Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Progress charted in care centers

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002 | 8:18 a.m.

A recent published report on the status of nursing-home care in Nevada was disturbing in some ways, encouraging in others.

The data accumulated was based on percentage of residents with pressure sores, percentage of residents with loss of ability in basic daily tasks, and percentage of long-term stay residents with pain.

The information compiled can be helpful in choosing nursing-home care for a loved one, an onerous task at best.

Nursing-home care has improved considerably since state and federal agencies have begun to monitor carefully the care centers.

I recall a series in the Las Vegas Sun many years back. Then-reporter Alan Jarlson and I visited several local nursing centers and were appalled at the conditions.

I remember the stench. I can't forget the pleas of patients for help, adequate medical care and decent food. Several centers were cited and closed by the state, but closure was not the answer as the need for beds still existed.

We reached a point where we even sympathized with the caretakers, the problems were so complex.

One longtime friend, whose mother was in a nursing home, became a kind of surrogate for all the patients.

She visited every day and was adamant in her demands. She exposed one doctor who was charging patients for visits he never made.

We surmised that the operators of the center were often saying, "Shape up, here she comes."

Most modern nursing centers do a fairly good job of caring for their patients, but it is best to know how to compare nursing homes if the time comes when you must make decisions about care.

To help in making that decision, contact Nursing Home Compare at medicare.gov or call 1-800-Medicare (800) 633-4227.

One week until Thanksgiving. Can Christmas be far behind?

I love the holiday season, but health problems slow me down considerably in the shop-'til-you-drop department. I admit a smidgeon of envy for those who can plow through the crowds, check the merchandise and toss out that piece of plastic we call a credit card.

Whether it's the newly remodeled Fashion Show mall or a Wal-Mart, there's much for eager shoppers to enjoy. From high-end malls on the Strip to small neighborhood centers, Las Vegas has truly become a shopper's paradise.

We've come a long way from the times of Von Tobel's, Ronzone's, Johnsons, Fannys, the Magic Eye, I Magnin, Bertha's and Oran Gragson Furniture.

There was a huge celebration when the Boulevard mall opened its doors to be followed by the Meadows. Both are still going strong.

We often stopped at a huge outlet mall on the way to Southern California to search for bargains. No need to leave town now as several such malls exist to offer cut-rate prices to the cost-conscious.

The history of the fantastic improvements in shopping opportunities in Las Vegas is fascinating and rewarding to those of us who value quality, fair prices, selection and variety of choice.

Las Vegas has, indeed, come a long way.