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Specializes in Nephrology.

Last night my Mom was taken from her long term care facility into emergency because she had a UTI that was not responding to treatment and they couldn't get her fever down. At one point my sister and I were helping her move in bed and I looked at her feet. (Oh yeah, she is 82 and a type 2 diabetic). Her feet were a mess. The skin on her feet and ankles was so hard and dry it looked like elephant hide. Her toenails were so long that they were starting to grow up instead of out. One nail was so long that it had obviously gotten caught on a sock or something and was basically ripped off, just hanging there by a couple pieces of skin. Her heels, sole and toes were cracked. (I have never had reason to believe that her feet were in this kind of shape or I would have been checking them. She alwyas has socks and shoes on when I visit so didn't kow the state of them.) When my sister and I left for the night, I asked the nurses if they could please put a piece of tape over the hanging loose nail so that it wouldn't rip right off (causing pain and thus making Mom miserable to deal with). They said they would see how the night went.

When I went in this evening and looked to see if the nail was taped I thought I was looking at someone else's feet! Some kind soul had taken the time, in a busy urban emergency room, to scrub Mom's feet until almost all the dead and dry skin was gone. Her nails had been trimmed, and the hanging nail had been removed and the wound cleaned up. They finished off by putting some cream on her very dry feet. They looked so much better and Mom said her ankles weren't itching anymore and it was such a relief (she can't reach down to scratch so she had been just putting up with the dry skin itch).

I do not know who took the time to take care of her feet, but I am so grateful to whoever it was. I know emergency is so busy that it is easy to miss an elderly lady who just needs her meds at the right time and help to turn when there is so much other stuff going on. But it meant the world to my sister and I that someone took the time to do that little bit extra that made such a difference. I will never know who it was to tell them thanks, but colleagues like that make me proud of my profession.

I just had to share!!

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Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing. :up:

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Specializes in PICU.

What a saint. I would write a letter to the ED administrators and tell them this. It would be wonderful if this sweet soul could be recognized for going above and beyond.

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That is the care I know most of us strive to provide. I'm glad she finally was able to get the care she needed. I would also write in so they are aware.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Was your Mom admitted to the hospital? or sent back to the facility? I would write to the CNO and complement her on her nurses. They get a TON of negative mail for everyone finds the time to complain. Very few take the time to say thank you.

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A similar thing happened when my papa was transfered from a SNF to ICU. Everyone knew that he was going to die, but someone took the time to give his face a nice shave (he was a pretty hairy guy), and trimmed his hair. When I went to visit him he looked like a new man, even though he had been in a coma for serveral days. The little stuff matters, there are some special people in this world who really take the time to care for our loved ones =) Glad your mom got some excellent care.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Oh, my heart hurt when I was reading this =( Until the end of course! How could her poor feet get into this condition when she lives in a long term CARE facility?! I'm so glad that the ER did what they did for her!

Last night my Mom was taken from her long term care facility into emergency because she had a UTI that was not responding to treatment and they couldn't get her fever down. At one point my sister and I were helping her move in bed and I looked at her feet. (Oh yeah, she is 82 and a type 2 diabetic). Her feet were a mess. The skin on her feet and ankles was so hard and dry it looked like elephant hide. Her toenails were so long that they were starting to grow up instead of out. One nail was so long that it had obviously gotten caught on a sock or something and was basically ripped off, just hanging there by a couple pieces of skin. Her heels, sole and toes were cracked. (I have never had reason to believe that her feet were in this kind of shape or I would have been checking them. She alwyas has socks and shoes on when I visit so didn't kow the state of them.) When my sister and I left for the night, I asked the nurses if they could please put a piece of tape over the hanging loose nail so that it wouldn't rip right off (causing pain and thus making Mom miserable to deal with). They said they would see how the night went.

When I went in this evening and looked to see if the nail was taped I thought I was looking at someone else's feet! Some kind soul had taken the time, in a busy urban emergency room, to scrub Mom's feet until almost all the dead and dry skin was gone. Her nails had been trimmed, and the hanging nail had been removed and the wound cleaned up. They finished off by putting some cream on her very dry feet. They looked so much better and Mom said her ankles weren't itching anymore and it was such a relief (she can't reach down to scratch so she had been just putting up with the dry skin itch).

I do not know who took the time to take care of her feet, but I am so grateful to whoever it was. I know emergency is so busy that it is easy to miss an elderly lady who just needs her meds at the right time and help to turn when there is so much other stuff going on. But it meant the world to my sister and I that someone took the time to do that little bit extra that made such a difference. I will never know who it was to tell them thanks, but colleagues like that make me proud of my profession.

I just had to share!!

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Specializes in cardiac CVRU/ICU/cardiac rehab/case management.

A story of sole.

Refreshing!

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

What a wonderful story. God bless the kind soul who took the time to make your mother more comfortable and give her back her dignity.

My mom had to go to the ED this past Tuesday evening for severe abdominal pain. Turns out she had a perforated ulcer at the bottom of her stomach so needed emergency surgery.

Anyway, the nurses, all of them, were so caring with her. They rubbed her face with a cool cloth, talked to her like she is a human being and did not delay in getting pain meds. into her to make her more comfortable. I thank God for the nurses, doctors, aides, etc...who still care and still have the compassion it takes to work in the medical profession.

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Thanks for sharing. Stories like this remind me why I want to be a nurse. So many nurses (techs as well) go that extra mile. Yet so many kind gestures are ignored or just so it seems. When a loved one is in the hospital it is sometimes hard to thank everyone who made a difference.

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What an amazing story ~ reminds us all of what little it will take to do the extra "little" things, especially for our seniors!

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That's really horrible that with her being a diabetic her feet were in such bad shape, but your beautiful what that person did for your mom. It's nice to read the positive stories :)

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