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