For over 6 weeks my mother's laundry has been reeking of urine odor. Sometimes it is damp. Our family sees her very often. It is rare that two days go by without one of us picking up her laundry. I have spoken to the staff and director of nursing about this. Promises of things to get better, but they are not. My mom had dementia and is non verbal, wheelchair bound and in hospice care. I know nursing homes are often short staffed, but it makes me furious she is not kept dry and clean. Is there a government agency that I can go to and push their hands to provide better care?
Straight to the ombudsman, I'd say. For a person as vulnerable as your mother this standard of care is completely unacceptable, and you want someone with clout on the case.
The likelihood is that they have just lost a key member of staff and are struggling to find a good enough replacement; but there could be issues besides. E.g., just guessing - a new policy about the use of driers, to save electricity. A broken drier, and trouble getting it replaced. A change of their sundries supplier. Whatever. Once you know what's causing the trouble, you'll know what needs to happen to solve the problem and then you'll know whether you're satisfied with their response or not.
Meanwhile, it might be best to assume there needs to be a family rota so that you can at least be certain that your mother is okay while the NH gets its act together. Do you pay them a fee for this service? - or can you exert any kind of financial leverage on them?
I've tried to go up the ladder in authority, but in the end it is the staff that are responsible for mom's care at the facility. There is such a shortage of caregivers it seems those in authority are reluctant to hold their staff responsible for the quality of their work.
I can attest to the fact that facilities are severely understaffed. My husband, in rehab, recently had to wait 45 minutes for a bedpan. His aid had gone home at 11PM and had to return at 7AM.
https://www.aging.pa.gov/aging-services/Pages/Ombudsman.aspx