Work a day on the wild side

[ebony2]

Hi all,

Just a very different experience I thought I 'd like to share with you and hopefully bring a smile to your face.

I thought I had just about seen it all. Years ago a resident I was caring for wanted to go to bed, he was seated in a high-back stationary chair by his beside, with a posey vest restraint in place(remember them). No one came quick enough and the resident was found in bed lying face doen with the chair stll attached to his back!

Now this incident only happened a week or so ago.

Imagne if you will having a fairly hectic day and just as you are beginning to gain control you start to pass some of your evening meds. As you are focusing on the task at hand, you look up to see a resident's familiy members walking down the corridor with TWO not ONE fully grown LLamas. They were walking them with reigns. The animals were well groomed and beautiful. I stood there trying to haul my bottom jaw up off the floor.

Suddenly, the staff gets into it, taking the visiors from doorway to doorway sharing our( a bit out of the ordinary situation) with other residents and visitors alike). I'm running ahead talking to my resident's inqiring of they had a fear of animals and what they could expect to see the corridors in a few minutes.

Vistors and residents alike were entering the hallways with a look of awe on their faces. Some of the residen'ts became over exuberant hugging and kissing the llama's(I'm thinking, is mad cow disease anywhere in the picture ) While the resident whom the family was bringing the llamas to see kept yelling "I don't like the llamas." "I don't like the llamas." I'm still in the process of composing myself when I see a light flash. I turned to see what was going on and yes, you guessed it, they were having their own photo shoot with the celebs. One resident even pulled an the reigh, the owner was holding , so that her picture could be taken with the llamas face right next to hers. Everyone was all smiles and having a good time, while visions of licensing boards, unemployment lines and an award for nurse dummy of the year, danced through my head. A visitor walking by, snapping me out of my nightmare with the comment ,Well you don't see this every day, do you? I still stood fast, insuring no one was being hurt and devising the master plan for (if/when ) the state walked in and requested a resonable explaination about why every known regulation in the book was being broken here. They never did come by and the residents speak fondly to this day about the llamas who came to visit.

I guess it just goes to prove somethings you just can't plan for, control or MAKE UP !!!!!

[marjoriemac, LPN]

I LOVE IT! I want llamas in our work? Suppose it's the same principle as dogs and cats coming into the home but on a much bigger scale! I heard of a home where a C/A brought in her pet snake once and the residents loved it, another where they set up a pen outside for a visiting donkey! The unexpected certainly brings a spark to the eyes of our residents and makes life more natural. One Halloween, the door bell went and when I answered, there stood four little kids loking for candy. Needless to say, we had to raid the staff tea breaks and kitchen biscuit cupboard to find anything worth giving but this gave ample opportunity for the kids to go round the rooms, the residents loved it!

[PurrRN]

Wow, what a "WTH" experience. Holy Moley. Don't get me wrong, I think animal therapy is wonderful!!! But llamas? Hope you didn't get any unexpected "gifts" from them while they were visiting. Don't know many llamas that are housebroken.:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :roll I bet the resident's will talking about this for a long time......"Remember that one day? When the llamas came for a visit?".....heheh, cool.

[Fuzzy]

I'm in a therapy animal group. Not only do we take well behaved dogs and cats into the nursing homes but also miniature horses, llamas, goats, rabbits, chinchillas, and an occasional show lamb. The animals are bathed the day before. Yes, there is the occasional mistake but everything is taken in stride. Many of these animals are show animals, therefore they are well-socialized and not nervous in strange places. Animals that are nervous have to relieve themselves more often. Quite a few of the animals are owned, shown, and trained by local youth. The residents love both the animals and the kids. Most of the residents in this area are from rural backgrouds so we are told some funny stories concerning these animals. The staff also enjoys this activity as it is something new and different. Our events are scheduled so we have quite a welcoming party. The only rule that we have to follw is that animals are not allowed in the dining hall.

Fuzzy

[ebony2]

Thanks guys! As unlikely an experience in the scheme of things as this was for me, it's nice to know that the unexpected has happened elsewhere. To answer all the questions about unwanted gifts these animals were housebroken, no mishaps and had eyes that seem to hold the knowledge/wisdom from the beginning of time. We humans could have learned quite a few lessons from them concerning good behavior.

[Midwest4me]

WOW Ebony2 you really had an exceptional day that day, didn't you? Oh thanks for sharing your experience---it brightened my day!

[meannana]

Isn't it wonderful that someone took the time to bring a smie to the faces of your Pt. I would be all for it, just not sure how admin. would feel about it and as for as the stae goes,you could have pleded the 5th

[meannana]

and guess what , looks like I can't spell