Almost every senior citizen home claims that it has systems & facilities in place to respond to health emergencies of its residents. As a new resident of Nana Nani, I decided to find out what happens in case of an emergency for a widower like me or any single man or woman staying in the community.
Whenever anyone presses the emergency red button in
the bedroom or the toilet, an alarm bell rings on the security counter. One of
the guards calls the resident on the intercom to find out the problem and,
depending on the nature of the complaint, refers the case to the head of the
resident nurses. A team of nurses rush to the room which is expected to be kept
unlocked by the resident. They use a duplicate key to open the door in case the
door is locked but the latch has not been used inside. If it is a simple crisis
they administer the first aid and handle the crisis themselves with the help of
the resident doctor. Suppose it is a heart attack or any other major crisis
like a bad fall they alert the ambulance service and rush the
affected resident to a hospital of his \her choice, while simultaneously
informing the family member whose name is registered in the medical record
diary in the room. They do not wait for the family's arrival to
admit the patient in the hospital. They ensure that the case is referred to the
right specialist and the resident is attended to immediately. In case the
resident has no local guardian and the son or daughter has to come from abroad,
they ensure a trained attender from their staff is available
to attend to the resident 24 x 7 until the family member comes and takes
charge. The family member is also informed by phone of the progress made in the
case.
A similar procedure is followed in case the
apartment has an old couple with a full-time attender and one of them needs
hospitalization and the other partner is not in a condition to be a caregiver.
What happens if the door is locked from inside and
the resident is not in a condition to open the door? In such cases they have no
choice but to break the side glass panel of the door ( so thoughtfully
designed) and undo the latch and enter the room and do the needful. There
have been cases where the nursing team finds that the resident is not
responding to their routine calls in the morning to check if he/she is ok
and is not seen coming out of the room for his meals by neighbours or friends, they break open the
door to find that the resident is seriously ill and take necessary steps
to give him the necessary medical attention.
Many residents use the services of the vsiting senior
doctor who comes to the clinic during fixed times every day.
Recommended by the visiting doctor or on their own they consult
specialists for specific ailments working in the many Hospitals
located in Coimbatore. The clinic in the campus does not have a testing
laboratory. There are many reputed diagnostic laboratories available in
the city where the residents can get the tests done.
In case of death of a resident inside the apartment
due to natural causes, or if the resident dies in the hospital and
the body is brought to the apartment, it is allowed to be kept for only for
four hours in the room. The family is expected to make the funeral
arrangements immediately. Management provides the necessary contacts to
make the arrangements. In case the funeral has to await the arrival of a
son or daughter from abroad, then the body is shifted to a mortuary in a
hospital where is it kept until the arrival of the family member. Some family
members prefer not to bring the body to the apartment but take it to the crematorium directly.
To check if the emergency bell really works I once
pressed the red button in my bed room. Within two minutes I got a call
from the security to know what was my problem and if I need any help. I
apologized and told him that I had pressed the bell by mistake. I also get
regular calls every morning from one of the nursing staff to check if I am ok.
Besides, many residents have told me that the team of nurses headed by an
experienced senior nurse residing on campus are very helpful and they respond
to emergency calls 24 x 7. As already mentioned they are equipped to provide
first aid and if necessary supply medicines needed to give immediate relief
from some common complaints of the resident.
I pray to god to take me with my shoes nay sandals
on and spare me the ordeal of facing a health emergency that will require the
services of the friendly nursing staff in Nana Nani.
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