LTC vs Assisted living

LeChien, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2016

It's going to be the same in assisted living except you will most likely be the only nurse to 30+ residents.

Welcome to nursing.

happyspn, LPN · Jun 21, 2016

I am a new nurse with 3 months experience in a nursing home fresh out of school. I am a wound nurse because I'm doing 4-5 wounds all stage 3 or 4. I am a respiratory therapist because I'm administering nebulizer treatments. I am a medication nurse because I'm passing meds to 20 patients. We have wound nurses on duty but they pick and choose which wounds to do, the CNAS are in cliques and doesn't want to help, and there is a nurse who lies, gossip, and twist EVERY situation. After reaching my breaking point I decided to give assisted living a try, I'll be starting in 2 weeks. I hope and pray that this is a better situation then my current one!!!! Can anyone give me their advice, opinions, or share their story on this topic???

I know you're venting but RTs do way more than just nebulizer treatments. If an RT said they're a nurse because they took someone to the bathroom or changed a simple dressing, I highly doubt, you'd be pleased to hear that, because you know there is so much more to nursing than that.

In regards to your job situation, I'm sorry its been a rough experience so far. I'm in a similar situation, except I've not worked LTC. I did work in a ALF for 2months, and I hated it. It felt very unsafe to be responsible for so many patients, and they weren't just simple walkie/talkie retirees.

Good luck to you though.

jess4923 · Jun 21, 2016

Hello MsColeman 78. I know this is a bit off subject but I know you are in Chicago. I wanted to know how long did it take your pass letter to come after you passed the nclex? It's been 11 days for me so far and I already have 2 interviews..please help

Mscoleman78 · Jun 21, 2016

I took my exam on a Wednesday, found out I passed on a Thursday. My name was online by the following Monday and I believe the letter arrived that Saturday. It went really quick for me. If it's taken 2 weeks I would call because maybe they are back logged or something???

Mscoleman78 · Jun 21, 2016

Well let me clarify....I FEEL like a RT and wound nurse. I don't want to offend anyone career....sorry!!! :no:

rpsychnurse · Jun 21, 2016

I just want to chime in and say that you may be disappointed if you think you won't have to do all of those things in assisted living. The patients aren't as acute, but you have more of them and far less support staff than hospitals. You won't (likely) have an RT or wound care nurse available - maybe by phone or email. You'll be doing meds, treatments (including wounds and nebulizers!) for a lot of patients.

The grass isn't always greener- assisted living is tough too.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 22, 2016

Assisted living is no picnic. You'll have a lot of residents who really should be in nursing homes with complex medical issues, dementia, end of life and other problems. You might be working with caregivers and medication assistants who aren't even CNAs, and you'll probably be the only licensed person in the building. You'll have a lot of responsibility and very little, if any authority. Money drives these facilities even more than it does LTC, and it takes an act of Congress to get a resident out who doesn't belong in ALF. Most of the time you'll be handed a new resident and told, in essence, "OK, you figure out a way to take care of him/her." So think long and hard before making the leap to assisted living...it's not what it seems.

Laughing_Gas · Jun 22, 2016

Assisted living is the same type of hell as LTC, except there is less staff and the residents often require the same level of care but without the staff and equipment (aka, 1 nurse, 2 aids for 50 residets, no lifts, no bed alarms, no hospital beds). You will probably be the only nurse there because assisted living is staffed for residents who just need a little bit of help with meds and other ADLs....but you will find total care, 2 -3 person transfer, bed bound patients with advanced dementia who require their meds to be crushed and given in thickened liquids and spoon fed to them. Many residents in AL should really move to skilled nursing or LTC, but don't because they're wealthy and can stay there. I did AL for awhile as a med tech before moving to LTC, both are very, very challenging.

Live.Love.Nurse.â™¡ · Jun 22, 2016

I have worked in an ALF for 2 years and I agree with what everyone else has said! It is not easy. Currently I am in charge of 43 residents, just me and one nursing assistant (our nursing assistants are not certified either). When rooms are full, I am in charge of 45 residents. It is very overwhelming to take on that much responsibility and many of the residents should be in a skilled facility, not assisted living. We recently had a nurse who left LTC to work in our facility and she lasted about 3 months before she quit and went back to LTC. She told me "This is just like skilled nursing, but without the staff that I need." That sums it up perfectly. I do wound care on several residents, administer lots of nebulizer treatments, administer foleys, collect lab specimens, and do tons and tons of meds (endless!). I hope your situation is better, but be warned it is any easier than LTC.

cocoa_puff · Jun 22, 2016

Assisted living is no picnic. You'll have a lot of residents who really should be in nursing homes with complex medical issues, dementia, end of life and other problems. You might be working with caregivers and medication assistants who aren't even CNAs, and you'll probably be the only licensed person in the building. You'll have a lot of responsibility and very little, if any authority. Money drives these facilities even more than it does LTC, and it takes an act of Congress to get a resident out who doesn't belong in ALF. Most of the time you'll be handed a new resident and told, in essence, "OK, you figure out a way to take care of him/her." So think long and hard before making the leap to assisted living...it's not what it seems.

I completely agree. I went into AL as a CNA thinking I would be sitting around with older people, laughing and doing crafts. I couldn't be more wrong. We had residents who would be considered "total care" in LTC, who required 2-3 staff members to transfer from bed to wheelchair, feeders, incontinent patients who needed to be changed q2h but we could only change them 1-2x per 8 hr shift because of how much else we had to do (showering patients, laundry, cooking meals, cleaning, dishes, housekeeping, toileting 20 patients, transferring to wheelchairs, serving meals, feeding, keeping confused patients from running away or hitting staff). And the one nurse had at least 50 patients to pass meds to and give treatments (breathing treatments, wound care, checking blood sugars, vital signs).

Cocoaaa · Jun 22, 2016

Hello :) I'm a nursing assistant currently working in an assisted living. At my facility, there is mild dementia and we have two people on hospice, but special hospice workers come in and do a lot of care for them. According to one of the nurses, it's med passing and comforting. I'm with them throughout my shift, and they all seem to have a smooth time. There aren't really any severe or complicated cases at my facility, and violent/or worsening individuals get transferred out. I don't have a hectic time there, and a lot of residents can move themselves. Overall it's been a very positive experience, there isn't a lot of staff but time management isn't a problem. Good luck!