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Nurses Rock

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Last night my Mom was taken from her long term care facility into emergency because she had a UTI that was not responding to treatment and they couldn't get her fever down. At one point my sister and I were helping her move in bed and I looked at her feet. (Oh yeah, she is 82 and a type 2 diabetic). Her feet were a mess. The skin on her feet and ankles was so hard and dry it looked like elephant hide. Her toenails were so long that they were starting to grow up instead of out. One nail was so long that it had obviously gotten caught on a sock or something and was basically ripped off, just hanging there by a couple pieces of skin. Her heels, sole and toes were cracked. (I have never had reason to believe that her feet were in this kind of shape or I would have been checking them. She alwyas has socks and shoes on when I visit so didn't kow the state of them.) When my sister and I left for the night, I asked the nurses if they could please put a piece of tape over the hanging loose nail so that it wouldn't rip right off (causing pain and thus making Mom miserable to deal with). They said they would see how the night went.

When I went in this evening and looked to see if the nail was taped I thought I was looking at someone else's feet! Some kind soul had taken the time, in a busy urban emergency room, to scrub Mom's feet until almost all the dead and dry skin was gone. Her nails had been trimmed, and the hanging nail had been removed and the wound cleaned up. They finished off by putting some cream on her very dry feet. They looked so much better and Mom said her ankles weren't itching anymore and it was such a relief (she can't reach down to scratch so she had been just putting up with the dry skin itch).

I do not know who took the time to take care of her feet, but I am so grateful to whoever it was. I know emergency is so busy that it is easy to miss an elderly lady who just needs her meds at the right time and help to turn when there is so much other stuff going on. But it meant the world to my sister and I that someone took the time to do that little bit extra that made such a difference. I will never know who it was to tell them thanks, but colleagues like that make me proud of my profession.

I just had to share!!

Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Quote from another post: "Oh, my heart hurt when I was reading this =( Until the end of course! How could her poor feet get into this condition when she lives in a long term CARE facility?! I'm so glad that the ER did what they did for her!"

My reply:

Hmmm .... I wonder ??? since nurses in LTC facilities (at least where I am) are suppose to have the podiatrist do anyone's feet who are diabetic !! I work in LTC and this is my nightmare ... trying to schedule a podiatrist visit for my diabetic patients !! Don't be too quick to judge !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To the OP: That is great your Mom got good care for her feet and wonderful that you were wanting to compliment the hospital vs. negative statements to the LTC,

Specializes in Nephrology.

I will contact the Patient Care Manager in the emergency deptartment and pass along my thanks. KitkatPRN, I know they are busy in LTC and they do have a podiatrist who comes around. Problem is, he can't see everyone every visit and relies on the nurses to let him know who needs to be seen. I have discussed the situation with the RN who is the team leader who looks after my Mom most days, and she said that the aides should have told her about this when they dressed her, but she also said that she should have been assessing them herself and hadn't done so. She apologized to me, and I suggested an apology to Mom was more in order. So she has requested Mom be seen the next time the podiatrist is around and said that she would try to make a point to assess Mom's feet on a regular basis. If that happens I will be a happy camper. However, I will also be looking to make sure that they don't get that bad again. And the RN at the LTC and I do speak often so we will make sure that we talk about her feet once in a while. I know her workload is horrendous, but I figure that we can work together to make sure this turns out well.

Mom was admitted, and for the most part the nurses have been great. However, Mom rang tonight for a bedpan to have a BM. The person who responded (not sure if nurse of NA) told her it would be too much work to put her on a bedpan, so she should "go in your diaper and we will be in in a while to change it". I know she is heavy and difficult to move, but I offered to help so there would be an extra set of hands and was told that "we do this all the time". My Mom was mortified. Her brain is totally intact, it is her body that gave out. To soil herself is the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to her, so she felt like she was being told that her dignity was of no concern whatsoever. (I did note while I was there that the room she is in is actually designed for bariatric patients, and there was a lift on the track over her bed that can hold up to 800 lbs. I offered to help them use it, they said no, they prefer to have pts just "go" and then clean them up when they get a chance.) That whole episode didn't do much for me. But, I am refusing to dwell on that but instead going to concentrate on the good ones who have looked after her.

What an awesome story!

What a wonderful story, and I agree with the others, write a letter to the hospital!

I really like your attitude of working with the RN at the LTC facility to make sure her feet never get that bad again. So much more positive and constructive than making an adversary of the RN and going on the war path! Huge kudos to you for that.

This part, however, I find horrifying. This is in NO WAY acceptable! I think it should be included in your letter, not to stir up trouble or anything, but because if this happened to your Mom, it's happening to others and it's just not okay.

Mom was admitted, and for the most part the nurses have been great. However, Mom rang tonight for a bedpan to have a BM. The person who responded (not sure if nurse of NA) told her it would be too much work to put her on a bedpan, so she should "go in your diaper and we will be in in a while to change it". I know she is heavy and difficult to move, but I offered to help so there would be an extra set of hands and was told that "we do this all the time". My Mom was mortified. Her brain is totally intact, it is her body that gave out. To soil herself is the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to her, so she felt like she was being told that her dignity was of no concern whatsoever. (I did note while I was there that the room she is in is actually designed for bariatric patients, and there was a lift on the track over her bed that can hold up to 800 lbs. I offered to help them use it, they said no, they prefer to have pts just "go" and then clean them up when they get a chance.) That whole episode didn't do much for me. But, I am refusing to dwell on that but instead going to concentrate on the good ones who have looked after her.

they are amazing personal stories reaching all of uss in so many ways.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
What an amazing story ~ reminds us all of what little it will take to do the extra "little" things, especially for our seniors!

Cleaning up someone's feet, getting the nails trimmed, rubbing in lotion -- it's not a little thing. I'm sure that much foot care took an awfully long time, and required a podiatry consult as well. That was an enormous effort!

This is awesome about the care that your mom receive in the ED and how the nurse in the LTC facility owned up to her mistake in not assessing her diabetics' feet daily. But, I would not tolerate what is happening to your mom in the hospital, this is a violation of her patient rights, and is a dignity issue and increases the chance of skin breakdown, etc... The Director of Nursing needs to be informed of this, I know, I am and Director of Nursing, and if I found out that one of my employees or more were telling the patients to "go in their diaper", I would be livid. This is not acceptable and needs to be addressed, please do not tolerate this kind of treatment by the staff with your mom, she deserves better and so do all the rest of the patients on that unit. I will try to remember you and your mom in my prayers and the staff who are caring for her.

Specializes in ICU/PACU.

wonderful story thanks for sharing xo

What an amazing story

Specializes in Nephrology.

I will be contacting the Patient Care Manager in emergency to say thanks and will be contacting the Patient Care Manager on the inpt unit about the "go in your diaper" thing. I don't work on an inpt unit any more, but I was appalled at the attitude that was displayed. If any of us did that and my Patient Care Manager had heard about it we would be in more trouble than anyone would care to admit. We had an LPN tell a pt that once and oncde our manager heard about it, well, let's just say she never said that again. If they "do that all the time" I worry how many others have figured they had no choice. I am not afraid to point out when things are not as they should be but I am also willing to pitch in to make things a bit easier if I can.

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