I've seen this time and again. My last place we had a woman who perseverated and stayed on the call light. I managed to calm her down, we got her Seroquel restarted, and the day before I was fired she wheeled up to me and said, "I feel safe when you're here." Of course, the aides and evening nurses started removing her call bell again (illegally) and this resulted in falls and fright for her, but hey - they didn't have to reassure her, or bring her to the common area to keep her from being lonely.
The new place, which is very good, has a resident who calls out, "Help me! Help meeeeee!" in a piercing, hog-calling voice. She's in a private room and is never brought out. Well, she CAN communicate a bit, although I have to lead her with questions and ystdy she had an actual complaint of a stomach ache. As soon as I left the room to check her standing orders she started yelling again. I returned to the room and reassured her that I was looking at her chart, which was in my hands. I then went out to pour the Maalox-equivalent and she started yelling again. I came back with the meds and smiled and told her we needed a little time. I gave her the Maalox and she immediately calmed and stopped yelling.
When I've tried to get her brought out from her room I've been told that her yelling upsets the other patients. Well, when we're right there we can reassure her and it stops - for a bit - instead of going on for two hours.
How do I get her reincorporated among the living without thoroughly pissing off my coworkers, including the charge?
