When Care Goes Wrong

In this chapter, I reveal care gone badly and simultaneously show, as a nurse and family caregiver (FC), how I rectified and managed the care of my dad while he was in a memory care unit and not receiving the care that was expected. As his FC, I incorporated frequent visits, communicated with staff directly using a communication board, recorded daily observations, and attended care plan meetings with facility leadership. My goal was to make it easier to do the right things to improve his care. As I witnessed subpar care (elder neglect), I stepped in, as a prudent, compassionate nurse would. I role modeled appropriate nursing care for my dad. This is my story as a nurse, FC, and Clinical Nurse Specialist.