LTC facility,disaster plan is a joke

caliotter3 · Aug 31, 2002

I think the operative part of your post is the last sentence, "a bit more serious, like a fire happens." I hope you personally document your communication with the administrator about the outdated policy manual. Then follow-up at regular intervals. If nothing is done, perhaps you should bring this to the attention of the state authoriities. Imagine how you would feel if a tragedy did occur. This is a wake-up call.

fedupnurse · Aug 31, 2002

Did you ever notice they have all the disaster drills on Days and all the floods, fires and power failures (with generator failures) that I have been through over the past 12 or so years all happened after 5 pm and before 7 am. I have asked each of the dozen or so managers/supervisors I have had over the years what I am supposed to do if they call a disaster (internal or external) and none knew what to tell me. SO when we have had all of the above happen we let instinct and basic common sense take over while we ran over the suits with the coffee cups in their hands who were not only NOT helping but were only IN OUR WAY!! Phones died on us one night too. The switchboard ended up on generator and no one knew until the battery died. SO we used the "BAT PHONES", red phones for in house only and only to be used during an emergency. Unfortunately, when they were installed the ringers were left in the off positions so no one knew when someone else was trying to call them. THIS IS IN A "MAJOR" REGIONAL REFERRAL MEDICAL CENTER!!!! TRAUMA/HEARTS/BABIES, ETC.!!!!!!!!!!

Crispix, I feel your frustration and annoyance. I have been there and done that and nothing has changed!!

crispix · Aug 31, 2002

I plan to...and the tech on the RCF side,God bless her..she saw what all went wrong too..and we're both going to keep tabs on what they do.Also,we're bringing in flashlights,and battery operated radios.I had no idea what had happened..still dont know what caused it...But,if an emergency had been going on outside..it would have been nice to know.I also will be bringing my cell phone to work with me.

I *WILL* follow up on this..cause..ya know this stuff never seems to happen at normal times.And,I work nights,so,its gonna be up to me to take care of it.

Thanks for your reply.I love this place:D

crispix · Aug 31, 2002

Did you ever notice they have all the disaster drills on Days and all the floods, fires and power failures (with generator failures) that I have been through over the past 12 or so years all happened after 5 pm and before 7 am.

Yup..like I said,it never happens during normal business hours...and I just found where the fire extinguishers were a few weeks ago...they tell me they had a fire drill last week,and everything went fine....sure...uh-huh.

I just hope they see all this,and get it fixed.I plan to follow up,definitely.

I might just ask if we can have a fire drill at night.I know many years ago at the nursing home I started at,we did at like 6 am....I will ask.And educate my aides.

I felt sooo helpless.

crispix · Aug 31, 2002

BTW,fedupnurse..Im with ya..C'MON OCTOBER!!!!!The AC of course was out too..lol..and I began to sweat a few minutes after it quit.Geesh...gonna have to move in with the polar bears,I think...Keep cool...:)

Christine

Youda · Aug 31, 2002

I hate to tell you this, but I've been there, done that, too. I now carry with me to work at all times the following items:

--pen light flashlight (good for finding the right spot when catheterizing someone, too, and not knocking your shins on the beds when walking around in the dark on the noc shift),

--cellphone because most places I work, the phones are tied to the electrical system so you have no phones in a power outage, and also good to look cool at work, and keep you available if your mother wants to talk.

--a pair of bandage sissors because you can never find a pair when you need them, and if you do find one it always has unidentified sticky stuff on it.

--three pens because at least two people will borrow your pen and forget to give it back

--and my own stethscope, because I don't think most of the CNAs ever bathe and I won't use one afterwards without autoclaving it.

--and in my purse, my bottle of xanax. That's self explanatory.

Crispix, you just gotta get your survival kit together and clank when you walk like I do, so the CNAs know when you're coming and aren't doing anything they shouldn't when you get there.

And on a more serious note: if the procedures aren't updated, and the problems corrected within a reasonable amount of time, call the Division of Aging. Nothing like a good inspection to get them interested in updating emergency procedures. You can always say when the inspectors walk in the door on a complaint, "Oh dear! I overheard Mrs. ____ telling her daughter about our bad night. I bet that daughter called the DOA on us!" There's a family like that in every LTC, so you can avoid anyone knowing you called. (half-serious here, but only by half).