Lots of young people on disability?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Lately it seems all we do in our ER is see very young (like 19-30) unemployed, drug seekers who are "disabled" due to bi-polar or some chronic back/knee pain (that all xrays/CT show no evidence of). While there is no intention of working, these pts continue to have more and more children :mad:. I can't stand it! I actually get a rush if I triage a 20-something pt who DOESN'T have pinpoint pupils. Or falling asleep mid-sentence in my triage chair. Our docs have become tramadol Pez dispensers because they are so sick of it!

Specializes in They know this too!.
They are often more than happy to toss that information around. I'm telling you some of them are proud of it. Anyone who isn't milking the system doesn't advertise they're receiving aid. There's no reason to be ashamed of collecting government benefits if you need them.

In fact, part of what infuriates me the most, is the people skeezing the system and bleeding it so damn dry so that people who truly need the aid cannot get it.

Why not go to MIT or Harvard? Why be proud of a simple check that in most cases won't even support you living in this economy? Is not that what makes them a little off? How do you know they are not delusional?

Still no answer where is the income on the Face Sheet. Anyone get a bank statement attached on it or anything? :lol2:

What do I know I might be just a simple jerk that gets labeled Bipolar. :lol2:

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Specializes in ER.

I was ONLY referring to the ones who abuse the system. I did not mean for this to be a "oh this poor guy I know with bi-polar...you are so hard" thread. Like I said my own stepson has the disorder.

Why is it that in today's world no one has any coping mechanisms? Can't pay attention in math class? Oh you must have ADD and need meds! Can't hold a job and told off your boss? Oh, you're bipolar. Broke up with your boyfriend? You need xanax. I just think it's ridiculous!

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Specializes in ER.

A 21 yr old girl told me the other day that she has a government provided CELL PHONE that you get if you get food stamps!! OMG....I have been working since age 15 and she's collecting food stamps on our dime. BTW, our local McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts is hiring.

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Specializes in They know this too!.

I have heard enough. Thank you.

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Specializes in ER.

Well, of course you have! :lol2:

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

We have a note in our office that says, "You're sitting there texting on your iPhone, chewing gum, munching on chips, with a pack of smokes in your purse. I'm sure you can find $3 to go by your kid some Tylenol."

That pretty well sums up a number of my patient encounters.

I have lots of young patients complaining that they can't afford various prescriptions and asking for "pack outs" but, without fail, these same folks have very nice smart phones and most are smokers. Go figure.

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Why not go to MIT or Harvard? Why be proud of a simple check that in most cases won't even support you living in this economy? Is not that what makes them a little off? How do you know they are not delusional?

Still no answer where is the income on the Face Sheet. Anyone get a bank statement attached on it or anything? :lol2:

What do I know I might be just a simple jerk that gets labeled Bipolar. :lol2:

Apparently, you missed where I said that the patients TELL you.

There is no income listed on a face sheet.

This is what I hear:

"'I didn't have my child restrained because we were just going to the store (at 0300) to get some food cuz I jus' got my food stamps." (Says the mother with slurred speech and positive for everything UDS.)

"I didn't give my child tylenol for his fever cuz that's what my medicaid is for. I bring him here." (Mom tells me this with a pack of cigarettes in her purse while texting on a smart phone.)

"Y'all better do what I say! Or else I'll make sure my medicaid won't pay for this!"

That's how we know.

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I'm with Dance, everyone has the right to vent however, your wording is far too broad and did not specify 'only' the drug seekers or whatnot in your OP.

You should have stopped at "everyone has the right to vent."

It's a vent, it's not supposed to list every ******* exception to the rule. I gathered, without any difficulty, exactly who the OP was talking about.

Now move on.

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Specializes in Paediatrics.

Lol I'm allowed to have an opinion like everyone else. Anyway I have no objections to vents, just what the OP was venting about changed really mid thread. That and I really really dislike stigma. Intended or not ^.~ I'm sure the OP obviously was having a pretty rough couple of shifts.

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Specializes in They know this too!.

Y

Apparently, you missed where I said that the patients TELL you.

There is no income listed on a face sheet.

This is what I hear:

"'I didn't have my child restrained because we were just going to the store (at 0300) to get some food cuz I jus' got my food stamps." (Says the mother with slurred speech and positive for everything UDS.)

"I didn't give my child tylenol for his fever cuz that's what my medicaid is for. I bring him here." (Mom tells me this with a pack of cigarettes in her purse while texting on a smart phone.)

"Y'all better do what I say! Or else I'll make sure my medicaid won't pay for this!"

That's how we know.

Um, you can get Medicaid, Foodstamps, WIC, etc. when you work. I do know that in some instances they have Welfare to Work programs where someone does work and get Welfare. It goes by your income. You can get a Smartphone for free on many websites. I cannot advertise, but there are plenty with a new contract. What if someone buys them the cigarettes? You don't know.

The economy is only going to get worse and more people are going to get handouts whether you think they are abusing the system or not. God forbid your ER doesn't close and you wont be one of them. They don't just hire anyone these days. Don't think Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's will hire you either.

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Very telling that the people responding are not ER nurses.

The OP was venting. We see A LOT of abuse of the system, and often these patients who are taking total advantage are more than happy to let you know it. They're proud of finding a way to let working people support them.

And, after you have been doing this a while, it gets easier and easier to spot the free-loaders. Those of us who are experienced are rarely wrong.

We can get angry at people and still treat them, but after you've watched people abuse the system and abuse you day in and day out, you've earned the right to express frustration.

I'm sure all of you are completely perfect and would never judge or jump to any conclusion about anything, give all of your meds on time, and have all of your pillows fluffed. The rest of us evil, awful, ER nurses are in our forum ********, so, please let us.

That was quite unnecessary, but true to how threads on this forum often go, *sigh*:uhoh3::uhoh3::uhoh3:

I don't think anyone is saying that there are no freeloaders, but some people get lumped into that category unfairly. Yes there are freeloaders like what the OP talked about. I have been personally taken advantage of by a freeloader like that, and ones similar.

Go take a pill.

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Specializes in chemical dependency detox/psych.

Ugh. Apparently, I will no longer be nominated for the Nursing Saint of the Year Award, because I totally agree with eh OP. Oh, and I ONLY work with alcohol and drug addicts, so trust me, I see this disheartening junk all the freakin' time. I am as much of a bleeding-heart-liberal as you can imagine, and I fully believe that we should fund government programs. However, there is so much waste and fraud, I really hope that someone finds a way to clean up this mess. That, would make me so very, very happy.

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