in LTC have you ever...

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had a dr's order to restrict visitors for a single resident due to expectant visits from drug dealers?!

i mean..what this world is coming to. when your 70yr old granny is expecting hook ups from the east side boys, my lord. i fear for the future of my non-existant children.

then on top of that(obviously she's a very heavy narcotic abuser), this woman is going into major DT's from ETOH, nicotine, lortab, valium, soma...etc and all we are able to give her is PRN 0.5 ativan q6. haven't doctors ever heard of WEANING someone off of these things?! :banghead: she should have had some sort of rehab before going into LTC.

sorry...rant about my shift. :spbox:

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Specializes in Cardiac/Step-Down, MedSurg, LTC.

Well, I can't say that we've restricted visitors due to expectant visits from dealers, but we've definitely restricted visitors for residents due to reactions they have with certain people (resident has a traumatic brain injury).

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
had a dr's order to restrict visitors for a single resident due to expectant visits from drug dealers?!

i mean..what this world is coming to. when your 70yr old granny is expecting hook ups from the east side boys, my lord. i fear for the future of my non-existant children.

then on top of that(obviously she's a very heavy narcotic abuser), this woman is going into major DT's from ETOH, nicotine, lortab, valium, soma...etc and all we are able to give her is PRN 0.5 ativan q6. haven't doctors ever heard of WEANING someone off of these things?! :banghead: she should have had some sort of rehab before going into LTC.

sorry...rant about my shift. :spbox:

In the words of my grandmother

"OY VAY" :banghead:

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

If I find my self in a nursing home I want to be as snowed as possible. If I dont have a "hook up" I would be looking for one!! In the mean while at least get the poor woman a nicotene patch!!

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
had a dr's order to restrict visitors for a single resident due to expectant visits from drug dealers?!

i mean..what this world is coming to. when your 70yr old granny is expecting hook ups from the east side boys, my lord. i fear for the future of my non-existant children.

then on top of that(obviously she's a very heavy narcotic abuser), this woman is going into major DT's from ETOH, nicotine, lortab, valium, soma...etc and all we are able to give her is PRN 0.5 ativan q6. haven't doctors ever heard of WEANING someone off of these things?! :banghead: she should have had some sort of rehab before going into LTC.

sorry...rant about my shift. :spbox:

So-what do you have an armed guard at her door? Do you pull a cna or nurse to guard her? That's crazy-we have had situations with family and we have informed them that we can not stop anyone from coming in.With us it's usually an adult chuild not wanting "mother's ex husband to see her" or something of that sort. It looks like the poor soul needs detox in a hospital under the care of physicians that know HOW to treat her..If you think she is suffering why not call the department of health? You can do it anonymously and they will investigate...
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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

I have to agree with the OP you can not stop anyone from visiting a resident. However, if a vistor was endangering or upsetting the resident, other residents, or staff I can and will ask the person to leave the facility. If they do not leave I will call law enforcement.

Why would a doctor have someone detox in a nursing home? We do not have the staff to monitor someone that closely (at least where I work we do not). Some medications or substances when stopped suddenly can cause life threatening reactions.

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Nope, first I've heard of it. I've had the children of LTC patients come in and rip their parents off for money for drugs, or come in under the influence. Never had a patient with that situation. Thanks for the info though - I'll be on the lookout. :bugeyes: I'll bet you were thinking "Just when I thought I had seen it all......................"

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Unless it is a locked unit, you can't restrict visitors.

I've worked at a SNF before where my floor was the "drug" floor. Oye...I got my education!

I'm sorry, but illegal street drugs just don't mix well with the care we are giving. It was very easy to tell when someone was stoned or came back stoned. Eventually, we had this person take a drug test or two and then, they signed out AMA.

Treating pain is one thing, but snowing someone.....no. I'm not afraid to give all the prescibed narcotics to a person with a hx of drug abuse when they are in pain either.

If this lady was doing thru withdraw, then she needed more meds. Thank heavens most have gone thru that in the hospital since our docs would have no clue.

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yeah her son came in cracked out when she was admitted. he kept saying things like, "thank ya'll! i'm gonna remember ya'll when i win the lottery!"

i guess medicare wont pay for detoxing in a hospital :icon_roll

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Locked or not you CAN in fact limit visitors if they pose a threat to the residents or your STAFF. I've had to tell family members they weren't allowed in the building because they were drunk or high or intimidating my staff. I had a family member grab a staff member in the elevator. I barred him from the building. If he grabbed a staff member who could stand up for herself, he'd probably grab a defenseless little old person. I was careful...all the ducks in a row. I called the police and the ombudsman. It wasn't easy because the resident didn't know why her son stopped visiting (he refused to meet her in the lobby) but I was obligated to protect the other residents and staff.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

I have had this pleasant experience- it is certainly unlike anything you learn in Nrsg Schl, I have had sons who were drug dealers and yelled at the staff for stealing all his mothers money so she had none to give him-

The poor mother was upset that her son stopped visiting and eventually we arranged supervised visits. The son only showed if we promised that we wouldn't change his mothers will that left him with all his mothers assets- he had no idea that she had none left...we kept that mum.

When he or any visitor gets violent we call the police and the SW, We recently had an adm. of a 97 y.o. who was obviously beaten and abused- more bruises on his body than skin- he admitted to us that his two daughters did them, Police and SW got involved and now there is an order to not allow admittance to these 2 daughters and only allow the grandson and his wife to visit. The pics are with the door/watchman and if they come, we are instructed to call the SW.

Re the DT's- I would get advise from your DON and SW and document everything- make sure you inform in writing your MD of any DT Sx's. I think a unit meeting is in order to get everyone on the same page and to help the staff with this.

GOOD LUCK

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Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.
If I find my self in a nursing home I want to be as snowed as possible. If I dont have a "hook up" I would be looking for one!! In the mean while at least get the poor woman a nicotene patch!!

a friend that i work with and i have been writing down orders we want when we are in LTC, lol. we want to put them in our living will so everyone knows we want to be drugged, lol.

we just want simple things like: xanax 2mg q4hrs scheduled of course, we used to want morphine but now we are leaning towards dilaudid, definitely need duragesic patches too. and alcohol...we want alcohol nightly. we plan on staying snookered, lol.

and if we dont get it???

we are gonna pretend to be confused and throw poo at them :p

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