other part is over 150 years old.   There are 5 floors to this place, and three elevators. My mom is on the 5th floor.   She has been in this part for about 6 months and it is a pretty big place.  So since I have been going there almost daily since she has been there and at least one elevator is out most of the time.  


There are many activities that go on here and a majority of the residents participate.  So imagine 200 seniors on many different floors trying to get down to an activity with 3 elevators.   It is quite a task at best.    I got there last week and one of the 3 elevators were out of service, annoying yes but with the amount of use these get I can understand.  I go there Sunday  and 2 of the 3 elevators are out of service!!!      Now I am more than annoyed at this and wondering how long it is going to take to get this fixed.  I am also noticing the cleaners and other workers of the building were all of a sudden using these elevators.    I enquired as to what is going on at my mom's floor and they are saying it is getting fixed.   I am by now more than a little concerned as to the safety of the residents especially my mom and she is on the top floor,( and wheelchair bound)  if there was an emergency.   That was Sunday, today is Wednessday and again  2 of the 3 elevators are still not in service.    There are service people with garbage bins, cleaners,  pushing to get in elevators putting there bins in with residents, and so on.   

I again now am furious and enquire again what the fuck is going on, and only to find out the elevator people are on strike!!!!!    I waited for almost an hour to get my mom outside to get to an appt,  ( which we were late for due to this issue).   she was the one who had the garbage bin in her face, and trying to be kind as they are stressed as they need to get their work done. 

I understand that the elevator people are on strike, but there has to be something somewhere that can fix this.   I do understand about crossing union lines and stuff, but these are seniors.  So HELP PLEASE

Again sorry this is long.   Now what do I do.

A)  I have a phone call into the director of the home to call me back.
B)  Be a supreme bitch and get a hold of the media and have them do a story and maybe that will get their asses in gear
C)  Call the Health Minister whose office is in my city and find out what the fuck is going on and get it fixed.

I am a bit of a hot head at times and a huge huge mama bear when it comes to my mom,  as she is disabled with a broken knee along with a bad heart recently.  If she needed to get to a hospital ASAP  it wouldn't happen with the elevator issues.  So I am calmly trying to figure out what my next step is, and all of you ladies have such good advice,  so has anyone been in this position or could offer me some calm advice, as of right now I WANT TO GO APESHIT ON THE HEAD OF THIS HOSPITAL WHO MAKES OVER 1.5 MILLION A YEAR!!!


Go....  while I try to calm down now!! 

UPDATE:

So the Director did not call me back,  but i called this morning to talk to someone about this awful situation.
I had stated that this is not only and inconvenience but a safety issue.

I was told that there is ONE elevator out of 4 still in use and there is not a lot they can do as all of the elevator workers are on Strike.
I said what if god forbid my mother needs to go by ambulance to the hospital and she is on the fifth floor and is very obese and immobile.   Their response is we will get to her a quickly as we could and there are safety measures in place.   

Although I understand that there is a strike and all,  but the food safety issues, health issues, and all are very scary and I would think in a place this large that it is almost and essential service.   NO GO.

So now i just sit and wait to see how long it is going to take to get these elevators fixed,  and if it is too long I think a media intervention to see if there is some company that would take pity on this home and fix these elevators.  It is very frustrating, and I so understand the need of the workers in this facility that their jobs have to be done as well as they are great, it is just very disheartening.     

Thanks again for the advice and insight,  I am still very hot about this but not as apeshit crazy as I was yesterday.






 

[Deleted]

i'm not canadian, but i think you do A and C and then whip out B if A and C don't get shit done fast enough. why not? this is a safety issue. what if there was a fire? fuck no.

sometimes, when you're feeling apeshit the solution isn't to calm down. it's to use that anger to fuel your actions. channeling your rage is a good idea, calming down is not.

[karmasabiotch]

I would start with C. If you get directly angry at the people caring for your Mom, I would worry that she could be affected.

[Deleted]

Yeah you need to go apeshit. this isn't safe...
I wouldn't back down on this. God Forbid something happened like a fire or something they wouldn't ever be able to get all the residents and staff out in one elevator

[MWOS]

The emergency protocol in my hospital is to NOT use elevators. All patients are evacuated using stairwells, and there are different measures in place for transporting patients who are non-ambulatory.

[Deleted]

May 8, 2013 11:02:03 GMT -5 MWOS said:

The emergency protocol in my hospital is to NOT use elevators. All patients are evacuated using stairwells, and there are different measures in place for transporting patients who are non-ambulatory.

ah, i see.

still.  fuck no.  fix the damn elevators.

[MWOS]

I agree the elevators need to be fixed, but I think going apeshit over fire evacuation measures isn't the right tactic, since it is likely a moot point.

[Deleted]

can we go apeshit about inconvenience, the elderly riding the elevators with trash, and total lack of follow through from what is supposed to be a skilled care facility?

[MWOS]

May 8, 2013 11:06:14 GMT -5 cville said:

can we go apeshit about inconvenience and total lack of follow through from what is supposed to be a skilled care facility?

Fuck yes.

[Deleted]

Thanks and thanks again. I do understand that they do not use the elevators in an emergency, and there are alarms on the stairwells.

I have to say I have freaked a few times and have called the ministry and had the place evaluated, ( hence the having to calm my apeshite temper down) with other issues that have been changed since I called. This is just a huge issue as this is these peoples homes, and it is very inconvenient, when someone wants to to go church ( there is one there) and things are messed up as the elevators are not working, this also includes the mealtime elevators. So definately a huge issue as well.

So I will wait for the phonecall from director and if she doesn't give me any answers ( she just likes to give lip service instead of results) then I will go to media.

Again thanks again, and I just needed to be reassured that I am not just overreacting.

Just to put it in ther she is unable to move out of there as well. There are no other places and this WAS the best. at 2700.00 bucks a month

[themysteriouswife]

How do you think the staff should transport cleaning items too large to carry? I think being upset about one elevator is valid. Being upset over staff doing their job, is a little over the top.

Talk with the directors. If they cannot help you, go above them. When you talk with them ask about the emergency plans. I would bet they do not include the elevators. I think Power outages and fires are the only times you aren't allowed to use elevators.

[themysteriouswife]

Senior homes are a pain to get in. Sorry, you are having a hard time with this facility. Have you tried putting her name on a wait list at a better one?

[Deleted]

May 8, 2013 11:16:21 GMT -5 themysteriouswife said:

Senior homes are a pain to get in. Sorry, you are having a hard time with this facility. Have you tried putting her name on a wait list at a better one?

This is one of the best ones in the city I live in.    Believe me I did months of research as I had to find one for my grandma a year before ( they ended up in the same one).  There is a huge waiting list, and once you are in  you are in there  and really there is no other place that would be suitable.    She is very close to me and I am the ONLY family member that helps with care. 

 I also understand with the cleaning staff, having to do their jobs,  and that is why I can't freak on them as it is not their fault and they are as frustrated as anyone else.   It is just a really bad situation all around and very frustrating.   So waiting to see what will come of this.  

Thanks again everyone  I appreciate all the input.   I will give it until 2pm today for this lady to at least respond and if she doesn't   Media here I come.