Nursing Home Observation Paper

We also went over the various types of licensed care facilities an ombudsman serves. Ombudsmen are expected to visit Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), Distinct Part Facilities (DP) Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE), Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF), Adult Residential Facilities (ARF), Adult Day Health Care Facilities (ADHC) and Adult Day Programs (ADP).

Although we learned about these different facilities, the main two types of facilities I became familiar with were the SNFs and RCFEs. Although both are care facilities, they each serve different populations and have different requirements they need to meet. A SNF focuses on the dietary needs of residents and provides both recreational therapy and rehabilitation. They also

Arriving at the facility, I was surprised; what I assumed would be a nursing home was actually a house. The outside of the home gave the pretense that several people lived in there as several cars were on and around the property. The inside of the facility told a different story; four residents resided in the home with the manager and all were in bed. The bathroom and kitchen were both dirty with dishes in the sink and used tissues on the bathroom floor. Although dirty dishes in the sink may seem like a small issue, one of the requirements for the RCFEs is that the kitchen is cleared of any mess. Another requirement is that we must check that the facility has sufficient emergency supplies, though this was the case, tons of the supplies included ramen noodles high in sodium. To be frank, the facility did not look like a facility at all, but like the manager’s home. As myself and my field supervisor were leaving another man was entering the facility as if he were stopping by to visit a friend (the

My time with the agency has been filled with laughs, memorable experiences and a vast amount of information. Each ombudsman has a story as to why they are involved with the volunteer work and learning not only the stories but how they approach situations in the nursing facilities has been incomparable. The year commitment requirement is not a burden, but a saving grace. I know I would feel incomplete having to leave the program after this quarter is over, considering my learning has not