what makes a person choose to work in a nursing home? I don't know of anyone getting rich at that profession, so just what is it that makes a person choose to take classes and get licensed to work with the elderly?
oh I almost forgot, in Ohio, when I asked this of a service that hires out home health aides, the woman in charge says that the people who are sent out as home health aides do not necessarily even have to be able to read!! Did you know that some of the people working with our grandparents, aunts, uncles, moms & dads cannot even read. How can this be possible? there is an oral test for those applicants who are illiterate. Seriously?!?!?!?
Okay, so knowing that some of these care providers can't read should be bad enough to want everything revamped, but what about a nurse who is just plain mean and disrespectful.
When we got to the nursing home we were heading for my aunts room, and found her sitting in the hallway, lost... and she was glad to see us because she could get to the bathroom now that we were there. when we got her back to her room, I helped her get on the toilet, which means helping her stand, get her pants down and seated on the commode... there is an alarm on her wheelchair which goes off when she stands since she has fallen in the past, this lets the staff know that someone is standing that has fallen before. so the nurse came in and helped her get her pants back up and back into her chair, and all is well for the moment. I ignored hearing my aunt saying "hey! you're hurting me"...but I DID hear it. I have made enough transfers to know what I was doing, but i also know sometimes things happen, so maybe she did accidently hurt her. After a few minutes, my aunt wanted to use the facilities again and again i was helping her when that same nurse appeared (thank you seat alarm).This time my aunt was in the bathroom, all she needed was pants down and to be seated and the nurse says to me, "it isn't appropriate for you to do be doing this"shooing me out of the bathroom... and to my aunt says "you just went a few minutes ago, you need to visit with your family now" the entire time my aunt insisting she needs to go and yelling lots of 4-letter words at that nurse. I have done 1000's of transfers, & know how to do it safely, that wasn't the issue in my mind, the lady needed help and I gave it*-till that nurse came in. I wanted to tell her I have done 100's, maybe 1000's. so I get shooed away, and that nurse argued with my aunt all the while attempting to get her to leave the bathroom when she knows she has to go... probably a 5-7 minute bunch of words with the nurse telling her why she can't go to the bathroom (that moment) on the commode she is standing in front of...with my aunt yelling but I HAVE TO GO!!
I had walked out of the room to keep myself from knocking some sense into that damned nurse!! but i heard her from just outside the room... On a normal day, had I been alone instead of with another elderly aunt I would have spent the time to go to the administration about this nurse & the bathroom incident, but my other aunt was upset because her sister was cursing at this nurse and she was shocked by her behaviour more than how that nurse had treated her sister. this is a woman who wouldn't say 'Shit' if she was standing knee-deep in it!! what do you think provoked her to this point?? She knew she needed to go, and was told go ahead, you're wearing a diaper... In the time this nurse spent arguing with my aunt-she could have helped her with her pants and been done with it... a couple of times over!!!!!!!
The dilemma is: When something like this happens what should ya do?
I didn't drive there, so no control over when the chariot left for home....I live 90 miles away so I can't be there all the time to keep watch over her... so, at the point we have to leave, I am angry___with this nurse, with being the only one angry with the nurse, confused anyone would see this being my aunts' fault... she was right there, all the nurse had to do was HELP THE PATIENT with her slacks & she chose to tell her she didn't need to go again so soon and that she is wearing a diaper - to go ahead and go... what the hell? WTF!??? I felt if had I conveyed this to other staff or administration prior to leaving... my concern was that she would be treated even worse, if that nurse dared do this with family around... I believe this nurse has no business working with patients. the last time we went, I did speak to the duty nurse, but I don't know the name of the nurse involved in hurting my aunt... I have my eyes peeled for her since that visit, & when I find out who she is, she will be reported INCLUDING her name!!
I realize we all have bad days, things happen, but this nurse was wrong no matter how anyone tries to justify it, she was WRONG!!
Consider this fair warning! If, in the future, I see or hear you treating an elderly patient badly when you are supposed to be there helping, I WILL REPORT YOU!
