"You're not responsible"!!!!!

Published

Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Unbelievable: Came to work this morning to find a new woman eating with our ALF division. Nurse doesn't know her, the CNA says that she heard from the Activities Director that she is going to be eating with us from now on even though she is not a resident and we are to serve her food with the others. Activities Dir tells me she heard from our CEO that this is so. I turned to our SW who says "Yeah, her family wants her to move here but we have no room so she will eat with us in the interim"

I ask "and who is responsible for her"

SW answers "We not responsible for her"

Me"And if she falls or chokes"

SW "We are not responsible we should just call the daughter".

ME "who has her number?"

SW"I have it somewhere, I cant find it right now":banghead:

Can you believe the lack of communication? And Such ostriches! If she is eating with us- of course we are responsible for her!, I have no idea if she has Diabetes, Epilepsy, What meds shes taking, allergies, etc. Who will they sue and who has a license to lose?

Do you think it will hold up in court that the SW told me I'm not responsible?

It gets better: I ask for info on her

SW " You don't need to know all that, you're not responsible for her":devil:

The CNA gave her food, she participated in activities, she roamed around bothering everyone, she is confused and gets lost. Her daughter left her by us from 7:30 and picked her up at 4pm. She kept asking us to bring her a drink, She is easily upset,

Sounds like we are responsible for her- doncha think?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

wow, wow, wow.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OMG! If anything should happen I would think so!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Unbelievable: Came to work this morning to find a new woman eating with our ALF division. Nurse doesn't know her, the CNA says that she heard from the Activities Director that she is going to be eating with us from now on even though she is not a resident and we are to serve her food with the others. Activities Dir tells me she heard from our CEO that this is so. I turned to our SW who says "Yeah, her family wants her to move here but we have no room so she will eat with us in the interim"

I ask "and who is responsible for her"

SW answers "We not responsible for her"

Me"And if she falls or chokes"

SW "We are not responsible we should just call the daughter".

ME "who has her number?"

SW"I have it somewhere, I cant find it right now":banghead:

Can you believe the lack of communication? And Such ostriches! If she is eating with us- of course we are responsible for her!, I have no idea if she has Diabetes, Epilepsy, What meds shes taking, allergies, etc. Who will they sue and who has a license to lose?

Do you think it will hold up in court that the SW told me I'm not responsible?

It gets better: I ask for info on her

SW " You don't need to know all that, you're not responsible for her":devil:

The CNA gave her food, she participated in activities, she roamed around bothering everyone, she is confused and gets lost. Her daughter left her by us from 7:30 and picked her up at 4pm. She kept asking us to bring her a drink, She is easily upset,

Sounds like we are responsible for her- doncha think?

Sounds like free adult day care to me!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Pedi., Critical Care.

Wow! Yep! Sounds like you are responsible!:bugeyes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh shoot! What an awful situation your ALF is putting the nursing staff in (and no other department)

Does you ALF have a legal department? Or even call Human resources or an Ombudsman. If she chokes, you're not going to call the daughter, you're going to have to do the heimlich, if she falls you can't just leave her there and not assess and call 911 or the daughter.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My heart aches for you and the spot others have placed you in. What if the feds and state walks in to your facilaty? How would you acct for this person?LOL, mmmm don't suppose they would notice since they don't have to pay. Think I could come hang out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My heart aches for you and the spot others have placed you in. What if the feds and state walks in to your facilaty? How would you acct for this person?LOL, mmmm don't suppose they would notice since they don't have to pay. Think I could come hang out.

How about calling the police on her daughter? You might also want to contact the law office that defends and represents the nursing home.Start with the senior partner! This is elder abuse!

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Sounds like free adult day care to me!
either that, or very expensive .....and that is why the facility is doing it...
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

All I can say is I am glad that I am not in your shoes when something happens. Something will happen because it always does in these kind of situations. I think that I would be getting a hold of the CEO and asking alot of questions. Then I would get in writing from the CEO that I was not responsible and who exactly is responsible in this case. Good Luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Unbelievable: Came to work this morning to find a new woman eating with our ALF division. Nurse doesn't know her, the CNA says that she heard from the Activities Director that she is going to be eating with us from now on even though she is not a resident and we are to serve her food with the others. Activities Dir tells me she heard from our CEO that this is so. I turned to our SW who says "Yeah, her family wants her to move here but we have no room so she will eat with us in the interim"

I ask "and who is responsible for her"

SW answers "We not responsible for her"

Me"And if she falls or chokes"

SW "We are not responsible we should just call the daughter".

ME "who has her number?"

SW"I have it somewhere, I cant find it right now":banghead:

Can you believe the lack of communication? And Such ostriches! If she is eating with us- of course we are responsible for her!, I have no idea if she has Diabetes, Epilepsy, What meds shes taking, allergies, etc. Who will they sue and who has a license to lose?

Do you think it will hold up in court that the SW told me I'm not responsible?

It gets better: I ask for info on her

SW " You don't need to know all that, you're not responsible for her":devil:

The CNA gave her food, she participated in activities, she roamed around bothering everyone, she is confused and gets lost. Her daughter left her by us from 7:30 and picked her up at 4pm. She kept asking us to bring her a drink, She is easily upset,

Sounds like we are responsible for her- doncha think?

Baloney like this is why I left assisted living......... too many of the companies that operate these facilities are so concerned with profits that they think nothing of risking a nurse's license. It doesn't matter if we have the skills or the personnel to manage certain conditions in the ALF setting or not: if it has a pulse, they'll move it in and the nurse just has to deal with it.:angryfire

Or not. Which is why I'm now working at an LTC, where we at least have CERTIFIED nursing assistants and the sort of equipment and training necessary to care for high acuity patients/residents.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would call your state board of nursing and find out how you should proceed. You need to protect yourself, because the first person the ALF management is going to throw under the bus if something happens is you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment