Private Sitting

[justme01]

Some family members at my nursing home are looking to hire private sitters. They want their loved ones to have company.

I know that sitting is not for me because I have to be up and moving. I need lots of exercise. Also, I think I would get burnt out and grouchy if I was with one resident for ten hours.

Also,this brings up some questions...

1. Wouldn't coworkers be ******? How would they feel about busting their asses while one aide is sitting with a resident?

2. Wouldn't this be a conflict of interests? Will the aide give this resident more attention when she is working the hall in order to keep her sitting position?

3. Our home has a written policy against private sitting for residents. Will it be enforced?

I am curious...

4. What is your homes policy regarding private sitting?

5. Would you do it?

[kids]

My experience with privately hired sitters is pretty limited but the rule in facilities that I've worked at has always been that it could NOT be an employee of the facility as it's a conflict of interest and potentially a huge liability issue.

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

The facility I work for is pretty big. It's a Continuing Care Retirement Community, so it has independent living, assisted living, and a nursing home. There are a lot of people who need private aides at the facility, so to eliminate outside workers, the facility started their own home health agency. I am employed by the facility as a private duty aide in their home health department, but if I wish to transfer to the assisted living or nursing home part, I am free to do so (and many have).

Working with one person has its ups and downs..you can provide a lot more care & not feel "rushed". But the clients I have sleep a whole lot so that's pretty boring just being in their room while they sleep. So I bring my homework or watch tv (thank God for cable!).

At my other job, we have a lot of private aides from agencies come to sit with our residents. The thing that makes me mad about them is that the majority of the time they are just companions and cannot do anything for the resident like peri care, dressing them,feeding them, etc. They're really just there to make sure they don't fall, but even then they don't always make sure to that!

[caliotter3]

I only met a couple of private sitters who did not work for the facility at the time they were doing private sitting. It makes sense that the facility would not allow their employees to do this because of liability issues.