“The place clean and staff is very nice”

“I have been a resident at Spring Creek Nursing Home for almost 5 years. It has been some time since my last review. Overall, there has been more positive than negative, however, all change is not good.

I would first like to thank all the people who make an effort to make the residents feel comfortable and even loved, because it can be a lonely environment. A special thanks to the CNAs — they have a very difficult job. It used to be five CNAs on a floor. With the cuts that have been made, there are now only four. If someone is sick or calls out, there will only be three to take care of all the residents on that floor. There is no system in place to have someone come in to help. So the CNAs’ job becomes more difficult, and we the residents suffer. We might not receive breakfast until 10 a.m., and getting out of bed is later in the morning, and for some, in the afternoon.

The main purpose of writing this is to express my gratefulness that I can advocate for myself and for others. Many people in nursing homes cannot speak up for themselves and are not even aware of what is going on around them. I consider myself blessed to have family and to be able to speak how I feel.

Recently, I have been dealing with health issues. For almost a week and a half I was wondering what was going on with my body. My blood pressure was over 200, I was sweating with pounding headaches and body spasms, and I couldn’t get answers. When I told the primary doctor at the facility and staff about my concerns, I ultimately decided to go to the hospital to get answers. As soon as I arrived at Downstate Medical Center, they suspected an infection, ran tests, and found I indeed had an infection. Thank God my blood was not infected.

My chief concern is for those residents who cannot advocate for themselves and don’t have family. These environments can be extremely difficult for them. So my message to those who have family in rehab centers and nursing homes is: please check on your people and make sure they are okay. The healthcare system is a revolving door and we all may get a turn one day.”