Customer satisfaction survey – this soon

I have to admit I don't think I've ever been asked how I felt about the care. But, I'm sure I always said what I felt about it. I think the only way the care ever gets better is if residents and their family give input. I wonder if praise motivates nursing home staff.

I was going down the hall this morning and I heard my roommate and her daughter being questioned by the business office manager. She was asking them customer satisfaction questions. They were answering in the affirmative. I found it interesting the way that questions were phrased. To me, the resident by virtue of the question was only allowed limited input. The quality care questions kind of keep the customer response controlled and pretty dependable. It deals in absolute questions. Customers do not usually answer in absolutes. Residents and family who don't know exactly what to say, given the current questions, may say less.

Then the business office manager approached me. She said she wanted to ask me some questions. I so badly wanted to defer and say I would need to wait until I've been here at least a month – to answer them. But, instead I decided to answer just to see what I would be asked..

I find it's hard to answer some questions yes or no when they're related to my customer experience. Nursing home care is very individual. I just don't see how it gives them a true picture of the quality of care.

I said all employees treated me with respect. Well, they do, except for the night shift nurse who likes to get in my face. From what I have seen of his interactions with my roommate, he treats her the same way he treats me. I'm sure that's true of all the residents he cares for.

I said I would refer someone here. I should not have answered in the affirmative. I wish I would have said "No, I will have to wait until I have been here for at least two months. I wonder what they same way. Saying no would have been a negative which would would take points from the facility's score.

I also wondered why I was asked if I felt the chaplain helped to meet my spiritual needs. Given the fact that I'm Catholic, I have similar, but different, spiritual needs. I also explained I have my own spiritual program which I adhered to.

I equivocated when they asked if I was allowed to go to bed and wake up when I wanted. I said I was allowed sometimes to go to bed and rise on my schedule.

They also asked if I thought the staffing is adequate. I said no and would never say there was adequate staff in a nursing home.

I was told they do a random sampling of residents every ninety days, in order to find out how residents feel about the care they're receiving.