Lazy Workers

[marjoriemac, LPN]

I have just been to see my gran who has alzheimers in her LTC ward in hospital. I am sure she gets on well with the carers in a social sense as they are very friendly and joke with her and she smiles when they tease her and she teases them! HOWEVER, tonight the carers ordered chips in for their dinner break and sat with he residents watching tv, eating their chips. I thought this was real cruel considering the residents never get a chippy themselves but were forced to salivate at the smell of the staff dinner, also the staff were not available to residents who needed them. Secondly my gran needed the toilet (they dont know I am the nurse as I live far away and dont get to visit regularly, my twin sister who is a cop lives near and they thought I was her), I walked her towards the toilet and there were 3 carers watching a soap on tv, not one offered to take my gran to the toilet. I mean, of course I do not mind taking her as I do it all the time and I did it for her when she was at home - but those carers so not know my capabilities and what about health and safety. I also saw an elderly lady be turbed in her wheelchair to face tge wall because she was swearing a lot and another lady be put in a room and the door closed for the same. What should I do, you never see the nurses around and my mum says not to bother about it as my gran appears happy? Am I just seeking perfection or should I be worried?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I would wonder what is going on when no one is looking. Complain to Administration, loud and often. This is not acceptable.

[ginger58, ASN, RN]

Maybe some noc when your gran is awake and they're all sitting there eating and watching TV you could take a photo of your gran while getting in the background "activities".

This is unexcusable behavior. They're getting paid to do a job. If I could get a photo soon I'd take it, if not talk to the Administration soon. Best!

[nightmare, RN]

I work in a private Nursing Home and the Care Commission would be down on us like a ton of bricks if we conducted ourselves like this!! Is this an NHS hospital? They seem to get away with some very bad practices which we would not. Turning patients to the wall is abuse no matter the circumstances,and as for eating with the patients :angryfire I think the photo with background activities sounds good although not sure of legal implications,privacy etc.

[TrudyRN]

In the US, isolating a patient by turning her to the wall or closing her in her room for cursing would not be looked upon kindly. It would be considered abuse, I should think. Or at least questionably so.

The workers need to take their dinner breaks separately, I think, unless leaving means no one would be with the patients.

No doubt they were delighted to let you toilet Gran, although they would probably have done it if you'd asked them to.

Not sure what you should do. It's just so hard when one is not wealthy and must depend on a group home.

[jill48, ASN, RN]

I agree that it sounds like neglect (not taking them to the bathroom) and abuse (making them face the wall), but sometimes you have to take your lunch while sitting with them. Sometimes there really is just no other choice. You just try to not make it so obvious; and alot of times we offer some of the food to them, only if their diet says its okay, obviously. It's a tough situation and you just kind of do what you have to do. I've taken so called breaks by standing halfway in a galley trying to eat quietly and quickly while still standing halfway in the room with the patients.

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

One thing I might point out. You say they were on "break". Was it their unpaid own time break? If it was then you've no cause to complain. However someone should have been around to take them to the bathroom. I'd say they couldn't all have been on break at the same time.

The issue with a patient being turned against the wall I would say is extremely questionable.