No dogs allowed in room

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:crying2: I went to my new home hospice orientation. They said that this kind of hospice is called continuous care hospice in the home. They said a nurse got bit by a dog in the home. They said at first the dog had been friendly but then as the owner's condition worsened the dog then became overly-protective and bit the nurse. So now the policy is that no dogs are allowed in the patient's room when the nurse is on duty(nurses usually work 12 hour shifts). It seems so sad that a dying person can't have his dog with him when he is dying. :crying2:. They also said that the patient's home caregiver such as wife can only leave for short periods such as not being gone for more than one hour and a half. It seems a shame that the wife can't spend her time anyway she chooses such as taking a day off and getting out of house. I would think that if you had a nurse for 12 hours that it would be an ideal time to get out of the house and get all of your stuff done.:confused:
Specializes in PACU, OR.
It may be time to hang up my nurse shoes if this kind of thing seems normal to people. If your car has a dead battery do you have to abandon your vehicle and walk home because the Auto Club guy, the tow truck guy would then know where you worked? I know having an independent method of transportation is part of being in home health, but c'mon! You don't have to tell the taxi driver who lives at the house or why you are there!

It's probably a good idea to have a BP cuff and thermometer just in case, but couldn't they spring for the kitty litter? How very odd.

Tencat - agree for a short visit doggie can stay out. I had a pt with an ankle biter (and was an annoying little runt as it was) I got the "but he never bites anyone else!" like it's my fault?? I just about had to dropkick the thing before they got the message! :mad:

YOU DROPKICKED THE DOGGIE!!!!? :crying2: Sis on you!

Seriously though, if I was terminally ill I would want all my furfaces with me, and I think such a ruling is inhumane. I must assume this organization is run by non-nurses. At least I hope so! I wouldn't like to think that anyone I called "colleague" would invent such a set of insane rules.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

I think your hospice office has some boundary issues. They may not tell a family member when they can and can not leave their own home.

They cannot tell you how you may and may not get to work.

They may tell you that you may not be in the room with the dog...but you don't have to spend 100% of your shift at the patient's bedside, that is your professional judgment.

They may require you to own your own professional tools...stethescope, BP cuff, etc. Many don't expect this, and provide them, but it is not a ridiculous expectation.

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Thanks all. I took care of my mother for 8 years at home. She had alzheimer's. Oh sure, Mom liked to see me. However, when the cat would jump on Mom's recliner to be petted by Mom, my Mom would brighten up and her eyes would light up like a Christmas tree!!!! :yeah:

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I've never bothered to carry my own thing of kitty litter. Usually there's an adult diaper somewhere pour all the meds into that dissolving the pills. Usually there are coffee grinds somewhere in the house or some vile kind of trash.

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Specializes in Hospice, Education, Critical Care Peds.

While not everyone has a kitty or drinks coffee, usually people in their own home will have laundry soap, either liquid or powdered. It works well, especially if there aren't a lot of pills that have to be crushed.

I keep a bag of kitty litter in my trunk in the winter time anyway, to prevent getting stuck in icy parking lots. I had to use some coffee beans for that one time, very expensive, but boy, it smelled great!

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Thanks tothepointeLVN and hospicevet20 for your good ideas. I would never had thought about using an adult diaper or laundry soap to dispose of meds. Yes, I bet these ideas would work well.:yeah:

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Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.

When I had Hospice in FL for my Dad earlier this yr..we decided if the dog or cat could be present. Being a RN myself I always tried to respect nurses preference also(we had intemittent visits). They had no silly rules.

I have Hospice now in TN for my mom..also no silly rules,, they do SubQ lines for Lorezapam, and morphine.... this is effective yet very different from anything I have seen..no use of liquid Roxanol.

Yes technically HIPPA prevents one from getting ride to patient's home, but I have never seen this enforced. Technically you could not write notes in your home with family member present but really!!! HIPPA was created to help and all it seems to do now is create problems and less privacy then before.

I will tell you in W.Palm Beach, FL back in 1992 I had Hospice for my husband, and they were forbidden to come to home after 5pm!!!!!! We had dirt roads with canals and apparently some foolish nurse drove into a canal at some past time. Now can you imagine what a waste Hospice is if they can not come after 5p!!! Thank God I was a home health nurse and able to handle it. They did not come to pronounce even (of course he died at 1:30am!) I called them, they asked name of funeral home and they called them to come. Funny the funeral home could come on the dirt road before daylight and not fall in the canals. (FYI...dirt roads were wide enough for side by side semi's++....so while dark, it was not dangerous) They also never came to dispose of meds or anything!! Nothing but a letter was dropped off requesting donations be made in my husband's name to the Hospice!

With my dad, they came, pronounced, prepared body, disposed of meds in a special clay like material and container Hospice agency provided! Totally professional and pt/family friendly. Current Hospice has told me they do the same.

As far as Florida goes, they are different place to work as a nurse. I did Home health there for 18 yrs, several areas, several companies. No two alike. Some even tried to say they had different Medicare guidelines!! I left 3 times with the last being the final time. So very happy to be in another state. Just going back there to care for my Dad was enough to cement my feelings for the state. Good job or not so good.. things are odd there and the pay is so bad.

Florida is a great place to vacation...just do not think living there is a good idea!

I regress, if any Hospice told me what I could and could not do in my home, they would not be MY hospice!!!:uhoh3:

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