Vent: Difficult Case

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

Basically would like to vent, but would like input, as well.

My current case (31 hours a week) is interesting. My patient lives with her three siblings, her mother, and on Monday-Thursday, her mother's boyfriend. On Friday- Sunday, the patient's FATHER lives with them. (Patient's father= mom's ex husband. Well, they are still married and he pays her rent.)

In addition to this large family, the mother's drug addicted, jobless, homeless by choice brother stays with them 3-5 nights a week. He is a pro couch surfer.

All of this, in a 2 bedroom small apartment. One child sleeps in the living room, one shares a room with my patient, one sleeps with the parents (she's 3.) The vagrant drifter sleeps on the floor, or kicks kid out of bed to crash.

We currently run out of essential supplies like wipes, diapers, soap, toilet paper, paper towels, Tylenol, OTC meds and other things. Patient doesn't always have clean clothes or drool cloths.

Mom doesn't have a job, she claims she can't work due to having four kids. I give that credibility, because four nights a week she assumes care of the child due to having no NOC nurse. However, she sleeps in her bed, she doesn't stay up for the shift.

The apartment is absolutely filthy. Walls, carpets, grimy grimy grimy. You don't want to sit down.

The 7 year olds bed has cases of rotten formula stacked under it- I asked mom why and she said "so the bed doesn't sag."

The brother has weed in the house, I've seen it several times.

Agency knows all of this, is doing nothing. Thoughts?

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[txerrn6942]

CPS? I would report for the welfare of the children.

[SDALPN]

The agency will overlook all of that to make the money that case provides. Sad, but true.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

CPS? I would report for the welfare of the children.

Yes. Especially if there are ever drugs around children on top of a child who gets PDN.

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

CPS? I would report for the welfare of the children.

I thought about that. I'm afraid the call would get traced back to me. Apparently, CPS has been to this house before.

The agency will overlook all of that to make the money that case provides. Sad but true.[/quote']

It makes me so angry.

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[realnursealso/LPN, LPN]

Except for the dirty house,and sleeping arrangements,and drugs, we could be working on the same case. I have a seperate backpack for her. It has a clean bath towel, clean wash cloth(I bought the towel and wash cloth for her), tear free baby wash, lotion, my own soap to wash my hands, a hand towel to use for me, a hair brush, hair gel, and clean white socks. I bought all these things out of my own pocket, and launder the towels and wash cloths after every shift I work, and the socks as needed. The case manager (who is so mean and bossy, all the time), when I told her what I HAD, to buy, said, "Well we all buy our patients things." Not just things I buy, I provide all things necessary to clean my patient. As far as drugs, if I were you, I'd get out of there asap, you could be arrested. In the end they might see they weren't your drugs, but you have commented on a public forum that you know it is there, which is against the law. If you aren't sure about the drugs, ask a policeman. Your agency is not being fair and I would tell them I want another case that is drug free.

[txerrn6942]

As far as I know, reporting to CPS is anonymous and mandatory. I would report especially knowing that they are already involved or have a case in the past.

[systoly]

oh my, that's not dysfunctional, that's kaput

while it is very sad for the children, i doubt that you or

anyone, even cps could bring about a happy ending to this story

so my advice is think about your best interest, look for another job

this will wear you down

without supplies you cannot do your job

purchasing care products for the patient could actually

put you at risk and no we don't all buy our patients things

and in my state it is actually illegal

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

oh my, that's not dysfunctional, that's kaput

while it is very sad for the children, i doubt that you or

anyone, even cps could bring about a happy ending to this story

so my advice is think about your best interest, look for another job

this will wear you down

without supplies you cannot do your job

purchasing care products for the patient could actually

put you at risk and no we don't all buy our patients things

and in my state it is actually illegal

You're right. I got caught buying children's Tylenol and got reamed out by the director of the agency. If something goes wrong with anything you use on a patient, that YOU bought (aka patient gets rash from "nurse purchased" baby wipes) you can get sued.

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[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Yes reporting to CPS is anonymous & you really should do it if you know something is wrong is the house. If you don't then you could be conceived to be part of it since you didn't report it & knew of it.

[eeffoc_emmig]

As medical professionals we are required to report such things. The company only cares about the money.

Report it and get a different case or company.

[ventmommy]

Anonymous call to CPS, please. NO child should have to go without clean clothing, clean diapers, wipes, soap, etc.

CPS will not swoop in and take the kids away. They will have some sort of family preservation program. They may be able to purchase a safe bed frame for the older child. The family maybe will be eligible for TANF to assist with diapers, wipes, etc. Hopefully they will force the mother to stop letting her brother stay there. Perhaps they can assist with her child care so she can get a job. They should issue an ultimatum about the cleanliness issue.