Vicki30CNA

We do have trivia and some baking. I think the residents I talk to who tell me there is nothing for them to do but sleep, eat and read the paper are looking for purpose to get up every morning. They do not look forward to the next day as they all run together. Our residents that are not as able get little to no stimulation besides toileting and shower. A few fold bibs every AM and see it as their "job", but that job takes them a half hour. Then what, they tell me. I hate to see their last years months days so empty and without purpose.

I would be interested in hearing what kinds of activities residents do in other nursing homes. Our residents have complained to me that all they do is eat sleep and read the paper. We do have group activities like a Lawrence Welk video or nail care. Bingo and Bible study. Coffee Klatch....these are spread out in a seven day week. I would love to be able to suggest something that would help stimulate these bored people!!!

I understand what you were saying, I was just curious about the time. No CNA should ever get snippy and beligerant about any care needed to be given to the residents. It sounds like the facility isn't very caring about the residents if they keep CNA's that have that kind of attitude. I have to disagree with your last statement though, I give care and time to the residents because I genuinely care about all of them and the lives they have led. No nurse has to tell me to do this. I do it because I chose this job for that reason. No one on my shift, my resident or not, lays in puddles,has wet clothes, dirty nails, uncombed hair or no dentures in to eat meals. I have skipped breaks and lunches to make sure. When I'm in my 90's I hope my family looks deep into the care and love other residents get in a facility before they choose it for me. Good Luck!! :)

It is part of a CNA's job to keep the residents nails clean. I have to wonder though, you requested this on the 11pm-7am shift? At our facility that is day CNAs job. Unless resident has obviously been digging and nails are disgusting why wake them up to clean nails?

It maybe that the CNA's have been met with ill treatment from a previous nurse and have unjustly assumed you will be the same. That does not excuse minimal care of residents. I am a CNA in a facility small like yours. I bust my behind from begining to end of the shift. We (the other CNA's) are short staffed on weekends and never get out on time. We could never sit behind the desk on a weekend shift. I have only been a CNA for 6 months and I love it and especially the residents. However I have come up against one nurse that I am reluctant to report things to anymore. I reported a resident was bleeding from her stitches throught the bandage and two shirts. This resident had just gotten out of the hospital from a blood clot. The nurse cocked her head at me and said "Is this an emergency? " I said I guess not I just wanted to let her know and she responded "Well I can't drop everything right now" Another time I told her about a scabbed over sore on a residents leg that a ring of red was spreading around the sore. I had been asked by another nurse to keep an eye on it the week before and tell them if it got worse. This nurse looked at it and said the discoloration could just be the residents blotchy skin. I explained that I had been monitoring this red spreading for two weeks. She turned to me with her hand on her hip and said "So what do you suggest?" I said I had no idea I was just telling her. Then she said "OH, well I thought you were going to tell me a cure." It affectively put me in my place, humiliated me and made me mad as you know what. We are called nurses eyes and ears, but what we tell them and when we tell them(Sometimes things happen in the middle of med dispensing and that never goes over well) isn't always recieved like we helped. More like we added to the burden of the nurse's job. This creates animosity and a distinction that hinders good communication. If the CNA's are slacking off they should be taken to task, but a better working relationship can be formed with respect on both sides

I am a CNA at a nursing home. I haven't been a CNA long, less than 6 months. We have a resident who is 101 years old. She fell out of bed last week and complained consistantly of leg, knee pain. We continued to tell the nurses and they tried to get the resident to be more specific about the pain, but the resident has dementia and usually can't even tell us her name. Yesterday she finally went for an x-ray. It wasn't read till today after noon. It was discovered she has a fractured hip. My questions are...is that the normal procedure before determining whether to x-ray?... She was still treated the same ie regular transfer and walking orders. Even this morning I was unaware of her possible fracture and two of us had her standing and were tugging her pants up! Also we have received no change in how to treat her except that she doesn't have to walk to the diningroom. She is still two person transfer. They are not going to do surgery and they have offered her tylenol as pain medication. I am shocked and horrified thinking it seems like not enough care is taken both before and now after this incident. Is it truely not that big of deal and minimally painful that she can continue her regular care plan minus the walking to the diningroom? All you nurses out there please respond! Thanks! Vicki