My thoughts exactly Opi. My wish for all elderly people would be that they are blessed with children like you Julie. You are so correct about the residents that do not have regular or any visitors. Or visitors that keep a close watchful eye on their loved ones. Loved ones have to take the extra steps to check for bruises and bumps and bed sores etc...
They keep a sign in record book at the entrance to keep track of visitor's names and relation to the resident. This book is watched very close and studied so employees learn when and which residents will be getting a visitor. They pay close attention to schedules and visiting habits such as days and times, weekly or biweekly etc.
This is not so much for the protection of the resident as it is for the protection of nursing home and staff. They try to stay one step ahead to make sure the resident and their rooms are clean and presentable for the visit. After all, if you walk in for a visit on the day they are expecting you and everything looks fine, they know you will leave that visit assuming that everything is fine.
Many residents, if they are lucky, get a Saturday visit from their family. These families need to stop in on a Monday or Tuesday and see what kind of shape they find their loved ones in, since the staff was not expecting them for 3 or 4 more days. Each and every person in places like this, especially Stearns, needs to have voice and someone outside of this facility looking out for their best interest and well being.