CHUX.

[FraidoCat]

Hello Fellow CNA's.

Do you guys use CHUX? We used to, but unfortunately management in its infinite wisdom has decided to discontinue using them and I gotta tell you. I'M CHANGING MORE BEDS THAN EVER!!

My LTC is making a big ruckus about the possible health reform proposals coming from Washington, they are using it as an excuse to cut all kinds of programs (obviously to increase the bottom line, imho, of course).

So, what kinda bullcrap is your LTC doing to cut costs? Do you guys still have Chux?

[One Flew Over]

That's just silly! I'd think you'd be going through wayyy more linen and breifs that way, no? Plus how do you boost people and such?

[jules720]

Our facility has a cloth-made washable pad instead of a chux pad. We do use those chux when the laundry machines break down, about 4-5 times a year. I can't imagine not having anything. I was unfolding a chux once, and I flipped it out (like you would a bed sheet) and it disintegrated in mid air. I felt so dumb, I'm not used to them I guess. We have been able to save money on disposable undergarments, though. I was changing a resident in bed, and as I rolled her over to pull out the other side of the undergarment it ripped in half. I'm so glad we are saving money, management is so smart. Bless their pointy little heads.

[eveningsky339, LPN]

I don't even know what "chux" are, so I'm assuming that we don't use them.

[ctmed]

It is a proven fact that no matter what industry, most management makes decisions like this because they do not have to do it themselves. Sounds great on paper... make people work, save money, less chance of rashes, Yeah!

The kicker is, what is going to happen when this causes work to happen to them. One facility, many mad family members yelled at them in the office because they found a their loved ones doing the backstroke in the yellow sea! Change linen, yes. Write up CNA, yes. But, a good number of folks are on heavy fluid pills! With CNA loads you simply cannot be in there exactly when 10 to 18 people happen to pee! It is multiple gripe sessions

with families waiting to happen.

One place I knew that did what you are talking about. The switch back was after a month! :)

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

They've withheld chucks from us before and we just ended up overloading the poor laundry person.

[rosey2007cna]

I the place I used to work we hard those crazy little underwear pads for some of our incontinent people. Those pads did not hold hardly anything at all , so the person would go through there pads. Then I would get to change this poor person 2 or 3 times a day. We had one resident that would leak so bad through these pads that it would drip from the wheelchair and then onto the floor. I really wish that they would cut other corners then these. We also had these horrible wash cloths that felt like sand paper on the residents.

[daimere]

We use "pink pads" that are like quilted squares instead of chux. Unfortunately they are only for the residents were it is written for them because of skin break down or someone who has massive diarrhea (which it's still hard to get them in that case). Evidently my ltc used to give every resident pink pads till a few years ago. Now, it means more full beds. We have some residents that pull off their brief which means they are in a wet bed till we can get to them.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

Oh yeah, we have like 3 pairs of those absorbent underwear that don't work. For some reason the DON had a fit one time and said we had to use those instead of briefs and they dug up about 3 more of them from somewhere. Like 6 freaking cloth briefs anywhere NEAR enough for 30 residents! especially when most of the pee leaks right out the sides before it's even absorbed! That lasted a whole 2 days before that great idea went out the window.

I think the whole thing started because one of our "streaker" residents stripped in bed and a visitor saw her and made a fuss. So they said we had to put briefs on everyone who lays down during visiting hours. We said it was gross to leave your crotch encased in plastic literally all day so out came those horrid cloth ones.

I think cloth briefs would be a great idea if they actually worked. Think of all the briefs sitting in landfills right now. But they totally don't do anything.

[Restoration]

We use chux at school in the labs and were told where we are gona do clinical uses chux.

[CoffeemateCNA]

So, what kinda bullcrap is your LTC doing to cut costs? Do you guys still have Chux?

We still use chux, but admin has started rationing them to us. We get 1 package per unit per shift. Each package has 6 chux. How they expect us to make that last for 75 residents? Who knows.

They have also begun switching some of the incontinent residents from briefs to the disposable pull-ups, because "they are cheaper and we are saving the residents' money." Yes, they are cheaper, but they do not absorb ANYTHING. Every time I go to toilet these residents they are COMPLETELY soaked through their clothes and bedding. Yes, we are "saving money" by not using as many incontinence products, but we are making up for it with all the extra laundry we have to do.

Oh yeah, they started cross-training ALL nursing staff to perform housekeeping, maintenance, and laundry duties. As soon as the housekeepers and maintenance and laundry workers leave for the night, we are expected to take over. There's nothing like mopping all of the floors and scrubbing toilets in between answering call-lights. Uh, can someone say "infection control??" By the way, we get no extra pay for these extra responsibilities. :grn:

Sorry, I'm just ranting now. :)

[FraidoCat]

I think my DON lied through his teeth. He told us that the reason they are getting rid of the CHUX is because the company is trying to get a head of the new State regulations next year. And of the regulations is that if a resident wears a brief he/she can not use chux because it's a "dignity issue".

It sounds like BS to me. I'm gonna look into it.