No Arm Bands??

Published

A friend started a new job at a rehabilitation center. They do paper charting (check sheet and short narrative). What shocked her, and me, was that the patients do not wear armbands. When giving meds they have to only verbally confirm their name. She asked why doesn't anyone have an armband? The answer: It's a matter of confidentiality. How can they get away with this? Where's Joint Commission? It's a large well known center not a small Mom & Pop facility.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well that is a new one for me.. Do they have pictures in the chart at least? What about the patients with dementia or someone who cannot speak? They could be anybody.. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Been there, done that!

Yep, there is a little picture of the patient... little blue haired senior.. or bald senior... on the medication Kardex.

Sorry,, let's face it .. we all look alike when we get old.

Scary and unsafe to say the least.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

[quote

sorry,, let's face it .. we all look alike when we get old.

scary and unsafe to say the least.

aaccckkk! you mean i'll be as bald as my husband someday??!!:eek:

eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
A friend started a new job at a rehabilitation center. They do paper charting (check sheet and short narrative). What shocked her, and me, was that the patients do not wear armbands. When giving meds they have to only verbally confirm their name. She asked why doesn't anyone have an armband? The answer: It's a matter of confidentiality. How can they get away with this? Where's Joint Commission? It's a large well known center not a small Mom & Pop facility.

First of all, Joint Commission accreditation is a voluntary status that facilities must pay for in order to receive counsel. This is something that is mostly purchased by hospitals, although some other types of facilities may also purchase this service, but it is rare.

The policies and procedures may reflect the population and the nature of the facility. If the facility is composed of all ambulatory, minimal care, true rehabilitation patients then it may be unnecessary to utilize arm bands. In the hospital they may be patients, outside they are considered people.

Some LTC facilities also do not use armbands considering that the residents are not admitted for care, they are not patients, they are residents who live together in a facility.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

my husband, who is a type-1 diabetic, had a hiking accident and ended up in wound care rehab. it was on the second floor of a rehab wing. the first floor was a locked dementia unit. the other wing was an alf on first

and a nursing home on second.

the rehab and alf residents were identified using pictures taken of them on the mar and just their pictures without any names on the room/apt. doors.

the nursing home-care floor used arm bracelets as well as pictures both places. the dementia floor attached

name id tags to the patients who would not leave an armband bracelets on with velcro. the velcroed id strips were attached to places on shirts where the resident would have trouble reaching. there were also pictures of each resident on the mar, the doors to their rooms, and in their dining room by their assigned seats.

seemed to work just fine.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
[quote

sorry,, let's face it .. we all look alike when we get old.

scary and unsafe to say the least.

aaccckkk! you mean i'll be as bald as my husband someday??!!:eek:

eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let's just hope you will have enough hair ..to use the blue tint:loveya:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
aaccckkk! you mean i'll be as bald as my husband someday??!!:eek:

eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let's just hope you will have enough hair ..to use the blue tint:loveya:

what's the rule about blue hair as it applies to crusty old bats?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

unquestionably, this trend will last till someone gives the wrong medication or a pt. gets the wrong procedure performed on them.

let's just hope you will have enough hair ..to use the blue tint:loveya:

regarding to the hair, i'm lucky to have plenty of hair as all of the men in my family were buried with their full mane of hair, even though it was pure white on both sides of my family in their late 70's

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's pretty common in LTC. Rehab is closely related to LTC, so not surprising.

Back when I was a CNA, got to hear from the dayshift CNA about the new nurse on her first med pass in the Alzheimer's unit. Kept asking one of the LOLs her name, even though the aide assured her of who it was and she was actually pretty distinctive looking for an old lady so the picture looked like her. But the nurse wanted her to say her name. The resident gave her about 6 names, as she'd been married MANY times. None of the names she gave were the name on her MAR. :bugeyes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ever had to match a lol with picture of a woman in her 40's?? Good times.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

In an LTC I used to work at, it was supposed to be home-like. Their logic was, well, you don't wear an ID bracelet in your HOME... or leave wads of periwipes sitting out in your HOME... at HOME you go to the bathroom whenever you want, and you don't have to wear pants on Christmas if you don't want to. Sigh.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion