Being in broadcasting sometimes exposes you to the "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of the world, and I prefer to stay on the positive side of the career, and only alienate the negative when "ugly" rears its 'ugly' head.

For parents and grandparents, it goes without saying that due diligence should be priority one when it comes to skilled nursing home facilities and day care centers.

Before placing your loved ones in the capacity of inexperienced, and lack of common sense individuals, do not call ahead to schedule an appointment.  Instead, schedule multiple surprise visits, watch the staff closely, and take notes so you can talk about something you observed during your unannounced tour.

In the case of skilled nursing home facilities, try and talk to to the residents by posing as a friend or guardian; for day care centers, it's all about observation both inside and outside the facility.  Speak to the parents when they come to pick-up their children at 5 p.m.  And, for both, it's imperative to know the ratio number.  Nurse to patients, and caregiver to child.  Don't know what that number should be, but 10 to 1 moves me down the line.

Also, for these types of positions, caring for another human being, a lengthy background check should be conducted before considering a potential employee.  That wasn't the case for a Hudson day care facility that was recently shut down by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), in light of an investigation in which a toddler fell off a changing table  --  unattended, and without the safety strap being used.

A serious violation in and of itself for not filing a report on the incident, the facility neglected to immediately inform the parents of the accident, until a "bump" appeared on the infants head.

 

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