I should probably leave this home?

[sweettiff4prez]

Hi everyone . I currently have my stna but right now Im working as a support specialist in a home. I had to go through med training so I am able to pass meds.

Right now Im dealing with a consumer (we call them consumers here not patients) that has a history of driving staff out by either making accusations or by acting out (refusing meds, etc), manipulation.

The consumer at work doesnt want me at her home anymore. I have been there for almost 2 months. She said im too young and I dont meet all her standards. She said she will do anything to get me out besides being physical. She said :"What will happen if I dont take my meds or not leave my room now then what would you do?." I told her that it was her choice but that shes only hurting herself not taking her medication. She said she knew that and that she wasn't stupid.

Yesterday was the start of it. During my 12 hour shift she refused her 12pm meds. She said she was going to refuse her 5 pm meds as well but I talked to the supervisor and she talked to the consumer. The consumer then decided to take her 5 pm meds but she refused to let me check her sugar with the glucose monitor at 5 pm. She said she would let the staff do it. I had to write an incident report of course and call the nurse.

The consumer then said she wanted me to call the supervisor and tell her that I need to leave. She said its her right to have whatever staff she wants and I told her that yes it is her right.

I talked to the supervisor today and she said its a behavior of the consumer driving staff out and that I will still work there. She said if they replace me with someone else she will just do the same thing to the other staff and that this has been ongoing and that they are trying to make a stop of it because its not fair to staff. She said she hasnt seen any grievances from her or anything about me but still I dont think its a good idea to stay there. I do have bills to pay but theres other homes just have to check for availability.

Whats going to happen when I turn up there Saturday ? Oh boy shes going to probably be mad. Shes going to probably say I didnt talk to the supervisor which I did. She might refuse her meds. Its not that I cant handle the work. I can. I worked at a residential treatment facility with juvenile sex offenders for 2 years which was stressful at times.

Its the fact that I do not want things to get worse and whats the point of working there if she does not want me there? I have enough stress and Im trying to concentrate on school.

I thought about talking to the person that does schedules to see if theres another home to work at in the meantime.

What is your guys take on this ? Have you had to deal with this much difficulty in a home setting as well and how did you handle it. Thank you.

I

[sweettiff4prez]

BUMP

anyone want to help out?

[AzDeb]

Hi. Putting myself in your shoes.....I would have to leave and work with a different client (consumer). The stress you are going through sounds overwhelming to me. Not sure how you can get up in the morning to go work with someone who obviously doesn't want you there. If it was just ocassionally that she acted that way it would be one thing, but if it's behavior that is repeated on a daily basis.....wow! Eventually the stress of that job is going to take its toll on you. Not fair to you. I would talk with my supervisor and explain that it is just too much to deal with when you know she does not want you there. If you tried everything you can to try to help matters and it's just not working, I would think your supervisor would take some sort of action and give you the opportunity to move to a different home......for your own sanity! Good luck to you!

[yousoldtheworld]

I too would leave this home and either request another client, or just find another job period. I do not deal well with that sort of thing - we are there to help and assist our clients/residents/etc and NOT simply to take abuse.

If she is continually doing this, then your employer should refuse her as a client, as most would. False accusations can affect the rest of your career, unfortunately.

[caliotter3]

Talk to the person doing the scheduling and let them know that you want another assignment as soon as possible.

[Cinquefoil]

My concern wouldn't be the constant refusals and harassment - clearly these are behavioral issues.

My concern would be what if the "consumer", seeing you still there after she tried to drive you away, decided to escalate to legal action or formal complaints? And then what if management threw you to the wolves on that one?

I'd have to be D*MN sure management would have my back in a court of law before I'd even CONSIDER staying. And by D*MN sure I don't mean "they said so" or "I think so" but management needs to show me THEIR documentation of this person's duplicity and lies, and then they would need to GIVE me a copy of that documentation on an ongoing basis.

And even then I would keep a formal record myself of all conversations with management and have all conversations witnessed if possible.

-but why bother with all that when you could just switch houses?