Bathing in LTC

[txdon]

Okay, I need more help or suggestions. My facility has serious issues with the number of resident's who receive daily baths. There are two sides to my facility, one side gives atleast 14 baths per shift. A total of 28 baths per day just on one side. I have a bath aide but the problem is when we are without the bath aide residents don't get their bath. The CNA's have grown accustom to not giving baths anymore so when they are responsible for the bath it usually doesn't get done. Instead of have four CNA's on the floor with a bath aide, I am thinking about having five CNA's on the floor and having everyone responsible for their own baths. The concern I have with this is how to manage that baths are getting done. Any suggestions?

[horrorxgirl]

5-6 CNAs for 50 people? That's 10 residents per CNA. Showers take average 20 minutes each, longer if they are a difficult transfer. So that's 200 minutes of shower time for all 10 residents if they get it daily. In addition, they may need brief changes, 5-10 min each depending on mobility and weight. Passing trays can take 1/2 hour - 45 min depend on interruption and set up. Vital signs take between 3-5 minutes a person. In addition: call lights, setting up oxygen/braces, ice water, morning/evening care, transfers, smoking chaperone, stocking the linen cart, etc.

My point? Please add up the time the tasks take that CNAs are expected to do. They may not be shirking as much as trying to keep everyone clean, fed and alive. They really care, but can't be everywhere at once.

This is what I was thinking too. Our residents get at least a weekly shower or more if they request it, but it's all scheduled and split between two shifts. Nobody gets a shower every single day though. It would be impossible for our CNAs to get done if this was the case and many of the residents would get ignored for bathroom and other needs due to the huge amount of time just spent on showers. Generally a resident takes 20 minutes to shower, but we have some that take waaaay more time than that. One specifically on my unit that takes 45mins or more comes to mind. When it's not a resident's shower day, they get a bed bath.

Granted, it's difficult to judge how difficult or easy another facility might be in comparison to my own, but daily showers seems like a bit much if you don't always have somebody there to do it.