What I Wish I Could Say to My Residents and Their Families

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Specializes in LTC.

1. You are NOT the only resident in this facility.

2. Your mother is NOT the only resident in this facility.

3. No, there is no way you can still receive Dad's Social Security check. Get a job.

4. If you're unhappy with her care here, by all means, take her home. Here, I'll help you

pack.

5. Your Dad, the aphasic, bedridden, 5 yrs+ incontinent resident with advanced dementia

said he needed to go to the bathroom? Really? Well stop the press! We are witness to a miracle! And right as we're serving lunch, too....

6. YOU aren't paying good money for anything. Medicaid is. You're welcome.

7. Sure, go ahead and give you're NPO Mom on a feed tube her beloved coffee. She'll

aspirate and maybe even die, as explained ad nauseum. As if sneaking her foods/drinks by mouth when we're not looking somehow lessens the risks...

8. No, Mom is not going to suddenly "snap out of" the catastrophic stroke she had so

you can take her check, er...her home with you.

9. You can cover Dad up as well as I can.

10. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (As I bang my head on the desk).

Thank you for letting me get that out. As you can see, I'm a "little" fed up with LTC. I've been a LTC nurse for almost 6 yrs now, and I HAVE HAD IT!!!!!!!!!!! Demanding/whiny/entitled residents, demanding/whiny/entitled family members, mountains of paperwork, it's crushing my spirit and making me resentful at nursing. I have many more things I would LOVE to say to residents, MD's, families, corporate CEO's, etc., but I think the above will suffice for now. Again, thank you for the rant. Please feel free to add your own.

1 Votes

I know it gets frustrating...but you have to remember, for some family members this is the first time they have had a family member in LTC so accepting that mom or dad has no inclination to go pee in the toilet anymore is hard. We naturally get jaded in LTC and family members, IMO, are the hardest part. Especially the ones who show up once a year on Mother's Day and want to change mom's care plan all around to ease their guilt over not ever seeing mom. I got to your frustration level and moved on to another field...maybe it's time you should consider this? LTC well it sucks the life out of you and then some. We all need a break from it at some point.

0 Votes
Specializes in Peds, Float, Ambulatory, Telemetry (new).

lmao! We all get frustrated but we have to hold our tongues and then come to AN to let it out, lol. I am happy you were able to get it out. I can imagine you still care for the residents but then again, enough is enough.

But at some point we all have to know when to move on. So maybe it is time for you to move on out of LTC, don't want to be that grumpy, burnt out nurse no one likes. lol.

1 Votes
Specializes in LTC.

Oh yes, I loves my people! But, alas, I am turning (have turned?) into Nurse Ratched. :sniff: lol. I'm actually looking into going back to school so that I may have more options for employment.

0 Votes
Specializes in Peds, Float, Ambulatory, Telemetry (new).

lol! Oh man, that's funny! Oh that is a great idea. You have your ADN or BSN?

0 Votes
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
You have your ADN or BSN?
According to the member's profile, it reveals he/she is an LPN. LPNs are the ultimate backbone of the nursing home industry.
0 Votes
Specializes in Peds, Float, Ambulatory, Telemetry (new).
According to the member's profile, it reveals he/she is an LPN. LPNs are the ultimate backbone of the nursing home industry.

Wow...okay. Thanks for that update...:up:

But I was just trying to start a conversation with the poster, if I just wanted to know his/her information I would have looked at her profile. But thanks...

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

I think the Commuter was just trying to be helpful while paying the OP a compliment. :-)

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

Oh my. I remember we had this wicked demented lady who was NWB BLE and incontinent x5 years or more. Whenever her daughter came she INSISTED we put her mother on the toilet. Ugh. Management allowed this, too. Suuuuch a hassle. I work rehab now and am so thankful I can say no because its a safety risk, and I do.

0 Votes

Yes, I've been there. I loved LTC but at some point I to make the decision to leave LTC. It is not fair to you or the residents if you hate your job. A happy nurse does make happy patients, in my opinion.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Wow...okay. Thanks for that update...:up:

But I was just trying to start a conversation with the poster, if I just wanted to know his/her information I would have looked at her profile. But thanks...

You are very welcome! :hug:
0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab, Case management.

#1 and 2 apply everywhere... some doctors need to realize that too...

0 Votes
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