Peri care vent

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Nov 24, 2010

Yeah that aggravates me too. 9 out of 10 of my coworkers are mothers. I doubt they changed their babies' diapers without wipes! Then if someone really stinks they'll throw down some powder. Gross.

Our facility doesn't use wet wipes and we run out of linens a lot, so I usually just use lotion and a wad of TP. It's better than nothing.

yousoldtheworld · Dec 2, 2010

This is one of my big issues. A lot of the girls on 2nd shift (I used to work 2nds, now I'm mostly 3rds) do not use wipes on the residents unless they poop. ( A lot of them also don't wash them when they put them to bed like they're supposed to, but that's a whole other subject.)

There is absolutely no excuse for it - our facility supplies wet wipes and also no rinse peri-wash spray. I do the same thing - I spend most of my first rounds washing everyone with soap and water or peri-wash and wipes.

Would these people want urine and who knows what else left on their skin all day long?!

2ndyearstudent, CNA · Dec 5, 2010

I feel like I am talking to a brick wall. I am trying to be a good example by grabbing a bowl of water/wetwipes if somebody needs changing, but I KNOW that other people don't bother and it bugs me senseless!

It is also classified as abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult. I reported, documented and did everything I could in that situation, but in the end I just had to find a different job. One of the first things I noticed working for my new employer was how clean everyone was.

yousoldtheworld · Dec 5, 2010

It is also classified as abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult. I reported, documented and did everything I could in that situation, but in the end I just had to find a different job. One of the first things I noticed working for my new employer was how clean everyone was.

It is, and we've had some good workers quit for that reason. But I won't do that. I've worked at an incredibly well run facility and was unhappy there (mostly because I dislike working in geriatrics). My current facility is not very well managed and has a lot of lousy aides. However, I feel like leaving because of that would be doing a disservice not only to myself (I absolutely love working there - I love my hours and the kids I take care of are a blessing to me) but also to my residents. They may not get the care they deserve all of the time, but at least I know that for the 40 hours I'm there a week, I can make a difference.

That's what I remind myself every time leaving sounds like a good idea.

blessedinscrubs · Dec 7, 2010

Urine is acidic = causes skin breakdown = bedsores. I really believe this issue is one of the reasons people get sores, not to mention rashes/skin irritation, etc. When you do peri care, you can't necessarily *see* the mess that urine leaves on the body, but it's definately there, and it eats away at the skin if it isn't cleaned.

I'm sorry, but if a CNA makes no attempt to clean the peri area after urination - that CNA just plain old does not care, and does not need to be working in healthcare.

Let's just tell it like it is!

systoly · Dec 7, 2010

well, if you stop "badbathing" and start giving good baths ...

When I worked nights, I had my crew load up a cart with washclothes soap and lotion and everybody got a good cleansing. A good night's rest is very important and patients sleep better when they are clean and comfortable.

yousoldtheworld · Dec 8, 2010

well, if you stop "badbathing" and start giving good baths ...
When I worked nights, I had my crew load up a cart with washclothes soap and lotion and everybody got a good cleansing. A good night's rest is very important and patients sleep better when they are clean and comfortable.

What are you considering a bed bath? The bed baths I give my residents daily is washing them with soap and water, drying them, and lotioning, as well as brushing their teeth and putting carmex on them. That's what it's supposed to be - a bath, given in bed (or chair).

systoly · Dec 8, 2010

Look at the grin. The OP misspelled bed bath ,"bad bath". I was being a smart a.. and made fun of it. The OP can take care of my family members any day.

yousoldtheworld · Dec 8, 2010

Ohh, haha, I missed the misspelling.

Of course, to most of my coworkers, that's a very apt description.

LaterAlligator · Dec 9, 2010

I was very surprised when the girl training me at my new job got people up in the morning by changing them in bed without cleaning them with a cloth & water/periwash, so at first I thought maybe that was policy for some reason.

Then I realized there are specific washcloths (color coded) in every resident's bathroom and periwash for this exact purpose, so she just didn't do it for whatever reason. I don't get it either. Although the residents at my job don't usually smell either, so I think it must get done most of the time I don't have them, which is a relief.

The only time I don't is if I'm toileting a confused resident who is either too combative to let me clean them properly after urinary incontinence (BM I'll obviously have to get someone to come help me in that case) or if they pull up their clothes and bolt before I can get to them. In those cases, I'll let it slide and try them again in a little while. Otherwise, it only takes a few seconds to wet the washcloth, spray on the periwash, and give them a good once-over.

PhoenixTech, LPN · Dec 13, 2010

Aides that don't perform peri care are the same ones who'll go home and lounge around without changing their scrubs or washing their hands, face and arms off. Their children will be the ones with excessively snotty noses and filthy clothes.....you know, the ones you pray won't touch you with their soiled hands, but they always manage to do just that. Those are the aides who'll eat off of a residents tray, throw soiled linen on the floor, see poop smears on the bed rails and leave them, hide in clients' rooms, run when they observe that a co-worker needs help, keeps the rumor/gossip mill in overdrive and in most cases still live at home with 'mommy'.

Sometimes their actions stem from ignorance, arrogance, irresponsibility, lack of common sense, inflated ego, evilness, vileness as well as crudeness. Most often I find it to be laziness but sometimes it can stem from being overwhelmed.

Lately I've worked with some of the slickest aides in my facility. They are always trying to find a way not to work and it's sickening. When there's 1:1's on the floor, it's like a mad dash to the patients room and even bickering over who's going to stay to do it sometimes. My facility now has incorporated 'light duty' for the techs who've been on leave for so long. They do 1:1, pass ice, do accuchecks, run back and forth to the lab.......jeez! Talk about animosity between us! The techs not on light duty, (but want to be), resents the light duty techs, who resents the facility for bringing them back. I float now, so I'm constantly getting the short end as far as pt. assignments. The techs who work the floor regularly come up with all kind of new rules when they see me coming. I'm very quickly loosing respect for these duds and wondering how is it that they keep getting away with the crap that they do.

Whew! I guess I had some venting to do too!