Nicest nursing homes in Montgomery County with Medicaid beds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just remember when you vote that there are excellent immigrant health care aides that are doing jobs americans don't want to do.

Yes, there are some excellent health care aides who are legal immigrants. There are also others who are nightmares (just like non-immigrants) and many facilities do not complete background checks like they should to include verifying identity. It is not unheard of to find out a facility has hired a caregiver (immigrant or not) who is actually a wanted criminal or has felony convictions.

More Americans used to work in facilities when they were not owned by greedy corporate conglomerates. Especially in smaller communities. The workers were treated better because the ownership cared and were known in the community.

One of the serious issues that crop up with immigrant caregivers is many do not speak English or are only semi-literate. If a resident asks for help with something specific they do not get an answer. Medication instructions are not understood which can be disastrous. I've had many residents tell me they are frustrated because there is no communication possible when the staff do not speak English, and I've observed it myself first-hand.

Imagine being wheelchair bound and asking over and over again to please be wheeled out of your room to join others in the activity room and be ignored. Or ask to please have your TV turned on to a specific channel. Instead, you sit in your room alone.

and your point? Do you really think that the sham of an administration is not going to promote greedy corporations?

[Anonymous]

If you read it more closely you would see that it is exactly my point.

"Greedy corporate conglomerates" is pretty clear, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Need to find a nursing home with Medicaid beds for mom. She has a little bit of money that she could first put towards a non-Medicaid bed, so maybe that will open the door to a few better options?

Medicaid is going away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please avoid Montcare Potomac. Maybe all nursing homes are equally bad but they were perpetually understaffed. There were many kind workers but it was typical to only have one nurse for an entire corridor and the nursing assistants were overworked resulting in my loved one waiting an hour or more at certain times of day. She was left to have accidents because she couldn’t get to the bathroom. Later she was left in dirty diapers for hours.

This may be due to the challenges of finding staff, but may also be due to corporations successfully lobbying to lower patient/resident to staff ratios. Lots of folks blame blue state guvs for COVID deaths in nursing homes but refuse to acknowledge that the Trump admin weakened nursing home regs that may have limited/stemmed contagion.

Start with the nonprofits and see if they have openings. I'm sure not all are tops, but I've had much better experience with them. Nothing like overhearing staff at the nonprofit home talk amongst themselves about how great it is to open a supply closet and find the supplies needed to do their job, usually not the case for them at the corporate-owned homes.

Virtually every forum here has at least one and often several threads going today about problems stemming from corporate greed and extreme capitalism. Where will it end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please avoid Montcare Potomac. Maybe all nursing homes are equally bad but they were perpetually understaffed. There were many kind workers but it was typical to only have one nurse for an entire corridor and the nursing assistants were overworked resulting in my loved one waiting an hour or more at certain times of day. She was left to have accidents because she couldn’t get to the bathroom. Later she was left in dirty diapers for hours.

This may be due to the challenges of finding staff, but may also be due to corporations successfully lobbying to lower patient/resident to staff ratios. Lots of folks blame blue state guvs for COVID deaths in nursing homes but refuse to acknowledge that the Trump admin weakened nursing home regs that may have limited/stemmed contagion.

Start with the nonprofits and see if they have openings. I'm sure not all are tops, but I've had much better experience with them. Nothing like overhearing staff at the nonprofit home talk amongst themselves about how great it is to open a supply closet and find the supplies needed to do their job, usually not the case for them at the corporate-owned homes.

Virtually every forum here has at least one and often several threads going today about problems stemming from corporate greed and extreme capitalism. Where will it end?

It won't. It's always about the money.

[Anonymous]

Medicaid and Nice don't go in the same sentence together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people surprised at the care? Are any DCUM posters working as care home aides or any of their family? It's a bad job, even if you pay more. You end up physically a wreck and do you really want to do personal care as a job? Nobody wants to.

+1

They are understaffed, underpaid, doing work most are not willing to do (like change adult diapers), doing work that can literally be backbreaking, with a lot of residents who are awful to them. And for what? Pay that is so low that you probably still need government assistance. I’m sure the burnout happens fast.

Clearly it is terribly wrong to move the call button out of reach with a vulnerable elderly person. But I can imagine multiple circumstances under which a staff member might feel the need to do it.

This is the reality. People don’t want to pay for better care. Many families can’t. But many just won’t—little Larla’s travel soccer and little Larlo’s tutors and the weekend out of town for an anniversary are more of a priority. And they simply aren’t willing to let grandma move in. They don’t want to change our diapers either. And there are other priorities. This is the reality.

Bottom line: there really shouldn’t be shock when there isn’t anyone to take your relative in the nursing home to the bathroom. It should dismay, perhaps. But not shock.

There is also plenty of waste in these places. My DH’s nephew is an OTA. They have him doing ADL therapy with residents that will never actually be able to perform that ADL, because they can get away with billing for it. While paying the OTA very little. As you might imagine, he doesn’t care much, and doesn’t work very hard at it. At a certain point, you just stop caring.

My dad is indigent.

Home care aides would be 1/3 of my take home pay.

DH and I have to work and cannot care for my dad ourselves. We tried lifting him once. Hurt ourselves and him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people surprised at the care? Are any DCUM posters working as care home aides or any of their family? It's a bad job, even if you pay more. You end up physically a wreck and do you really want to do personal care as a job? Nobody wants to.

+1

They are understaffed, underpaid, doing work most are not willing to do (like change adult diapers), doing work that can literally be backbreaking, with a lot of residents who are awful to them. And for what? Pay that is so low that you probably still need government assistance. I’m sure the burnout happens fast.

Clearly it is terribly wrong to move the call button out of reach with a vulnerable elderly person. But I can imagine multiple circumstances under which a staff member might feel the need to do it.

This is the reality. People don’t want to pay for better care. Many families can’t. But many just won’t—little Larla’s travel soccer and little Larlo’s tutors and the weekend out of town for an anniversary are more of a priority. And they simply aren’t willing to let grandma move in. They don’t want to change our diapers either. And there are other priorities. This is the reality.

Bottom line: there really shouldn’t be shock when there isn’t anyone to take your relative in the nursing home to the bathroom. It should dismay, perhaps. But not shock.

There is also plenty of waste in these places. My DH’s nephew is an OTA. They have him doing ADL therapy with residents that will never actually be able to perform that ADL, because they can get away with billing for it. While paying the OTA very little. As you might imagine, he doesn’t care much, and doesn’t work very hard at it. At a certain point, you just stop caring.

My dad is indigent.

Home care aides would be 1/3 of my take home pay.

DH and I have to work and cannot care for my dad ourselves. We tried lifting him once. Hurt ourselves and him.

You just proved PP’s point. The work is backbreaking and few are willing to do it.

[Anonymous]

unfortunately there is definitely a shortage of medicaid beds in skilled nursing facilities. I believe the "easiest" way to get a bed is to be admitted to the hospital. Older adults are admitted to the hospital all the time for falls and inability to care for self. He will have to be evaluated by a physical and occupational therapist - they are the ones that inform the medical team if this person is safe or physically to live on their own or with the care of others. If you tell them you cannot care for him and he demonstrates significant physical or cognitive needs, they will likely recommend SNF and the case manager of the hospital can look into placement. 99% of the time you need these therapy recommendations to be admitted because it justifies the skilled need for the facility, if they dont make progress with the PT and OT at the snf- they will likely be transitioned into long term care.

[Anonymous]

A PACE program (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) recently opened in Montgomery County. It's a not very well-known government-subsidized program to help keep nursing-home-eligible seniors living at home. I'm aware of it because my brother in Virginia recently declined to the point where there was consideration of putting him in a facility, and his case manager suggested PACE. He's in the intake phase now, not receiving services but hopefully will soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please avoid Montcare Potomac. Maybe all nursing homes are equally bad but they were perpetually understaffed. There were many kind workers but it was typical to only have one nurse for an entire corridor and the nursing assistants were overworked resulting in my loved one waiting an hour or more at certain times of day. She was left to have accidents because she couldn’t get to the bathroom. Later she was left in dirty diapers for hours.

Without national mandatory staffing ratios, this is how it is in EVERY facility. And BTW, your adult loved one doesn't wear diapers. Provide some dignity for them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all scaring me about Montcare Potomac. I sadly dont have other options

If you’re there now, keep a notebook VISIBLE and make a big sign on the front of the notebook with your full name. They cannot take away personal items! Make it a log book to write down the time and date and name of everything that happens during your stay. Literally every single interaction especially medication times. Ask lots of questions about everything going on. Make note of the time you push your call button to when it is answered and what for.


Montcare nearly killed my mom. I was there almost daily for months and even I missed some of the shady things happening. The staff would talk about me within earshot but I called them out on that. I made sure they knew I was watching everything.


My mom is near 80 on Medicare but I am still getting calls from bill collectors because Montcare didn’t get her paperwork right. Honestly I would like to sue the place. They are not right.

Please, protect yourself. Ask questions and keep detailed notes on everything that happens during your time there.

You may think you're advocating for your mom with the actions you describe here, but by default, there are staff that don't like your mom, based on YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please avoid Montcare Potomac. Maybe all nursing homes are equally bad but they were perpetually understaffed. There were many kind workers but it was typical to only have one nurse for an entire corridor and the nursing assistants were overworked resulting in my loved one waiting an hour or more at certain times of day. She was left to have accidents because she couldn’t get to the bathroom. Later she was left in dirty diapers for hours.

This may be due to the challenges of finding staff, but may also be due to corporations successfully lobbying to lower patient/resident to staff ratios. Lots of folks blame blue state guvs for COVID deaths in nursing homes but refuse to acknowledge that the Trump admin weakened nursing home regs that may have limited/stemmed contagion.

Start with the nonprofits and see if they have openings. I'm sure not all are tops, but I've had much better experience with them. Nothing like overhearing staff at the nonprofit home talk amongst themselves about how great it is to open a supply closet and find the supplies needed to do their job, usually not the case for them at the corporate-owned homes.

It's not any better at for profit vs. non-profit. Non-profit sounds better but it's not.

What do you base this on?