How to deal with caregivers?

338 Posts

Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.

How fo you guys deal with difficult foster home caregivers? Now I don't want to come across as non-PC but out of my case load of 30, 1 person speaks English as a native language. Again, I am white, my husband is African American, I spent 10 years living and teaching in a small European country so I know what it's like to be a foreigner. But I have noticed that most of my foster home owners are Romanian, and that's great, but they act very leary of me when I come in as if I may report something. I have made great professional relationships with most of them and find them to be running very nice, clean and apathetic homes. But today.....

Last night I was told that I had an admission, a new yound woman with MS. Her husband wanted to be there for the admission so I was to call him and schedule. I called this a.m., got no answer, called the foster home, spoke with the caregiver (at 8 am) said I would be there at 11 and could they get ahold of the husband? Yes, they would. So I get there, a very nice home, no husband there yet. The CG says "I've been calling him but get no answer" I tell her that's fine, I'll just continue on with the admission. A few minutes later the CG comes in with her cell phone and hands it to me, "He wants to talk to you" I pick up and the husband of my patient is FURIOUS with me, I talk him down and assure him that I had tried to get ahold of him and that I had asked the CG to try as well. He says "She just said that you called two minutes before you showed up" WHAT?? I assured him that wasn't true, but was torn between making him nervous about where his wife was now living and what kind of care I could provide. So I open the door to the room and the CG and her husband run away from the door because they had been listening, as in ear-at-the-door!

Well, I hung up and told the CG how unprofessional that was, all the while wondering what kind of care could be given to a patient in a home with a CG who so blatantly lies.

After a while I had to delegate something to her and sign off on it. She then put another paper in front of me with her husband's name on it and said "Sign him off too" I said, "No, I didn't teach him that skill and I didn't see him do a return demonstration." With that she got a bit angry with me.

Now I'm not sure what to do with this. I told my manager..Do I just be extra watchful there or do I do nothing?

Thanks, sorry it was long...