obeyacts2

I occasionally do respite care for PDD kids. It is state funded in CA. I hear it referred to as "autism light". I agree this home needs to be reported as a neglect/abuse situation ASAP. Good home environment is so critical for a special needs child. I see way too many of them are the family "cash cow" the family lives off the supportive funds/services. Disgusting. Our society enables too many people who really shouldnt be reproducing in the first place. Laura

How STUPID can you get!!! This must go along with the old wives tale that you shouldnt lift your arms over your head while PG or you will strangle the baby!!! :rotfl: Laura

They comply with the WHO Code on infant formula and advertising, which I applaud, since Parenting and Parents can't seem to gather up the b*lls to do this. And they're a nice counterpoint to the typical standard line you see in so many parenting magazines, which try so hard to be "non judgemental" and "balanced" that their articles come off as wishy washy, ill informed and under researched. In addition, you won't find too many of the mainstream magazines doing serious exposes on crib manufacturers, diaper manufacturers and formula companies because they depend so heavily on their advertising dollars. The conflict of interest is quite evident. Allison I subscribe and like this magazine. They are really alternative. THeir reporting is much "harder" and gets more into the expose and serious journalism. This is not the fluff (nursery decorating and cupcake decorating) crap that most mainstream parenting magazines contain. The emphasis is on intelligent thought rather than product placement. Laura

This patient is a workmans comp case waiting to happen. This pt is mismanaged as well; One the aides need some training on dealing wiith the demented, two the poor pt needs her meds changed or adjusted. I do CNA work in home health and our agency would "fire" this pt/family in a heartbeat. I did have one pt that suddenly started getting combative (normally a sweetheart) and I had to report the change in behavior. I only got to stay out (and was willing to stay) because the agency had confirmed that this was a new behavior and that the docs were actively trying to deal witht he problem with meds. LAURA

I had a pateint doing this who was talking to me and said she could see her father and mother, then started talking about packing up "enough diapers and bottles to take with me". It turned out she had given up her son as an infant but kept two daughters when she left the kids Dad for another man. Nobody caring for her knew about the son...he didnt appear in any family photos or anything. Good news is that they tracked him down and she got to say goodbye before she died. Laura

I was working a night shift job as an aide caring for a lady with terminal cancer on hospice at home. (Ive done this work for years) She was starting to slip and I woke her family, two girls and DH. We were all sitting around, she was pretty quiet and peaceful. All of a sudden she looked twoard the door and said "Rex, Rex you're here for me. Im ready and they won't let me go" I saw a shadowy figure come into the room and felt the creepiest evil spirit........Im not nnormally spooked but I was so glad when it was time for me to go home. I turned to watch this spirit and the family was looking at me like "what are you looking at". The lady died later that day. A few months later her Dh had been sick (just not well, not terminal) and they called my agency to see if I would come and stay with him at night for a few days until he was a little stronger. I stayed two nights. All kinds of weird paranormal stuff in that house. Voices in rooms that were empty, sound of people moving around when everyone was asleep, etc. I decided I didnt care how sick he was or how much that family liked me, I was NOT doing another shift there. LOL. Laura

I do the above with my Moms meds and also keep track of her hx and current dx (there are a bunch). I also printed out copies of all of the above and have them in an enveloppe in her purse. I will say there are times I almost wish I didnt have some knowledge (nursing stuident) and elder care experience. Mom was just dx'd with a fusiform aneurysm of the basilar artery :uhoh21: I guess if the neuro had told me I would have thought, OK so how do you deal with that? But I was like OH MY GOD and thinking about where the artery was, its function.....etc. Panic time....... esp when they mentioned taking her to the trauma center by helicopter. BTW she is fine, the podunk hospital here misdiagnosed the type of aneurysm and she will just need yearly monitoring. Laura

The biggest problem in our current system is lack of insurance coverage and accessability. I have real problems because I am considered unisurable by the insurance companies because I had ARDS and some common complications (renal failure, stress ulcers among others) back when I was 18.....Im n now 37 and have developed asthma, then r/t the asthma, hypertension, all controlled by meds. I was on a special state program for people in my situation, but the program only lets you be covered for three years and they switch you to naother program that has premiums so high (higher than my mortgage) that I was forced to drop it. :angryfire So, I just pray I stay healthy, I work full time doing CNA work and studying nursing. Dh job does not cover me either. I can't afford my PCP so I have found a FNP that only charges 50/visit. I find it unrweal that most every industrialized nation manages to have basic healthcare services for its people but the US. Laura

I would be willing to bet if the staff would ignore the happy couple and ignore the residents with "aids" the need for tranquilizers and sleeping pills would go way down :rotfl: , not to mention behavioral issues among the demented/Alz population. Laura

Well if you have migraines you will have lots of compay in the nursing profession!!!!!!!! See a neuro, but also keep a log of your migraines to see if you can ID some more triggers. I did that thinking d/t my age (30s) that maybe it was hormonal. I did get one around the time of ovulation, but also discovered a secondary pattern. I noticed (doing agency home health work as an aide) that whenever I had a certain patient I got a headache. Well, this particular gentlemans care was (drum roll) provide socialization. Well, that usually meant drinking diet pepsi and eating his diabetic chocolates with him. :rotfl: ANyway, I cant eat diabetic candies AT ALL. I shared a few with Mom the other night and promptly triggered one. So, it can be all sorts of weird things. Laura

I wear a Tee under my scrubs all the time in the winter.....esp since I work at night. Sometimes I wear white, and since my scrubs can be any color, I sometimes coordinate a solid color solid under my scrub. I buy cheap ones from Walmart. I have noticed that some brands of scrubs tend to not only gap at the neck, they also are too big at the arms. I care for lots of men so I am pretty concious of offering "sneak previews" :rotfl: I get the plain long sleeve tees. Laura

Around here, it is very common for the agencies (home health) to check credit. One place I worked point blank said if your credit isnt decent, don't bother. The rationale was if someone is irresponsible in one area of their life, the will tend to be irresposible in others as well. Secondly, if you are doing private duty in peoples homes, there is a huge opprotunity to steal if you wanted to. I was doing CNA work for someone once and folded towels that had been washed. I went to put them away and felt a piece of paper in the stack, pulled it out and it was the lip of an envelope filled with money. I took it to the pt and told her I had found it. But, any reasonable adult knows there is a difference when one incident pushes you over the financial edge and a pattern of behavior. That shows on the report too. I used to work for Macys and they had a policy of terminating you if two companies garnished you in the same year. Laura

Amen!!!!!!! I have learned this first hand. I care for my Mom, who has numerous medical issues. She had been on Paxil for depression (chronic) for several years. She was in rehab after a total knee replacement and the brilliant house rehab MD eliminated her Paxil with no weaning and no warning. We wondered what was going on when she had nightmares, and all these other symptoms. The withdrawals lasted weeks ans weeks and slowed her rehab by about a week. My question is: why arent MDs aware of the dangers? Paaxil is a common drug!!!!!

I agree!!!!!! I have already had a similar experience and I havent even started clinical yet! I asked a teacher a question regarding the electrical conduction system of the heart: if a patient is in PEA, what area of the heart is firing? He didnt KNOW what PEA was!!!!! I was horrified! And he was embarassed and copped some serious attitude. Well, you want to teach about cardiac conductio, better know your stuff. At least I didnt ask in front of the class tho :rotfl: Laura

I always wear a skirt to work d/t religious reasons.......and Ive done CNA work for about 14 yrs. At nursing school there are several of us who wear skirts d/t religious reasons. Our ADN program requires white, but for work I like the colored ones. I work for a home health agency so as long s its uniform they dont care about color. (And, if they did, hey I work at night and my pt is blind and has dementia :chuckle ) I think the colored scrubs hide the dirt and uh, stuff we get on our clothes. LOL Now if they would come up with scrubs that hide pet hair!!!!!!! :rotfl: BTW, has anyone tried the scrubs made by Hice? Ive seen theie site but not tried their stuff? Opinions? Laura

I think CNA training should be a program pre req. Our local ADN program requires NO pateint care experience, just a high GPA. I just finished my last pre req, physiology, and i actually heard other students say " all RNs have to do is pass meds, do tx, and tell the CNAs what to do." Some of my classmates were grossed out by a lab dealing with SALIVA!!!!!! Can you imagine how they will manage in clinicals? Our ADN program teaches CNA type skills and grants a CNA license after the first semester. I think that making CNA type experience a requirement would weed out people, plus free up class hours in the ADN program for more RN level material. Laura

My agency says no visible piercings and tattoos have to be covered by the uniform/clothing. I told one aide with a barbell to be careful who she showed it to, she could get into hot water. I did ask her what it was like to get one put in.......out of curiousity. I dont even have pierced ears, I cant imagine piercing some of the places people pierce nowadays LOL. My Dh told me a guy at work had his scrotum pierced wiith a ring in it OWWWW. :rotfl: Laura

I got my caregiving start in MR/DD homes. My med pass training was about 15 minutes!!! Heres the chart, match the chart with the card (meds were carded) nd initial here. Thats iit!!! We gave a wide variety of drugs, but in particular tons of anti-seizure meds and drugs to help control behvior (homes were for DD/MR with behavioral issues). Scary isnt it? Who is going to monitor this? The pts cant tell, most I cared for had IQs from 20-30. Laura

Well, the NPO rule of 6-8hrs beforehand may be inconvenient, or uncomfortable for some, I would rather be uncomfortable than risk aspiration Pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia is a common precursor to ARDS. This is how I got ARDS years ago. I wouldnt wish ARDS on my worst enemy. I still deal with some of the aftereffects years later. Laura

The facilities around here are way too heavy on starch, I think. But the "special diets" are a joke. In reality in lots of these places everyone gets the same thing, just pureed or whatever if necessary. My Mom just got out of a LTC rehab place and the actvity people were giving goodie bags of candy out to all. Mom got one and she is a diabetic, thankkfully a relatively well controlled and disciplined one. She "rationed" herself her candy over days and offered the rest to visitors., but gee, what about the senile or brittle folks? Laura

well, I have had several pts tell me I need to lose weight. Im short and fat BTW. I did have one guy tell me I had great *** and started tellng me all the places we had been and uh, done :imbar . His poor mortified wife and I figured out he thought I was his old college girlfriend. He was normally confused, so the agency started sending another caregiver (hopefully male :rotfl: ) Laura

One time I was working with a hospice RN (male) that had previously done alot of regular home health work. He told me he actually had been sent to South Mo (skid row area of town) to care for a pateint living in a by the week motel. Guy had a hep lock, they were doing some sort of IV tx, and this nurse was supposed to be doing them. He said he KNEW they guy was shooting up after he left (couldnt prove it of course) . Moral opf that story is that if you cant get a vein, have the druggie pts find their own, they'll get one every time "and in some of the most interesting places". Laura

Isnt that against policy? We cant wear fake nails, and the ADN program here doesnt even like real ones that are long due to infection risks. My Micro lab partner grieved :rotfl: over having to cut hers (she always had the fancy manicures, etc) Laura

Hi all, I read in the news about the TX mom who killed her baby (cut arms off) while in the throes of post partum psychosis. According to the article she has suffered with this after previous births. My question is: if a Mom has a hx like this, why dont they medicate ahead of time to head off problems, since pp psychosis doesnt usually occur right after the birth? Second, if her OB knew the hx, isnt he/she liable for not doing so? Third, why do these ladies keep giving birth if they know they are going to have trouble? Lauura

Well, What an appropriate topic!!! I agree with the poster that said we should very well be worried about the young ill-equipped girls having babies. rather than the offspring of older couples who generally wanted and well provided for (once the shock wears off) :rotfl: I can think of two such cases around here, one was a late 40s lady who remarried after having children young and was a grandma, Surprise! A honeymoon baby. She went to the OB and was like "I cant believe we are having this conversation" He told her "oh I see them your age all the time". The other was a couple from church: Dh was years past vas and both girls out of high school, both greyheaded, midlife surprise. The flip side is this: the sandwich generation. I am in my 30s, fighting the IF battle, and now we have the news from the Doc that my mother d/t her health issues may not be able to live alone any longer. Either she goes to LTC or stays with me. So, I may be dealing with an infant and elderly parent all at once!!!! Laura