Can a patient be left alone?

caliotter3 · Jan 11, 2014

I was placed in this type of situation with a vent dependent client. One time I walked in and she was in respiratory distress with the vent alarming, she said only for a short time. My employer told me that what happens before and after my shift did not matter. Never met the caregivers that I was supposed to be relieving and who were supposed to be relieving me. I was glad when that case ended. Of course you should not be leaving the client alone, common sense, but if tptb say a functioning alarm is sufficient, make certain that is the case, and document it. I would never accept a case like that again. Not worth the risk.

clearblue3 · Jan 11, 2014

Thanks caliotter! I agree! It jus isn't worth the risk. This patient doesn't have a vent but I anything can happen! I would be so nervous all of the time! I can't believe they were leaving a vent patient alone. Scary!

caliotter3 · Jan 11, 2014

Oh, yes. The other caregivers were not nurses or HHAs. They came and went as they pleased and ran rough-shod over the client. I convinced myself that reporting to my employer was enough but looking back I know better.

cazach0122 · Jan 13, 2014

It really depends on the situation. Check with your agency - they should know how many hours are allotted for private care.

When I was a CNA I had an elderly client who I saw for 3 hours every day - the rest of the time she was alone with a medical alert button and had family check in on her throughout the day. She had mild Alzeheimer's and would sometimes do things like leave the oven on all day. I felt a little uncomfortable leaving her alone and expressed my concerns to the family and my agency, but ultimately this was the situation and there was little I could do. Eventually she set her kitchen table on fire by letting a candle burn too long and they finally placed her in a nursing home.

Now as an RN I have an adult vent patient and a pediatric patient. I would never under ANY circumstance leave either one alone, even if the agency or parent told me "it's ok." Neither are allotted 24 hour nursing care but there is always a parent or guardian present in the home. If my relief was going to be late I would wait for them to arrive before I left. If I was truly expected to leave one alone I would drop the case... There's just no way.

ventmommy · Jan 15, 2014

I know from my many years of EMS experience that if EMS is called and it's not an ideal situation, they will contact adult protective services if the adult truly should not be living on her/his own.

I had the sweetest patient that was found wandering on a majorly busy 6-lane road. Her neighbor found her and brought her home. The neighbor called us because when she went in the house it was beyond disgusting (rats, no food, no running water, toilets and sinks overflowing with feces and urine). The neighbor said the woman's daughter brought her a bag of food weekly (that the rats were feasting on). The woman was completely disoriented. The woman's daughter came to the hospital while I was there with my next patient and the police promptly arrested her. She was convicted of elder abuse and child abuse (after further investigation) and sentenced to several years in prison.

I will never understand family members that don't/won't/can't find a way to provide necessary care and supervision.