Rudeness: Is this normal?

[Heaven-Leigh]

I recently got hired on for my first cna job at an assisted living facility. The place looks nice, but my co-workers attitudes are just outright nasty towards the residents. On my first day of training, my trainer was nowhere to be found. After an hour of searching, I found my trainer along with three other aides out in the parking lot smoking. The staff seems rude to the residents for no reason. For example one of the residents was coming down the hall in his wheelchair when one of the aides yells "why do you look like that? Look at him, why he look like that?" And just seemed to be mocking the residents. My coworkers will frequently walk into a residents room to gossip about other staff or residents, while the residents are in the same rooms! My trainer was showing me around and introducing me to some of the residents in the facility and as we walked into a room, she turns to me and says, " these two in this room are nasty." And again, these residents are in the room as she says this. At first I thought maybe it was just this one aide, but it seems like almost the whole staff of cna's are like this. I also notice a lot of laziness from the staff. A resident asked one of the nurses to get her some coffee and the nurse replied "we don't have any" when there was plenty of coffee bags and filters in the pantry room that the nurse could have made for the resident. This same resident asked the nurse to heat up her cold food and the nurse tells her that the microwave is broken and there's nothing she can do. (The microwave isn't broken) Is this type of behavior normal in ALF? It seems like nothing is done about the staffs rudeness towards the residents and the majority of the staff acts this way. The patients seem to be healthy and cared for, but the way the staff talks to the residents is a bit overwhelming.

[Leonardsmom,LPN]

Sorry that you are having such a rough first experience. Unfortunately some of the places are like that, although there are good places out there too with staff that takes care of and respects their patients. Some of the things that you are describing to me sounds like it borders on if not could actually be considered abuse. Mocking residents, talking about them with out respect or dignity (verbal and mental), even neglect staff disappearing from the floor, not heating up food for a resident so that she can eat her meal. If you feel that abuse is going on it is your responsibility to report it under the Elder Justice Act, if you don't do so you can be held liable for the abuse that is going on if it is ever reported by someone else and you did nothing. If you are not familiar with the Elder Justice act basically if you suspect or see physical abuse going on it needs to be reported within two hours, in which physical harm was not done within 24 hours, but in any case it should be reported immediatly. Your facility should have a plan in place of what to do if you suspect abuse and who to report to. As it sounds that this could be a problem with even the nurses I would go to the administrator of the building and talk to them.

Let him or her know that you have concerns about things that you have been observing on the floor, you are not looking at wanting to get anyone in trouble but you are concerned about the rights of the residents and how they are treated. The thing to keep in mind is that depending on the attitudes of the people running this place they may decide to find a reason to let you go. Yes it is illegal and you are protected in reporting suspected abuse, but if this is something that they are allowing to happen at their facility and are doing nothing to change it they may find another reason to let you go. Honestly if I was in your shoes I would be looking for another place to work at. Yes one could argue that the residents at that facility need people who are there to care for them, and they do, but that type of work environment I am afraid will burn you out. I have been in those types of places before and the best move I was able to make was to find myself another job. There are places out there in which the staff treats the people under their care with dignity and respect.

[Missingyou, CNA]

What you experienced is somewhat "normal" but that doesn't mean it's acceptable.

I agree with Barb. It should be reported at the very least to an ombudsman. Here's a link to find one for your state. NORC - Locate an Ombudsman and State Agencies. :: Locate an Ombudsman .

I worked in a Assisted living and had pretty much the same experience. I brought it to the manager and she pretty much said it's just the way it is. The owner said he would address it, and I don't know if he did or not because I quit the next day, reported it to the ombudsman and found a job in a nursing home that provides excellent care, dignity and respect to the residents.

Seriously consider working for another facility. It is very likely that this place has a negative reputation that everyone (except the families) are aware of and working for them will label you just as negative with other potential/better employers....not to mention that when the state gets involved, you could very well go down with the other aides.

I would: First find another job and then give my notice to this place (as in "yesterday was my last day) and tell the manager/owner why you are leaving.

Search online for other facilities before putting in your application so that you don't get in this situation again. You can search the facilities rating with the state as if you were looking for care for a family member. A high or low rating with the state is an indication of the working conditions.

[OCNRN63, RN]

​I read stuff like this, then pray that I die before I end up in a nursing home.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

During my clinicals for NS I witnessed some very bad behavior, like talking negatively about residents in front of them as if they can't even hear or understand them. I work in LTC now as I finish up NS and I can say that people don't do that where I am, at least not in front of the residents. I too have decided that if my kids put me in a nursing home it better be one near them and they better be there everyday to make sure I am cared for, and I want a really awesome TV and I don't necessarily want to be dressed everyday, maybe I want to wear my fleecy pajamas all day every day.