LTC's are a joke

Not only to the 25+ pts. but it is also what the medications entails. 5 of them on 3 different eye drops, 15 of them on blood pressure medication and everything they ask for 'in between', i.e. 'put me to bed', 'miss?..I need some help', family members come and say res didn't get a bath etc..all this with the DON don't give a %^&* .. Yes it makes for a joke.

Half of the meds are unnecessary and are likely making the prescribing doc some money from the pharma company. The laws regarding ltc patient ratios clearly show that the government doesnt give a flying chuck about safety.

Exactly! Set to impossible standards that are really only "enforced" once a year when it's survey time.

Our facility does not have a two hour time period to give meds. We now have AM, Midday, PM, and HS meds. This makes giving the meds more manageable. AM is 7-10:30 (hour before and hour after), Midday is 12-2:30 (hour before and hour after), PM 3-6 (hour before and hour after), HS 6-10:30 (hour before and hour after).

I work in a ltc too, is too much. You cant give meds on time, worst comes to worst, i only give the important ones. I learned this from others.

Oh wow, I love that!

LTC made me want to kill myself. Not only do you have to do everything mentioned above, but you also have to pick up slack of other nurses not doing their own jobs.

Yikes, wouldn't it be easier to call the Dr and get the "unimportant" ones discontinued.

I work in a ltc too, is too much. You cant give meds on time, worst comes to worst, i only give the important ones. I learned this from others.

Good facilities will try what they can do to control a top-heavy medpass. It becomes a concerted effort with pharmacy, attending MDs and nursing admin to balance it out. And it can be improved.

And just to make a point - don't ever assume that state surveyors are clueless & dumb about events during survey. They DO know all the 'tricks' that facilities use during survey to 'look the hunkey-dorey look', ie plumped up staffing and admin/dept heads out on the floors answering callbells and feeding pts, etcto name a few.

Not that i mean i dont give them, I just give them late for example 8:00 bp meds and seizure meds are given within the time frame and I comeback for those glucerna and vitamins later. We all know 50% of medpass in ltc are vitamins. Sorry if i misinterpret

Not that i mean i dont give them, I just give them late for example 8:00 bp meds and seizure meds are given within the time frame and I comeback for those glucerna and vitamins later. We all know 50% of medpass in ltc are vitamins. Sorry if i misinterpret

Wouldn't it just be quicker to do them all at once instead of doubling back all over again?

Not that i mean i dont give them, I just give them late for example 8:00 bp meds and seizure meds are given within the time frame and I comeback for those glucerna and vitamins later. We all know 50% of medpass in ltc are vitamins. Sorry if i misinterpret

I was worried.