Labelling Residents As Attention Seeking

[marjoriemac, LPN]

Hi all,

This is something that really gets me . Nurses who label residents as attention seeking because they constantly ask for the toilet, they say they are in pain when they do not physically appear so, they ask for assistance to walk when they can walk perfectly well or when they refuse to eat. I am a fIrm believer that in 99% of these cases, the so called attention seeking is brought on by the institution. People respond to warmth, to having someone show an interest in them - when in care homes, we do not get enough time to show an interest in our residents they will inevitably find other ways to bring us to them . Fact - the behaviour mentioned above gets our attention, perhaps in a negative way, but it does. It is a reflection of the care in a home when residents have to resort to this. We do not work with machines, we work with people who have emotional and social needs. Next time a nurse reports that Mrs so and so is attention seeking ask him/ her WHY?

[leslie :-D]

yep, we have titles for everything, don't we?

in its' most simplistic form, all these 'attn-seekers' want is a little validation.

labels belong on the back of a jar, that's it.

leslie

[HeatherLPN]

I have a few residents that are labeled as that too, but I've found if I take a few mintues to chat with them, I don't seem to have too much trouble with that on my shift. They are PEOPLE, and sometimes just need some TLC. They are sometimes younger, they are away form family, they are discouraged with their situation, ect. Put yourself in their shoes--I can't imagine having a stroke at a young age, or having strangers take care of me.

[thsnursluvsgeriatric]

Hi, marjoriemac:

I agree, some warmness and caring goes a long way. I like to be goofy with those that enjoy it, dance with those that can and will, sing hymns and spiritual songs, visit and listen. I lived in a small town for 9 years, away from my family, never been so lonely in my whole life. It helped me understand what the loneliness of the elderly might be like. This does not come close to the losses they have known but it taught me allot. If I can ease some of their grief with companionship I will, it's as much a part of nursing as giving pills, care plans or doing the ADL's.

[peds4now, RN]

I'm attention-seeking, I think that makes me human. We are social animals. And those dang newborns, have you ever noticed how they just sit there and scream until you come and give them what they want-attention! The stuff you are talking about makes me want to scream, "well, give 'em some friggin attention then!!!"

Hello!!!!! Where are all the professional nurses? Is it like you pass the NCLEX and suddenly your brain is fried and you are happy to be a mediocre nurse who changes the dressings on the pressure ulcers once every few days and passes meds on time?

P.S. where can I work in L.A. when I graduate this year that has great nurses? any advice? I want to work around people who take their profession seriously!

[queenofgerichairs]

Give the residents soemthing to look foward to when you come on duty. I play on "their cort". If they think my name is Billy I act like i think Billy might. I have Changed may tractor tires on W/C and taken residents to the bank in the front office. If you just let them be the way they want its easier to help them. As a CNA once I got a lady to eat her Potatos I told her I would stand on my head if she finished them and by cracky she did so I had a head ache the rest of the shift.

[banditrn]

I don't know why it is, but I seem to like the ones that no one else does - I try to get to them 'before' the behavior starts, and that works a lot of the time.

I have a 'skilled' patient in with a regular LTC patient. Whenever I go in to assess the skilled patient, the other lady would wake up with multiple complaints of pain, etc. So now I go to her first, ask if she's in pain, give her tylenol if she needs it, then go to the other lady. It's been working well.