Are people getting meaner, or am I just going soft?

[TakeTwoAspirin]

I have had my face ripped off today by several patients who were enraged that I wouldn't give them exactly what they wanted rather than what I believed they needed. Don't get me wrong, most of my patients are wonderful, but I'm having a run of people who are just out of control! People treat family practice like it's a Burger King. Rant over. Tomorrow is another day......

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

And even if the indication is there just how wonderful are the Alzheimers meds we currently have available?

I love the Hospice families who want to keep giving Mom her Alzheimer's meds "because she might get better". No. She won't.

Funny, but once you explain to them what "medically necessary" means and that neither Mom's Part D OR Hospice is going to pay for it, and it's going to cost THEM a metric butt-ton of money, all of a sudden they aren't so adamant about it.

[Jules A, MSN]

I love the Hospice families who want to keep giving Mom her Alzheimer's meds "because she might get better". No. She won't.

Funny, but once you explain to them what "medically necessary" means and that neither Mom's Part D OR Hospice is going to pay for it, and it's going to cost THEM a metric butt-ton of money, all of a sudden they aren't so adamant about it.

Speaking only for my own family I'm relieved we subscribe to the "only pain medications and loads of them" philosophy when the time comes.

[IsabelK]

I love the Hospice families who want to keep giving Mom her Alzheimer's meds "because she might get better". No. She won't.

Funny, but once you explain to them what "medically necessary" means and that neither Mom's Part D OR Hospice is going to pay for it, and it's going to cost THEM a metric butt-ton of money, all of a sudden they aren't so adamant about it.

I've seen that. I flat out won't write for the meds. They are welcome to go somewhere else.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

I've seen that. I flat out won't write for the meds. They are welcome to go somewhere else.

We never tell families they can't have the meds-we just make it clear that if they insist on having them, THEY are getting stuck with the bill. At which point they grumble about "I thought Hospice paid for everything", and when that gets them nowhere, they suddenly decide Mom really doesn't need them after all.

[BloomNurseRN, ASN, BSN, RN]

I had surgery a few months ago at a large regional hospital in our metroplex area. Of course I got the Press Gainey questionaire a few weeks letter with such insane questions like "was your admitting RN friendly?" etc. etc. I wrote in large bold writing at the bottom:

I refuse to answer questions that reduce your well-educated, high performing healthcare team to waitresses at a restaurant. I was admitted to your hospital, had a complicated surgery and am now home three weeks later alive, with no post-op complications, infections and the intended result of the surgery was successful. Therefore, your team did a great job at what they are supposed to be doing."

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