Unstable crazy situation-Help!!!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

What can we do? Sometimes people just don't see a dangerous situation.....Where do we draw the line with folks?

Ok- we have a cardiac patient that has an ef of 10%, wife is always in an altered state.....

wife calls service at 2am-saying patient having chest pain---she called 911.....she gives the service a wrong # to her home (her cell phone was stolen last week along with her purse)....ok-no worries-i know what er he goes to...i fax med sheet and copy of dnr.....and head that way

find patient without chestpain, without intervention. patient a&0x3 says "my wife is so kind, she let a girl and her bf stay over last night because their apartment doesn't have any utilities....well-that girl came back tonight and tried to kick down the front door because my wife wasn't here to let her in", patient recounts that he was fine til police arrived, and police called 911 for him because he was having tightness in the chest......(ok=he is cardiac, and having chest pain and we can't put an ekit in the home because wife would sell it or take contents herself======his ativan, sleep med, and lortab count is always off by several each visit)......come to find out-case mgr tells me this morning that wife is renting out rooms in their rental home and running it like a boarding house. it is a small bungalow style home with maybe 3 bedrooms....

Is it me, or is it not dangerous in this day and age to just let anyone stay at your house??? case mgr says one of the one night boarders is who took her purse and cell phone last week, she called service last week saying someone "stole" her husbands motrin could we replace.....

The poor case mgr is at her wits end. I know we can't make people act right, but my goodness-----an unsafe situation is an unsafe situation......I know I DON"T WANT TO GO OVER THERE if i don't have to......

Any thoughts? I've contacted social worker and chaplain. We are making daily visits monday-friday to try to keep his meds straight and keep him out of the hospital.....he was just in the hospital 3 weeks ago for smoke inhallation---fam was burning pine logs and someone put a couple of tires in the fire, and pt got into the pile and pulled out the tires-inhalling all that smoke and burning rubber-he spent a full week in the hospital for that one.....

Any thoughts are appreciated.....

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Do they have children who can be involved? How about adult protective services?

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

grandchildren have been removed by dfacs, adult children are impaired as well, i will have to ask social worker if aps has been contacted....thank you for your help.

some folks just wear us out

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

I'm sorry, I don't have any ideas for you. But I will give you a big cyber hug!

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

crazy people down there in Georgia...just sayin

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice.

APS here in Oklahoma will not do anything in this situation if the person states they want to continue to live there. I had a patient whose son was smearing his own feces on the wall, not feeding her regularly and the house looked like an episode of Hoarders..Honestly! We call in APS..patient stated she didn't want to leave her home and was happy, APS said our hands our tied , thats it! My last straw was when I went to do my visit, walked in to the kitchen to get the patient a glass of water and there were two squirrels in cages he had trapped. They were screeching!!! Just amazing!

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Specializes in Hospice.

Your company is allowed to discharge patients. Our admit paperwork includes patient expectations, which include providing a safe environment. This is not safe. I would recommend discussing this with your team. We hate to do it, but the reality is that patient's safety and well being is your responsibility if he is in your care. We run into the craziest things, huh?

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I would definitely follow up with discharge action if APS can not do anything.

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Specializes in LTC/ TCC/Hospice/Clinic Supervisor/Med-Surg.

wow,ppl are crazy.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

situation continues......aps was contacted-no word yet......but i can guarantee he will say he likes it there.....

squirrels and feces......maybe my situation isnt as bad as i thought lol

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What can we do? Sometimes people just don't see a dangerous situation.....Where do we draw the line with folks?

Ok- we have a cardiac patient that has an ef of 10%, wife is always in an altered state.....

wife calls service at 2am-saying patient having chest pain---she called 911.....she gives the service a wrong # to her home (her cell phone was stolen last week along with her purse)....ok-no worries-i know what er he goes to...i fax med sheet and copy of dnr.....and head that way

find patient without chestpain, without intervention. patient a&0x3 says "my wife is so kind, she let a girl and her bf stay over last night because their apartment doesn't have any utilities....well-that girl came back tonight and tried to kick down the front door because my wife wasn't here to let her in", patient recounts that he was fine til police arrived, and police called 911 for him because he was having tightness in the chest......(ok=he is cardiac, and having chest pain and we can't put an ekit in the home because wife would sell it or take contents herself======his ativan, sleep med, and lortab count is always off by several each visit)......come to find out-case mgr tells me this morning that wife is renting out rooms in their rental home and running it like a boarding house. it is a small bungalow style home with maybe 3 bedrooms....

Is it me, or is it not dangerous in this day and age to just let anyone stay at your house??? case mgr says one of the one night boarders is who took her purse and cell phone last week, she called service last week saying someone "stole" her husbands motrin could we replace.....

The poor case mgr is at her wits end. I know we can't make people act right, but my goodness-----an unsafe situation is an unsafe situation......I know I DON"T WANT TO GO OVER THERE if i don't have to......

Any thoughts? I've contacted social worker and chaplain. We are making daily visits monday-friday to try to keep his meds straight and keep him out of the hospital.....he was just in the hospital 3 weeks ago for smoke inhallation---fam was burning pine logs and someone put a couple of tires in the fire, and pt got into the pile and pulled out the tires-inhalling all that smoke and burning rubber-he spent a full week in the hospital for that one.....

Any thoughts are appreciated.....

By renting out rooms, the wife may be violating the terms of their rental agreement on their residence. The landlord might be able to help with at least that aspect of the mess.

But, really, until the wife is removed from the scene, little will change. Except to get worse. These situations very rarely get better without a swift hard kick to the abuser. APS should get involved ASAP, from the picture you're paining.

Sounds like the man really needs to be in a NH, as sub-optimal as that may be. But it's better than being in a clearly unsafe situation, and likely suffering from some symptoms because his meds are being diverted.

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