Patients I Remember

The first post reminded me of a patient in a long term care facility. He could no longer communicate, drooled heavy secretions incessantly, had a feeding tube. I was working in housekeeping and went into his room to clean. It was 11 am, and he was totally soaked from the feeding tube that became detached, and also apparently from a very wet diaper. I called for his nursing assistant, who looked at the poor man, who was shivering from being cold, and she said "That's night shift's fault", left the room and did not come back. I waited thinking she had gone for supplies, I told the nurses, but it was apparent he was not going to get help. I went to get supplies to do it myself, but was told that I would be breaking regulations (they were right) so finally I stood in the hall way and said" I will not clean any rooms until this man gets help!" The strangest thing happened, this man who rarely made a peep, made a sound and when I looked at him, he smiled at me. He died two days later.

That is so sad that she couldn't even try to make that man comfortable while he was dying, just because it wasn't her responsibility somehow. Shame on her.