What to do about a resident that knows how to turn her alarms off?

[Penny82]

I've talked to her many times about this and does no good. Last night fell because she got up by herself and turned her pressure alarm off so we didn't hear it. She has a tab alarm in bed and knows how that one works too so she often gets up from a low bed with mats on the floor. I talked to her again last night. I told her by getting up by herself she wasn't allowing me to do the job I am paid to do and because of that she is putting herself in danger. I told her she is not to touch the alarms again and I reminded her that if she needs anything to use her call light. We are there to help. I also told her we may not get there the minute she would call, but someone would always come. The nurse gave her a lecture on messing with the alarms too. She does a good job of listening to you while your telling her all these things and then going right back to doing what she was doing before. Can you guys think of anything to tell her that would help her realize how serious this is?

[CoffeemateCNA]

Sounds like she has dementia, is incredibly stubborn, or both. In either case, nothing you tell her is going to make much of a difference, unfortunately.

How long is the cord from the pad to the "box" of the pressure alarm? For our residents that know how to turn them off at the box, we get a really long cord so that the unit can be turned on and the box placed under the bed on the floor. That way the resident cannot get to it to turn it off without activating the alarm.

They make wall-mounted sensor alarms, too, but they sound like a doorbell ringing and make you want to blow it up by the time your shift is over.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

They make wall-mounted sensor alarms, too, but they sound like a doorbell ringing and make you want to blow it up by the time your shift is over.

We have so many of those velcroed to the foots of the bed (feet of the bed?). And most of the time they just go off because someone waved their hand around or rolled over. And trying to walk around the bed is aggravating because the slightest bump sends them crashing to the floor. The things that cover the batteries are always getting lost and the battery is loose and the damnthings don't work.

[CoffeemateCNA]

You should also inform whatever nurse you are working with (if you work with different nurses throughout the week) know every time it happens so that it can be charted on. You can even present them with a list of times, etc.

If you have a place where CNAs can document things, write it there.

Document. Document. Document. That's how things get accomplished and changed (well, in THEORY, anyways).

If it continues to happen, perhaps you can let your unit supervisor or DON know? They may not be aware of the situation and may be able to start working on different arrangements for the lady.

[canigraduate]

There's not really anything you can do. If you have a good relationship with the resident, tell her how much it hurts you to think of her lying on the floor with a broken hip. Tell her that it's really hard for you to deal with thinking of her lying there forever because there is no alarm to let you know that she needs help. And promise that if she survives the fall, you'll come visit her in the hospital. You just hope that in her comatose state, she'll know you're there.

OK, maybe the last couple of sentences were over the top. Anyway, good luck!

[Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN]

OK, maybe the last couple of sentences were over the top. Anyway, good luck!

I thought they were pretty good! Lol

[Time2BeMe]

I agree with coffeemate; document! There's a chance if it's becoming constant, the Dr. can prescribe a sleeping pill. When I worked Nocs there were several residents that were nite owls - parked them in geri-chairs at the nurses station so everyone could keep an eye on them. Good luck!

[ijh6890]

You can make the alarm to where she can't reach it. Or you could also leave it alone, if she knows how to take it off and turn her bed alarm off and remembers how to do it everyday then she must not be that demented, as pp's have said. It's her right to take the alarm, you really aren't supposed to tell them that they "are not to do so..." You're not her boss. You're there to help her. Just like you are there to help her if her falls. She has a right to get up and walk. :)

We have a few in my facility that are like that, they are all either on 15-30 minute report, or they are in our alzheimers unit which each resident has 24 hour supervision.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

How serious of a fall risk is she? We have a few residents who, against the advice of PT, have a doctor's order (or a family note- but that's a LOT of paperwork), to walk around unassisted. They might fall and get hurt but I think it's worth it because day-to-day they're MUCH happier.

[rosey2007]

I had a resident like this at one time and we would hide the bed alarm. What good that did lol. This resident would have to transfer to the bed before the alarm. What I think is really crazy is this person did not have a chair alarm at all , but had a bathroom alarm.