Do you tell your family members you visit patient in the bad neighboorhood.

I made the mistake of (I guess mistake) of telling my family I have a pt in a extremely bad neighborhood,like one of the baddest neighborhood in the inner city.Now they are freaking telling me to drop this patient...I'm new to home health care and I only have a few patients.I want to continue to see my patient but my family gives me hard time and pressure me to have a talk with my boss...So how do you deal with you family in regards to those matters;I cant pick the neighborhoods of where I'm visiting my patients;there will be good,fair and bad neighborhoods. Do you simply just do tell them if you going into bad neighborhood,leave this part out?

[caliotter3]

I would tell family members about going to bad neighborhoods so that they could watch out for me to return. My employers have never shown interest in my personal safety.

[caliotter3]

I think it is a good idea to let family members know where you are going no matter what the neighborhood. They are the ones who will be concerned about you and notice if you don't come back on time, not your employer, who does not care about you.

[caliotter3]

Remind your family that you can be assaulted in any neighborhood and invite them to escort you to and from work. Their interest in where you go will probably diminish if you are serious about getting one of them to escort you.

[caliotter3]

The CNA whose car was stolen while she worked in a bad neighborhood said that the agency responded to her, "You have car insurance don't you?" That was the extent of their concern for her.

[sdwmb]

I tell my family where I am going every day that I work. I have worked for bosses that don't really care about my safety, however my current boss has us list our patients in order and we must either come in the office or call before going home. Some homes have been very unsafe and that patient was discharged. The unsafe homes arent always in the bad neighborhoods though. My family hates that I work homehealth I say TUFF this is what I love I use my common sense, I have not went into homes because of a bad feeling before and later found out that I was right, You just have to have your wits about you at all times good luck:nurse:

[caliotter3]

This is the first I have heard of any home health employer ever caring that a home health nurse makes it home in one piece. You should post the name of the employer so we know where to look for the next job!

[carwin]

Funny I have never worked for any administrator who was concerned about safety except for twice, my first homecare job and now. I always know where my nurses are or where they tell me they are. I ask that they call me if they are out later than usual. There would be nothing worse than a family member calling me and asking if I have seen their mother or wife, so I always plan to have an answer for them. The agency should have a policy that you are to have a copy of your schedule in the office.

I have had patients in shelters and mansions. I always tell clinicians don't have that false sense of security just because you are in a "good neighborhood". Police of "good neighborhoods" often don't report the crime that occurs to local media. Your family needs to know where you go. I am more concerned about rural areas. Something could happen and there is no one around to see or hear you scream. In urban areas, there are many people and they will hear you scream. Urbanites also are appreciative of the fact that you come to take care of their mom or neighbor. If it feels weird, it probably is.

Make a habit of calling the office and let them know that you are out. Call your after hours number and say to the on-call person, "I made it home from my last visit." Keep calling them. Make them take care of you! Remember if you aren't out in the streets, no one gets a check.

[Lacie, BSN, RN]

Wow, I'm surprised at some of the responses. In my office any nurse or other discipline that is not comfortable to include the HHA due to the neighborhood or even a pt in a non dangerous neighborhood, we go as far as arranging a police escort to accompany them if wanted. Daytona isnt that dangerous of an area but if someone's uncomfortable we do what we can to address it one way or the other. If a pt is verbally abusive they also get a call from our director and are told very candidly "if you abuse my nurses or office staff verbally or otherwise you will be discharged from our service immediately. Guess I lucked out in the facility I choose. I've only been there 7 months but love it!!! If the nurses meet thier units and dont want to take more than the prn's get called. We also attempt to ensure we match up the nurse to the pt not only in location but personality and needs. Guess I should be counting my blessings. For the housing authority pt's we try to hire male nurses usually with some type of military or law enforcement background to tend to those patients.