I'm old school--nursing home questions

[Cobweb]

A friend of mine recently had to put her mom in the nursing home. Now, a couple of things she told me had me raising my eyebrows. She said they weren't allowed to bring her mom's own wheelchair in--that the facility required her to use the facility wheelchair, as they couldn't be responsible for patient wheelchairs. The facility wheelchair is pretty uncomfortable, where the lady's own wheelchair is a lot better for her bad back. I just never heard of such a thing.

The other thing that confuzzled me is that the staff is not allowed to walk the patients. Only PT is allowed to walk patients, and since that is about $500 a week, that doesn't happen very often. Back in my nursing home days (when dinosaurs walked the land), nurses and CNAs walked all the patients if they were able. In fact, we had special restorative aides and so on. What do you think of that?

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

My nursing home experience was PT evaluated all new residents. They came up with a plan and CNAs and nurses followed it. We were allowed to walk patients. The wheelchair issue I don't know about. Maybe she can get PT to evaluate her own chair and ok it?

[cecile9155, BSN, RN]

At the nursing home I work, people can use their own wheelchairs. After PT evaluates a new admit and says they're safe to ambulate, CNAs can walk them.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Some (but not all) nursing facilities disallow the use of personal assistive equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers from home due to financial liability issues.

If a very nice, expensive personal wheelchair or rolling walker turns up missing or stolen, the nursing facility wants no financial responsibility for this type of fiasco.

[amoLucia]

Some (but not all) nursing facilities disallow the use of personal assistive equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers from home due to financial liability issues.

If a very nice, expensive personal wheelchair or rolling walker turns up missing or stolen, the nursing facility wants no financial responsibility for this type of fiasco.

Also there's a maintenance issue - who will fix it if something breaks. I would just make sure that the NH isn't charging any kind of rental/usage fee.

About the walking/ambulation issue - I'd bet that Therapy is charging for 'minutes' that they're walking the pt. Therapy generates reimbursement, I don't think nsg does.

[heron, ASN, RN]

We have a restorative program. that cross trains CNAs to ambulated and exercise residents with a qualified PT consulting. It's done a lot to reduce our falls.

Expensive personal equipment is a whole 'nother story. The facility is on the hook for replacement costs if it's damaged, lost or stolen. My late honey's power chair cost the insurance company $5K. That's a lot of cna hours!