I usually lurk and while you make some good points I really must disagree with the way you have painted the carers and nurses that work at nursing homes or long term care facilities. I have been a nurses aide and worked in nursing homes and I loved my job. I am currently home taking care of a young baby and won't return to work until after I complete a nursing degree.

It is typically our job to clean and physically care for the patients (residents) and no CNA I have ever encountered hated or resented cleaning up and providing compationate care for patients. We at times were stretched thin between them but busted our asses to give each patient as much comfort and compassion we could. Even hard to deal with patients are still human being deserving of dignity in thier last days on earth. I always made efforts to the best of my abilities (and resources my employers provided) to respect a patient's privacy and pride when having to change or bath thier bodies to keep them clean and comfortable. We become close to patients we care for as well. We help them function at the highest level they can manage. Take them to eat with others at every meal (unless they prefer to eat alone) even those unable to feed themselves. The dinning rooms are usually a cheerful atmosphere. We would sit with and serve the food to the residents and talk with them. Encourage them to tell us about thier lives, behave in a cheerful manner that promoted smiles. Allow each patient as much autonomy as possible while trying our best to reserve thier dignity even if we had to cut up thier food or spoon feed them. Treating the act casually while conversing and encouraging those with little appetite to eat as much as they could stand. (We had to write otes on the amout they ate or drank as well to help the nurses and doctors detirmin medication needs ect.)To encourage eating we would learn thier preferences (had one sweet patient who just loved pancakes, she would say a morning with pancakes was going to be a good day so the kitchens always made her pancakes in the morning if she seemed less than enthused by what was on the breakfast menu lol) I even learned some Spanish in order to care for a lady they had moved to my hall! Anyway this is not special behavior either. This is typical. Nursing homes provide a vital service for patients who are better off with professional medical care on hand. These fasilities have the tools and people trained to make life more livable for the patients. Around the clock care for fall risks, or those not all there that are in danger of wondering away and those with serious care needs such as colostomy bags, ivs, feeding tubes, those unable to move on thier own without the help of equipment ect. We have some patients that could only have thickened liquids or no liquid by mouth at all because of choking. Sometimes families just are not equipped to handle severe cases and the patients are much better of with us than unenenntionally neglected or endangered by otherwise well meaning family. The patients with thier right minds and wits intact actually had thier family or friends visit quite often. They also enjoyed participating in the outings to malls, resurants and even going church with the other residents. They would make close friendships with other residents. (My hall had a group of 4 ladies that always went to meals and activities together and even thier families became friendly. Another hall I didn't work on much had the nicest couple. The man was getting a little fuzzy in the mind and the wife was in a wheel chair but he would insist on pushing her chair and the wife had strict instructions on the husband's skin care and what the cna was to use for his showers and grooming needs!) The patients less aware or totally unresponsive had less visitation that's true but we visited them! Even unresponsive patients we spoken to with good mornings Mr/Mrs so and so, how are yous, we are going to clean you now, turn you over to be more comfortable, time for lunch... they were also wheeled to different areas of the facility during the day if they were not completely bed bound (we had special lifting equipment and reclining chairs with wheels for these patients).

All I am trying to say is nursing homes get a bad rap and I know there have been carers who were not cut out for this work and fasilities that break rules.. but in my personal experience these fasilities can be the best option for families with elderly members with serious health conserns. That doesn't mean take them and dump them. The patients with active family involved recived the best care. They would tell us how they wanted thier loved one cared for and could give us insight to thier needs right away. It would also hold staff to higher standards when they knew family might come to see them anytime. Encouraged even the less enthusiastic carers to pay attention and keep those patients presentable and feeling as good as possible.