Are most LTC's always low on supplies?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I have been gone from LTC for 3 years. I remember there were always a shortage of B/P cuffs, oximeters, and other needed supplies. I had to bring my own B/P cuff because I could never find one available on the floor. The problem with that was that the CNA's would catch me using a B/P cuff and would ask to borrow mine. So I would feel sorry for them and loan them my B/P cuff but then when I would need it I couldn't use it because the CNA's had it.

Are LTC's still out or low on supplies these days? If you bring your own supplies, what supplies do you usually have to bring to work? Thanks.

if employees are wasting supplies, admin needs to get out there and find the culprit instead of just making the patients go without.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Short answer to the question: No. I've worked in many many different facilities and, except for one, we always have enough supplies. I've worked in places where there were plenty of supplies ordered, but nurses and aides hid them in the ceiling tiles. I especially like it when I get a call saying they are out of this or that and when I open the med room door, I find plenty of this and that and something else right in the cabinet.

Maybe it's because I work in Massachusetts and we have the toughest DPH in the world, or maybe because I work for companies that care about the residents.

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One would think that the $$ to buy supplies came straight from the purchasers OWN bank account....frustrating on both ends I am sure.

I think administration /ceo's get bonuses when costs stay down

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I remember overhearing a LTC's administrator talking about how he was brought in to turn around the place's budget from being in the red 'to black'. He was concerned for his position because the budget issues were horrendous and getting into 'the black' might not occur.

To say the facility was operating under Draconian measures understates the situation.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Ever hear of an LTC running out of suppositories or enemas???

It's happened at two places I've worked. (Nurse called the doc at 9:30 pm to report it and get another order.)

Truly a ridiculous situation. :yes:

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... administration /ceo's get bonuses when costs stay down

Yup. These savings -- as well as those related to staffing / OT reduction -- fund the exec's bennies.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Ever hear of an LTC running out of suppositories or enemas???

It's happened at two places I've worked. (Nurse called the doc at 9:30 pm to report it and get another order.)

Truly a ridiculous situation. :yes:

I've been places where glucometer testing supplies ran out.

Also ALCOHOL PREPS!!!!!! I still have a partial box of preps (that I bought for my use during the crisis) in my bathroom cabinet just to have a keepsake memento!

Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for running out of supplies - out of stock at the warehouse, delay in production by the manufacturer, unanticipated high usage by the facility, not planning ahead because of a long holiday, snow or floods delay truck delivery, etc. These are real reasons.

But for cheapo facilities who run out because they under-order, just don't order, or don't get their orders (because they don't pay their bills), there's no excuse!

I remember bringing up my next comment in an older post - sometimes staff fail to alert the supply person that supplies are running low. Everybody thinks somebody else let the supply person know.

Well, nobody did! And all of a sudden not a single #14, 16, or 18 fc in the house (only those big ole' garden hose kinds left, ouch!). And all the rebreather masks have been used up for recent 911 transfers

(real occurrences).

Some places are OK; others definitely have problems!!!!

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... ALCOHOL PREPS!!!!!! I still have a partial box of preps (that I bought for my use during the crisis) in my bathroom cabinet just to have a keepsake memento!

:D

... facilities who run out because they under-order, just don't order, or don't get their orders (because they don't pay their bills), there's no excuse!...

Agree. They just don't care.

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I have worked at two different LTC facilities, one which I am currently still employed and 1 privately owned assisted living facility. The LTC"S are pretty good about having supplies. BP cuffs and pulse oximeters are always scarce and were even that way when I worked on Med Surg. I can't live without a black sharpie. It is a recently developed necessity for me since i've been in LTC for several years. As you know, you have to label EVERYTHING in LTC. Bed pans, denture cups, nebulizer masks, all of our "stocked meds" vitamins and such, have to be dated with a sharipe when we open them, also insulin and almost everything else. I had to go buy my own sharpies and I hardly ever loan one out because I know ill never get it back. Now, the PO assisted living facility was the worst place i've ever been in in my life, let alone career. The short time that I worked there, atleast twice a week I had to go around and make a list of the absolute necessities that we were always out of which included :tape, gauze, insulin syringes, A & D ointment, wound wash, and probe covers to name a few. This facility also did not allow wash cloths!!!!!!! There were about four of them in the whole building of 65 residents and they were only used on a resident during their once per week shower. Wet wipes were used for peri care and bed baths in between. The aids would wipe them down with the wet wipes and then cake the cheapest lotion on the market all over them. Needless to say, none of the resident's smelled too good by about day 3. They also always looked greasy. They would have lotion and gunk from the wipes and skin all mixed together and caked under all their folds. I was shocked!!!! They also hired AMAP's to pass meds. There was one LPN per 8 hr shift to 60-65 residents, two AMAP's passing meds, and there was one RN there during weekdays from 8-4 and during evenings and weekends, the RN was on call. If your not familiar with an AMAP, they are people hired in off of the street and they take a 6 week class which is taught in the facility by the one RN that works there. They are hired on to do all med passes and are paid minimum wage. This made me highly uncomfortable for the two weeks in which I worked there. They supposedly learned in 6 weeks what us nurses went to school for 1-4 yrs to learn how to do and we worked our asses off. I don't feel that it is safe for someone to walk in off the street, learn a couple little things and be turned loose with narcotics and medications like Dilantin and Lopresssor and Digoxin etc. As the nurse, I had no idea whether these women posessed the knowledge of things like, for example "always check pulse before administering Digoxin and if it is under 60 it is held." Or if they know that a BP needs to be obtained before giving things like Clonidine and Lopressor etc. Or to even check a temp on residents on ATB tx. The LPN is supervisor on all shifts and all she does is chart, supervise meals,give insulin injections, and do a few pathetic little txs that are no where near accurate for the types of wounds they have there. The housekeeps were cross trained in the facility to check blood sugars and they go around and check them and then give the nurse the readings and she then administers the insulin...For every wound except your major decubs, they wash with wound wash, dry with gauze, put some skin prep or calazine around the edges of the would, and cover c 4 X 4's and/or gauze wrap. That's it. The reason why this happens is because the owner and administrator of the facility's son is the medical director and he is a OBGYN by profession. This does not even pertain to this post but these are just a few major things that went on there and I just cannot believe it! I understand that it is privately owned as well as "assisted Living" and is not a skilled nursing facility. But, they just seemed to break every rule imaginable to me and I felt like they did everything backwards. What do you guys think about this? Also, I live in West Virginia and I know the nursing laws differ per state but I believe that the concern that I had while working there, I had good cause for. Has anyone had any experience with a place like this or know anything about assisted living?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I'm not going to argue for or against medication aides, but, it is NOT a necessity to hold Digoxin simply because the person's pulse is less than 60 and you don't have to take a bp on someone merely because they are on lopressor. Do you take your temp if you're on antibiotics at home? I don't.

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there is usually an order check pulse before the digoxin, b/c risk of digoxin toxicity. there's even an antidote for it.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I agree with CCM - we over-vital signs our residents! I'm on lisinopril and a combo bp/diuretic - I don't take my BP.

In the NH, I think we take BPs only because the Pharmacy consultant requests it and the State likes us to follow pharm recommendations!!!

I've never worked with med-certified CNAs. In NJ, they're in ALs, but not LTC to my knowledge. I do see the problem 110%. Could not the facilities require their own on-going education with competenciy monitoring. Hey! Nurses get evaluated on our medpasses, why not med-CNAs too?

Oops! It seems we side-tracked the thread from supplies shortages. Back to the topic... bottom line is that some places are better than others. And I have been spoiled being at good ones!

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