Back problems-unable to do heavy lifting

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I am an elderly LPN -assisted living who can do most of the usual nursing duties such as giving meds, charting, incident reports, calling the doctors etc etc etc. However, the new inexperienced management  team now wants all of us nurses to also work the floor and we are assigned our own group of residents to care for too. Some of the assisted living residents are very heavy and the other staff members get angry when I ask for help. We are not allowed to have Hoover lifts or anything like that because it is an  assisted living facility. So if I get my doctor to fill out paperwork saying I shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting will I then be set up to be fired for not being able to do heavy lifting? Thanks for any comments or advice.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Sorry to say this, but I think you're in for a problem. Unless you have type of diagnosis that might qualify you under ADA, that would force you employer into compliance. Now if you have a true VERIFIABLE dx with a doctor note, that MIGHT work. However, your employer may still feel you don't have the capability to satisfactorily complete the duties of the job as required.

In today's workplace environment, the modus operandi is 'either you can, or you can't'. And if YOU can't, there's no obligation that THEY must accommodate you (ADA excepted).

You can try to see if they'll work with you. Maybe .....

Also don't be surprised if your coworkers become a bit upset that you've had special accommodations made for you.

BTW - it's a HOYER lift, not Hoover. FWIW, having a HOYER might not even be any help, as usually it requires 2 staff for SAFE operation. Management might poo-poo your safety concerns, but it'd be you under the bus for any issues, not them.

If a heavy pt care assignment is just too much for you, you may just have to resign & look elsewhere. Or retire with SSDI. Tough going, I know. Been there ....

Just my thoughts. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in nursing ethics.

. Can you ask or transfer to a group of less weighty residents? If they are permanent residents then you will have less hardship but this does not solve your problem. It is temporary because new residents might also be obese. You would make up a pretext for changing groups. You don't need to tell the real reason. They might laugh. . Surely you can think of a way that enables you within the rules. Do other staff havethis challenge? Ask discreetly or by email

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Specializes in school nurse.

If you can't have a Hoyer because you're an ALF, not a SNF, you sure as shootin' shouldn't be having max transfer/incontinent "residents" (a.k.a. patients) because...you're an ALF, not a SNF. 

The contradiction astounds me...

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On 6/16/2021 at 1:25 PM, Jedrnurse said:

If you can't have a Hoyer because you're an ALF, not a SNF, you sure as shootin' shouldn't be having max transfer/incontinent "residents" (a.k.a. patients) because...you're an ALF, not a SNF. 

The contradiction astounds me...

 

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Yes. At this place, anything goes. The only requirement is that they have a pulse in order to be admitted. We get 3 person assist residents all the time. We get residents who need to be in either a hospice or a nursing home. If they have the money, they are admitted. That's all that matters at this place. Fill the beds and get the money. 

 

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Yup! As long as the Admissions Director keeps those number of beds filled ... ! Getting his/her bonus is good incentive!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I worked in a LTC for many years and the level of care required when we got an admission from an assisted living always astounded me. How did those so called minimal care assisted living's care for those people as long as they did?  

Needing a mechanical lift or even a two or three person assist is NOT assisted living, that requires full time nursing care. I suppose those places want to hang on the money as long as they can though so a transfer to a higher level of care probably isn't going to happen until there is no other option. Sad for the residents and the staff! 

As for your particular issue I am sorry to say you probably don't have many options. If you have opportunity to apply to a LTC  I would if you want to keep working.  I found physical lifting was fairly limited in that setting. The nurse does help with transfers occasionally but for the most part the job is massive med passes and tons of charting!  Sounds like the residents you are caring for require the level of care you'd see in a LTC anyway and at least in that setting you wouldn't be responsible for a full load of direct patient care.

You said you are an elderly nurse though and that might be a real barrier to alternate employment. While age discrimination is illegal in hiring it's very difficult to prove.  Is retirement an option for you if you can't find alternate employment and you just can't physically perform the job duties your current employer is now expecting?

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