Had a roach fall out of the cealing..

Specialties Home Health

Published

Specializes in Wound Care.

Today was my very first day in HH. I work for an agency that does intermittent (mostly wounds). Today was my first day and I was shadowing another nurse in the field. I'm from California and used to urban environments (I mean I live in Long Beach for heavens sakes) but today I ventured into some places where I was in shock. We visited 6 homes today and every single one of them was just awful...and they just kept getting worse. One place there as an guy in is 80's living in a garage. No windows, no circulation, one little table light. The lighting was so bad we had to leave the door open just to see what we were doing.

The next place, I'm on my knee's cleaning this wound (on same carpet that looked like it had not been cleaned since the 40's) and I kid you not a roach fell off the ceiling and landed on my shoulder.

The next place we went to 4 guy were hanging out in the living room drinking. 4 big dudes. Had I been alone I would have been very very scared.

I love the jobs but the living conditions and fear of safety concerns have me worried.

Anyone take taiser or mace

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I took pepper spray, you have to be cautious about dogs as well as people. I've been in some really run down homes, some sleazy motels, trailers that have no ventilation. I am pretty sure I had a bed bug jump on me too, or it might have been a flea...either way it gave me the creepy crawlies for the rest of the day. It's part of the territory unfortunately. I didn't know so many hoarders existed in my small town until I started in HH. You get used to it pretty quickly. I personally wouldn't take a taser with me. Good luck!

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Specializes in Wound Care.

It makes me feel a little better to know that you'll do get used to it.

My biggest worry is safety. Today I was with someone else, if I had to revisit all those places today I'm not sure I would feel comfortable doing so

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Yea it is scary being alone, maybe if the situation seems really bad, you can have someone go with you? I know we can have someone go along if we feel unsafe, usually one of the office secretaries.

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Specializes in Home Health.

I have a concealed carry and I wouldn't hesitate to take it into a home (concealed of course) if I felt unsafe. Now, my 9mm wouldn't help for the roach on my shoulder. ;) Dirty is a WHOLE lot different than scary. LOL

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Specializes in Wound Care.

I'll have to check but I don't think a concealed weapon is an option in CA

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Home health visits will expose you to every kind of home environments. Either you'll get used to it or you won't. There is NO promise in HH that the only pts you'll visit will be the 'good' ones. Even addresses that are in the 'BESTest' neighborhoods can fool you.

Ask your coworkers for 'tips of the trade'. You learn rather quickly to bring in only the minimum of supplies/equip needed. And I scooted into many places without my coat. When I did wear a coat in, I used to do what I called my "where are my keys'" routine. I used to jiggle my coat like I was listening for my keys; "Oh, there they are". But I was really shaking my coat to drop off any unwanted buggers. And bugs can be anywhere. I didn't care for the buggers; it was the human kind that concerned me for my safety. Never had any hoarders when I did HH; today that would blow me away.

Don't know what state/municipalities you'll be visiting, but there may be weapons laws and you could be in big trouble DEEP if you carry contraband. (And that could affect your license and career.)

Good luck.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

As amolucia said,

plus barriers. Folded up newspaper (read or unread, doesn't matter). Never put your bag, or your knees, on a dirty surface.

Had a roach drop off the ceiling. Far worse was when I washed my hands, reached for the paper towels, and about a hundred roaches came shooting out, worthy of any horror movie.

or when I heard some loud banging on the outside of her bathroom wall, adjacent to a service corridor. I asked if the building was doing some work. "no, that's the rats trying to get in".

Eventually we we got her to go to a NH

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Spell check. What is a cealing?

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Specializes in Psych, Substance Abuse.

Obviously it was supposed to be ceiling.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

Sorry to hear about the roach! Ew! I'd love to work in home health once I get more experience!

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Specializes in Vascular Access.

Welcome to Home Health Nursing! Yes, you will find situations where it is less than favorable, but as long as there is running water and light, and it is without gangbangers carrying their AK47's around, I'm okay with it... Now with that being said, if they don't have even the basic necessities, like running water to cleanse hands before and after, or so as the patient can be clean, then I'd really have to wonder whether this is a safe environment for your patient. Now, know too that I did Home Infusion Nursing, so some things were mandatory. We also had what was called a "hazardous" zip codes and anyone needed care in those areas were seen by two nurses.

Is it an adventure? Yep, and though you must have really good assessment skills to allow you to practice autonomously, it is rewarding.

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