Maybe this is just a vent post....Home Health

[gochicagobears]

So I have this client.... Had her since I started working for this agency in July. She's nice (to your face) but when the other CNAs come in she will complain about you to them.

Her grandson lives with her and he is a lazy fool. He is in his early 20s. Sleeps til 1 or 2 sometimes 3 everyday and expects us all to do his dishes and clean his bathroom. (As in, the dishes by his computer magically appear with his grandmothers in the sink the next day, and leaves his toilet full of pee.) My client showers in that bathroom so I mop and clean the shower but recently I am DONE cleaning his spit out of the sink.

ANYWAY. Down the the BIG issue. The grandson always posts these notes all over the house about how things aren't done right, etc. DK if it's coming from him or her. And most of the stuff is untrue. IE, note said not to dump dirty mop water in sink. Well none of us use the mop bucket. (I'm the only one assigned to mop actually)

Well I guess that's not the main issue, let me continue....

Before I came along, there was another aide that was awful. Stole, called in the middle of the night, was rudeeee, etc. So I understand the bad experience. One of the aides showed me a cabinet that she said when she started working there was full of crystal and now it's all gone. So things have been taken, at least in the past.

My client always talks about things that have gone missing. I've not noticed, but she says things like silverware are gone, little figurines, etc. Many times she's talked about it being family member but recently she is more and more focused on us aides. For instance, my client had all these little trinkets lined up in the kitchen, and they were covered in an inch of dust. I offered to wash them for her. She said yeah, do that and put them in the china cabinet. So I did. Then one of the other aides tells me she had her check to make sure they were all still there.

I understand, I really do; strangers come into your home, you are in the living room all day while they are all over your house, I would be nervous too. But she is starting to make ME nervous. (But what would I want with those little knick knacks?!)

I understand it's their home, and they can post whatever notes they want in their home. And if they feel like items are being stolen I understand their frustration. But if it's really that bad CALL THE OFFICE. Don't accuse us all by posting notes everywhere. The most recent one listed things that have been 'taken'. Silverware, trinkets, things like that. (Many things with no real monetary value) And she had a supervisory last week and gave us all glowing reviews.

And I almost feel like her grandson is egging her on. Esp because he's the one that types all the notes up. Almost like he's saying "yeah grandma, this is missing and this and that". I'm not saying that nothing has been taken, but I'm also saying that the elderly are forgetful. They misplace things, aides misplace things. things break, and get thrown away. But again, I'm not saying nothing has been taken. I don't live there, I don't know every single object in the home. I can'y say either way.

My MAIN issue is that I HATE going into work terrified like "Oh man, what new note is going to be up today?" or "Is the office going to call me and ask me if I've stolen?" Just to be clear, I will say, I have NEVER taken anything. Never even crossed my mind as a christian.

It's difficult because I'm assigned there for 4 hours and there is not that much work there. If I go SLOW and run an errand, I am done with everything in 2 hours. I've washed all the windows, washed down the cabinets, scrubbed the grout in the bathroom with bleach (As you can probably tell I am there doing a lot of cleaning, which I AM assigned to do, I don't mind cleaning). So my point is I know that someone being in your house that long can make you uncomfortable. Esp when they don't have a lot to do. But if I told the office to cut her hours, they'd tell me I needed to make my time stretch.

SO I think all I can do is tell my supervisor about the notes and the accusations. The problem is they are all indirect accusations. No names have been named. I don't want to QUIT this client, but man do I feel stressed out. I dread going to work. It's not even just the notes about the stealing, it's also the notes about how things aren't done properly. I acknowledge maybe one or two of the other girls may be lazy, but that's not my fault.

In all honesty I think I would prefer a new client. But I don't want to seem like a jerk for quitting on this one. And what if the next one is worse?

*Sigh*

Thanks for reading. Had to get this off my chest to other people who may have dealt with something similar. Any similar experiences or advice would be appreciated. Has anyone else ever had something like this happen to them??????

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

Could the notes be from the aide that was there before you. I once had a aide that felt it was her duty to leave notes for the next aide coming on shift what she waned done, didnt ever sign her name, i found out who it was because I asked my client who wrote them. Also regarding people that steal from your client, if you notice something is missing bring it to the attention of the client and work agency. I have reported before. It really irks me that just because someone is living on the low wages of home health that they steal from their clients. I think all home health care workers should be fingerprinted before hire. I had a client who was always missing his Ensure, expensive stuff for a low income senior. I once helped a clients daughter put groceries away and we both noticed that the Zertec (allergy med, and expensive stuff) that she just bought wasn't needed cause there were two other packs of it, so now she would have enough to last awhile. A few days later when I returned, the client asked me to bring her allergy med to her, I noticed that one large bottle was missing and asked her had she placed it elsewhere, cause only two packs were there. She told me she hadn't had any in days. I was so mad that someone would steal from this sweat lady that I also told her daughter that it was missing, she's the one who bought it, daughter told me they had suspected someone stole from them because of other missing items.

[caliotter3]

Honestly, I would get another case before this escalates to the next level. The stress is not worth it.

[gochicagobears]

There are 3 other aides, 2 are as fed up as I am and the other I dk. I don't think so. The notes are too ridiculous and detailed for someone who isn't there all the time. The other aide only works

Nights.

[gochicagobears]

That's exactly why I'm worried about. It has escalated even since July. I don't want to be around for it to get much worse

[Missingyou, CNA]

Been there, done that.

Some of the issue could be that the client has some dementia. As for the grandson....

I would most definately talk to a supervisor about all of this. THey need a heads up on this especially if the client hasn't talked to the office about it. Cover your butt and talk to your supervisor about all these concerns. The grandson likely has some say in his grandmother's care...like it or not....but do tell your supervisor if he expects you to clean up after him....

As for the 4 hours being too many...the agency is highly unlikely to cut her hours. Her insurance is probably paying for the aides and the agency isn't going to say no to the business. If all the cleaning is done, find an activity to do with your client...a puzzle, play cards, offer to help them sort through a closet, take a stroll/or a roll outside, read to her, a craft...something. It will make your day and hers more pleasant.

[i_love_patient_care]

It could be a number of things. The grandson could be stealing, and trying to put the focus on you guys instead. She could be losing her memory and blaming it on you. My own Grandma did that when her dementia got worse. We had to get a safe and give the code to a trusted uncle, and put all her jewelry and cash in it. Personally, I would just be upset about cleaning up after a family member's personal messes all the time. Once in a while is ok, but that isn't what you were hired for. I hope it gets better.

[gochicagobears]

Didn't really wanna say it, but I think that could be a big part of the issue...

[gochicagobears]

Supervisor just said that our company's policy would have to be for her to report things stolen and file police report which she obviously doesn't want to do. They asked if I was requesting a new client and I said no not right now, Probably in the future though. They said she raved about me to the nurse And how great I am but I know what she says to the other aides about things like how I don't have enough to do and how she had the other girl check to make sure I didn't steal any trinkets.

I don't know what to think. I know it's the elderly and they like to pick and complain, but I'm jut so stressed. One day she's happy an loves me and the next she wants to kno if I stole. And then she's always telling me what good work I do. Aughhhhh. I'm ready to cry. And I sure don't trust the grandson. (Not to point fingers but if anyone's stealing....)

[slilly]

My only issue with home health is that when I did it, I had one stable client 3x a week and the hours I worked were great because the family allowed me to set it up for me coming in right after I got out of class. When my client had a heart attack and a minor stroke he went into the local nursing home, and his wife called the agency to let me know they would no longer be needing me. Well so I kept getting calls when I was at school and my work knew I had class and expected me to just drop out of class to get to a client and I couldn't. Then I had another client who lived further away from me and I liked the client in general and the only thing was is that she smoked all the time and I said I didn't want clients that smoked, but I still continued to take care of her. Then one day I showed up for my shift with her only to find another aide out there and I said "What are you doing here?", well apparently after I trained her one time work decided to put her out there but not let me know. Oh and the kicker is that the client I heard typically goes through a lot of aides, and finds a reason not to like them, well she liked me just fine, and yet I was being sent out to other call outs. My hours after my client that went into the nursing home, never were the same again. Home health just wasn't for me at all.

[gochicagobears]

I understand that. Somedays I'm like if you call me one more time....and having two aides assigned happens a lot. I realize there's a lot of people to care for but what does the office do all day? And why do they always need u right then?! Like really, the person JUST called off 10 seconds ago? Or did they call off days ago but u didn't bother to find a fill in til now?

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

I really think its time to change clients. I did, when i had to. I had a client that had bad Parkinson's and very unstable walking, but he didn't like being assisted very much, I had told my boss I thought he was a high risk for a fall while under my care since he wouldn't allow me to help him, since he lived alone while his wife was in hospital from a fall that broke her hip. and they told me yes they know, he has history of falls. So one day the man I watched had his son at the house for a visit, and the son got mad at me for trying to help his dad walk. Well I complied and didn't help any more that day, but after that shift I called my boss and told her I would not go back, that the old man was a fall risk and I didn't want to be held accountable for any injuries under my care. I had gotten stressed about this job, just as you are with your current one, but changing clients will be ok, the company you work for are use to it, they will just assign you another case if you tell them you need to change clients