Residents who don't get along

Retired R.N. · Jun 16, 2006

Is there any way to move any of these residents into different rooms?

LPN1974, LPN · Jun 16, 2006

To me, that's abuse.

Retired R.N. · Jun 16, 2006

To me, that's abuse.

What action are you suggesting is abuse? Moving a patient to a different room, or forcing one to have to suffer being harrased by another patient?

Jupiter Crash · Jun 16, 2006

I care for two residents in particular who are in beds B and C in a three-bed room (the lady in bed A is very quiet and doesn't take any mind of B and C). Resident C has back pain, contractures in her arms and legs, and a decub on her rear, and will groan or ask out loud for help. Resident B, who is ambulatory with walker and very alert, will talk back to her... along the lines of:
"OoOOOh, it hurts!! When are my pain pills coming?"
"If it were ME, I'd be up getting those pain pills my own darn self. Shut up!"
Resident C asked me yesterday to tell Resident B that she only makes noise if she's in pain, and to please not yell back at her. I politely conveyed this message; Res B would have none of it. Aside from keeping Res C supplied with water to drink, positioned comfortably, and checking in on her every so often, I'm not sure what I could do to ameliorate the situation.

:uhoh3: Residents that act this way towards one another are a bit nerve racking but then again they all have their own personal opinions and personalities and some really need a room change...or therapy.

skipaway · Jun 16, 2006

What action are you suggesting is abuse? Moving a patient to a different room, or forcing one to have to suffer being harrased by another patient?

I think the reply is to the situation that Resident B is placing on Resident C, not your solutions.

nursesarah · Jun 16, 2006

Residents that act this way towards one another are a bit nerve racking but then again they all have their own personal opinions and personalities and some really need a room change...or therapy.

the unfortunate thing is that some people are just like this. and changing rooms is not going to do anything. because i can guarantee that if its a part of this resident's personality, they will find something wrong with another roomate.

Jupiter Crash · Jun 16, 2006

the unfortunate thing is that some people are just like this. and changing rooms is not going to do anything. because i can guarantee that if its a part of this resident's personality, they will find something wrong with another roomate.

:bow: you speak the truth if it is embedded then usually wont change no matter what. It is kind of sad really...

LPN1974, LPN · Jun 17, 2006

What action are you suggesting is abuse? Moving a patient to a different room, or forcing one to have to suffer being harrased by another patient?

That someone has to live in a room with someone who yells at them all the time.

Not the changing of rooms. That is done all the time.

My reply that I gave about the abuse was in response to the OP's message of one resident yelling at another one.

I certainly wouldn't want my grandmother to have to endure living in a room with someone like that.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2006

two things. (1) the pain medications of resident c ought to be reviewed to make sure she is being adequately relieved. and/or (2) the administrator and/or who ever is in charge of the beds need to have a sit down first with resident b's family and explain what is going on and why there is concern for the safety of resident c. resident b needs to be moved to another bed because of her behavior unless she is capable of controlling herself. it needs to be pointed out to the resident and the family that all residents are entitled to an enjoyment of the space they occupy and that includes being free of harassment by a roommate. how come the don and administrators haven't intervened in this yet?

had a similar situation years ago. one of the residents ended up taking her cane to the more helpless one who was calling out and ended up breaking the wrist of the helpless resident. lawsuit ensued. chart review indicated that nurses were continually charting the outbursts of the aggressive patient toward her roommate. it pretty much made winning the lawsuit a piece of cake for the injured patient.

Alibaba · Jun 17, 2006

my first thought was, has this been brought up yet during family counsel meetings and during careplan meetings? Also like someone else asked, is it possible to move B or C to a different room? Two examples here. I had this lady that just couldn't stand her room mate (double rooms) and for the longest time we just documented and tried to redirect. Then during a care plan meeting, someone observed that she got along marvelously with the lady that sat next to her in the DR. talked to families involved and moved the two tablemates into the same room and we haven't had any more probs. Next example, B bed got a new roommate that she hated. said everyday how much she hated her, then one night, another roommate runs down the hall to the station in a panic and we finally go down the hall with her. B bed is in their room up in w/c beating up on (total care)A bed!!! and I mean a serious thrashing with a note book and her hands. and even after we moved in and tried to get her away, she was still trying to get in some more kicks and saying she was beating her coz she hated her and would do it again if given the chance. She never got another chance, but I was just illustrating how some behavior that doesn't seem so important right now (stating she hated her roommate) could lead to some major problems (thorough thrashing). Can you imagine the amount of phone calls made that night, and the paperwork?? Bottom line is, better deal with this while you can still control it. good luck

SaraO'Hara · Jun 17, 2006

I don't know if it's possible to move them, or if it's been brought up before, because I'm a student CNA and have only been caring for these residents for four days. I'll bring it up today with the station's charge nurse if I observe anything untoward.