manyhatsrn53

I left LTC about one year ago, after many years in every nursing role from staff nurse to DON to regional nursing consultant. AL is not stress free, but it is definitely less stressful than any nursing job I ever held in LTC. There is a certain amount of loneliness for me on the job because I am the only licensed person for a 70 unit ALF/Retirement community and I miss having other nurses to talk with about nursing. Here, we "assist" with medications and "assist" with ADLs. I have unlicensed medication assistants and resident assistants to provide care. I would agree with earlier posters that a brand new nurse might get themselves into trouble in AL because of inexperience with assessing signs and symptoms of illness in elderly persons. These residents all look very healthy compared to what you see in the nursing homes. There are still many with complex medical issues and many have a fear of going to a nursing home if they reveal the extent of their health problems. I also find that since AL is generally private pay, many families and residents don't want to pay for higher service levels to receive the care and services they need. Census is an issue here, just like in LTC. There is pressure to admit residents who may not be appropriate for AL, not just from the corporate level but also from families who prefer to see their loved one in this setting rather than a nursing home. Overall, I think AL is a good industry for a seasoned LTC nurse who is tired of dealing with tons of paperwork and unreasonable surveyors every three months.