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Seniors, family members, caregivers, and advocates spoke during open forumportions of the Commissioners' meetings detailing their concerns and theproblems they've encountered at Atria. Their concerns included poor staffinglevels, high staff turnover rates, medication errors, and poor handling ofemergencies.
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"Seniors and their families pay dearly for what they're told will be thebest quality of care available," said Pedro Rodriguez, Director of the ActionAlliance for Senior Citizens. "Atria Senior Living may not be living up totheir promise of quality care."
Residents have reported paying thousands of dollars a month for theirsmall apartments, yet low staffing and care problems persist. The Campaign toImprove Assisted Living is a coalition including SEIU Healthcare assistedliving residents, family members, caregivers, and community members allcalling for better care.
"Between allowing my sister-in-law Ann's blood pressure to drop and notnotifying me in a timely fashion or responding, the poor quality of the food,and mismanaging her medications, Atria left me very concerned about thequality of care that my sister-in-law and other residents were receiving atAtria Kingwood," said Peggy Preast during her testimony to Harris CountyCommissioners in Houston, Texas. "I ask that you investigate these incidentsand take action to make sure that the health and safety of residents at thefacility are being protected."
The Campaign is calling for Atria to make a real investment in front-linecare by staffing-up, increasing worker training, and lowering worker turnover.Atria Senior Living operates 121 facilities in 27 states.
More information is available at http://www.improveassistedliving.org.
The Campaign to Improve Assisted Living is a coalition including SEIUHealthcare, assisted living residents, caregivers, family members, and senior
advocates working together to make sure that assisted living facilities
provide quality, safe housing and services at a good value.
SOURCE Campaign to Improve Assisted Living
