Difference b/t LTC and Assisted Living?

[luv4nursing]

Hello all,

Ive been an LPN for a year now, but Ive only worked in peds home health. I was wondering if you would mind to explain the difference as far as the duties of an LPN in LTC versus Assisted Living? I am considering going to a facility but I would like to know the difference in tasks. Im going back for my RN in January and am considering a weekend baylor position so I can have all week off to focus on school.

Also, I am concerned about picking up the routine in a facility as far as med pass/treatments/charting on 15 or more patients. Ive gotten spoiled by home health and Im not sure I could keep up...lol. What is the best way to go about getting in there and picking it up and being able to get everything done on ur shift? I know that most dont offer much of an orientation so its sort of swim or sink, but Id like to know the best way to pick up speed and organization and get into the swing of things as painlessly as possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[rjf59]

I work in a LT psyc. facility and in an assisted living at this time although I did work in a LTC on rehab for a short time.

At an assisted living facility, the residents there should be under the status of "chronic but stable" in condition... Not so in the LT facilities.

At our assisted living facility, there are no treatments to be done, unless someone gets cut and needs a bandage or falls and needs a bandaging. If there are treatments to be done, the Visiting Nurse Agencies come into the assisted living facility. I think in the assisted living the nurse also has to be up on his/her assessment skills. Even though the residents are "chronic but stable" when they come in to the building, it doesn't stay that way. They often get sick and can't put their finger on what's wrong and we have to figure it out.

In the LTC facilities, the nurses administer all drugs BUT in the assisted living facility I work at and at the others in my area, the nurses pre-pour most of the drugs into pill minders and the CNA's have an assignment sheet to tell them when to prompt meds and they do those that we pre-pour. We do administer to those residents who take narcotics.

Also, another difference is that there is more paperwork and charting in the LTC facilities. At the assisted living there is much less charting but there seems to be more calls and faxes to the physicians though.

I'd have to say the work is easier at the assisted living than at the psyc center or the LTC facility I've worked at, BUT I do have triple the "foot-work" at the assisted living. I'm always running for someone falling or someone not feeling well... etc. etc. etc....And because they pay BIG $$$ to be in assisted living (all of those in my area are private pay only) They want everything done yesterday!!!!

Really, I loved my job at the LTC facility (had to leave because there was mold in the building and I had two anaphylactic reactions there), I love my per-diem job at the psyc. facility (it's a LT veterans psyc center) and I love my FT job at the assisted living. All are very different but they are all rewarding jobs.

Hope this helped you.

[joni55]

I am a new nurse in an asissted living facility (LPN) I work on the dementia side with 73 patients. I am the only nurse with 6 caregivers. I pass all meds, do charting, Dr orders, answer calls, assessments when someone falls, etc. Is this unsafe? I practically run all night and forget things. I can't seem to get it all done, especially like last night when 2 people fell back to back, one with a skin tear to bandage. I them call the Dr and the POA. I am not happy here so far with only a few days under my belt. Please respond any info will help.