Petrified when handling residents that expire...

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Specializes in LTC.

I have a huge phobia when it comes to dealing with residents that expire. To be honest when ever I see an expired resident my pulse goes up , I tremble, and the image of their body stays in my mind. Whenever I suspect a resident on hospice has passed I always call an aide in the room when doing postmortum care. However, there was one resident that looked so scary when he passed that I couldn't even touch him. I feel like a terrible nurse and can't wait to get out of geriatrics. I know as a nurse I must see patients die but some of them look so scary and I can't sleep at night. Please help me, get over this phobia.

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im the same way also... im a cna i dont know if you are. but i usally cleaned them up and make them look good before while they are breathing. for when they do expire i dont have to go back in the room,, also i would have another cna with me to help

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

It can be a little scary at first. I just always keep in mind that this was someone's mom, dad, child, sweetheart, etc...and that if it was your family - what would you want for them? I have found talking to them a little, letting them know you are performing one last act of respect, helps a little. I know I would want that for my grandma/grandpa. Just focus on each part you are cleaning, moving until you relax some. It really does get easier in time but there is nothing wrong in asking for help. Hope it gets better for you

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Hi NurseLoveJoy88,

Maybe you should watch this film called "Departures". It is a cute, charming and heart-warming Japanese film (English subtitles) that gave me a whole new perspective on death. I had a warm fuzzy feeling after watching it. I believe it won an Academy Award as well as an Oscar. =)

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I'm just curious, what is "scary" about it? Yes, I realize they are dead and it is sometimes very sad but I just can't see what is scary about it.

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Specializes in LTC.

Thanks every one. The fact that they are expired don't bother me. I can do care and etc. Its just the WAY they look. Some of them really waste away and look horrific, especially when the mouth is hung open and the eyes are bucked wide and won't close. I guess I will learn to cope.

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That was a great movie - and I don't say that very often about a movie at all.

Though I don't believe there's a DVD release with English subtitles when I saw it.

Hi NurseLoveJoy88,

Maybe you should watch this film called "Departures". It is a cute, charming and heart-warming Japanese film (English subtitles) that gave me a whole new perspective on death. I had a warm fuzzy feeling after watching it. I believe it won an Academy Award as well as an Oscar. =)

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If you roll up a towel and put it under the person's jaw, it will help keep it closed. Not sure what to do about eyes, though.

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Thanks every one. The fact that they are expired don't bother me. I can do care and etc. Its just the WAY they look. Some of them really waste away and look horrific, especially when the mouth is hung open and the eyes are bucked wide and won't close. I guess I will learn to cope.

when i first started hospice, it made me somewhat uncomfortable doing post-mortem care.

it wasn't the mouth open that bothered me, but the eyes that just.wouldn't.close.

now when i'm w/a dying pt, i encourage them to close their eyes while i speak softly and gently to them.

it relaxes them and their eyes remain shut after they die.

i don't do this for me, but for the families who wish to say their good-byes.

you're not alone, and it does take getting used to.

leslie

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Thanks every one. The fact that they are expired don't bother me. I can do care and etc. Its just the WAY they look. Some of them really waste away and look horrific, especially when the mouth is hung open and the eyes are bucked wide and won't close. I guess I will learn to cope.

Okay, I understand.

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm glad I'm not alone. In fact I love and was interested in hospice. I love taking care of residents who are at the end stage of life, just my phobia holds be back a little. maybe the fact that we've had 5 residents die in the pass week have left me a little uneasy.

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Specializes in Clinicals in Med-Surg., OB, CCU, ICU.

I am not sure what goes through your mind when presented with this situation. This may require some expert assistance to enable you to work through. I do not think less of you, and I believe you can get through this and find great peace when working around the expired residents. I find it a honor to clean up the body and prepare it for presentation for the family. I also have had several opportunities to spend time at the bedside of a dying patient. Now when I was in my 20s, I was very "weirded out" with death and dying. I was very uncomfortable with being around dead people. I am sure I had weird ideas and I could have made some great horror movies with my imagination. But let's face reality... if your worse fears could come true, they most likely would have been reported already by the media or "bizarre medical reports" by others experiencing the same events. The world is a big place, and a lot of weird crap happens, but I have not seen a zombie nor have I witnessed a demon. So, they most likely do not exist. :D

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