Getting residents up for the day

donmomofnine · Feb 21, 2005

I think this is a great idea but the state regulations for us won't allow but 14 hours between dinner and breakfast, so that puts our breakfast time at 7-8 am because dinner is 5-6pm. It is hard for the day staff to come in and immediately be faced with breakfast. My company is sooooo unbending when it comes to rules...I thought the residents were first.

Actually, we will be dialoguing with the department of health before initiating this change. :rolleyes:

Schmoo1022 · Feb 21, 2005

I don't mind if the patients are early risers..that's totally fine. But waking someone up? If someone woke me up at 5am, out of a dead sleep, to do a bedbath I would freak!

It seems like at my facility, it's the convenience of the staff, not the residents, that come first.

It really upsets me because my facility is small and could be great!

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2005

I was night charge (and only RN) on a freestanding rehab unit of 10 years. This issue was huge for us! We'd come in and the day primary would have written that everyone was to be up, bathed, dressed and ready for breakfast by 7 am. There is no way to do that for 12 people with just an aide and an RN unless you start at 4 am. We had many an angry meeting over this.

What ended up working for us was asking anyone who woke up on their own from 5 am on if they wanted to stay up. We also got an extra aide to come in at 5 and help. It usually ended up that 6 people would be up and ready with 6 people still getting ready at 7. A compromise.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2005

YOu can Not interfere with the resident's sleep. Doesn't matter if they are alert or confused or what time breakfast is..you can't wake them up to get them washed!

NO NO No....do it to me, and you would get a foot or fist in your face :rotfl:!

ETA: I just wanted to add..You know we are so concerned about getting things done and often forget about the big picture. Years ago we would get a few washed on 11-7. Much more behavior changes, wt loss, naps during the day,stayin up late etc. We don't do a big breakfast in the dinining room. The ones who get up early go..others eat in their room.

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Feb 21, 2005

Night shift starts get ups at 0500. They get up as many as they can, and then day shift comes in and finishes up. Works pretty good. Most of the residents get up just fine that early. The ones that don't, we let sleep. They won't eat anyway if they get up too early. There is a point that you have to make some of them get up. Otherwise they will lay in bed until they die.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2005

I agree to an extent, but forcing a resident out of bed???
Who wants to get up at 5 am and sit in a wheel chair until after lunch???
Not me

debRN0417 · Feb 22, 2005

Actually, we will be dialoguing with the department of health before initiating this change.

I'm coming to work for you. :)

Schmoo1022 · Feb 22, 2005

They wash the residents and then leave them in bed until day shift comes in at my facility.

I just don't really agree with it,Because right now we have 27 residents and 4 day shift CNA's. I feel that is a very fair staff/patient ratio.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Feb 22, 2005

27 residents and 4 CNA'S?????????? Mine would be jumping for joy. We have 4 for 41 on the sub acute unit. The night staff hardly ever gets anyone up on that floor. On the long term unit for 60 residents there are 6.5 aides for days and 3 on nights. One of the new residents takes almost one hour to get up so the night aides get up 3 people from that assignment. It's very hard but do-able. Many of the residents are asleep by 7pm so it's not that big a deal for them to get up at 5:30 or 6....they get way more sleep than I do!!!