Who does this stuff? Really, you can't make it up!

[ShayRN]

So a family wants their mom sat up in a chair. She is dead weight and exceeds our hoyer weight limit. Sorry, safety issue can't do it. So they try to put her up on the side of the bed themselves, she falls on the floor. A complete lift and one of our nurses ends up in ER and is off work for a while. Next day, they do the same darn thing. Put her up on side of bed and down she goes. Tonight, I walked in and found her sitting up at the bedside AGAIN. I told her daughter, if she falls, I am calling the ambulance crew for a lift assist and she will have to lay on the floor until they get here. Guess what happened? What. the. heck. I am so frustrated. Any advice for tomarrow, because I gotta be honest, my back really hurts right now.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

You need to get risk management in there to talk to the family, and discuss how DFACs / legal counsel will have to get involved if the family insists on endangering the pt. Discuss that they will be required to pay out of pocket for the injuries/extension of hospitalization/tests that pt requires due to the falls, since insurance/medicare/medicaid will not pay for these "preventable" expenses. And hand them the bill.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Honestly, I would let her stay on the floor and call the squad.

Idiot daughter.

and suggest they take her to the ED and not take her back....

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I would put her mattress on the floor with the patient on it and tell them that since she continues to end up there that she is going to have to stay on the floor on the mattress until they can assure the facility that they will not be getting her out of bed. While you are doing this someone needs to tell them that they are a liability and insist that they transfer her to another facility because you are no longer going to accept the liability of caring for her.

A mattress on the floor makes care a lot harder and she might even roll off of it.

The family might be intentionally trying to hurt her. You should probably report them for abuse. They don't have to know it was you, you can be anonymous I think.

But you had better involve your DON, the MD, the Social Worker, the Administrator right now. And do not hurt yourself again trying to pick this woman up, sorry though I do feel for her. The family has been warned. Let them pick her up or wait for the paramedics to pick her up. Document like crazy.

What does the family say when she falls? Are they aware that falling can be dangerous? do they know staff members have already been injured?

How do you get the woman up normally? She doesn't stay in bed all the time, does she? That would be pretty rare these days I would think.

[clemmm78, RN]

I've never worked at a facility that would tolerate mattresses on the floor.

[mappers]

Restraints!

For the family members, right? :)

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I've never worked at a facility that would tolerate mattresses on the floor.

We use low beds, which are almost on the floor. And we actually care plan, "Resident will not be injured when she rolls out of bed." They climb, they roll, they remove alarms - gah!

[dcarriv]

do all of the above plus limit visitors to 1 at a time. if you have security, you can get them involved also, along with your manager or house supervisor.

[Moogie]

I've never worked at a facility that would tolerate mattresses on the floor.

I once saw someone on a mattress on the floor out by the smoking lounge. Frankly, I thought that was very undignified and disrespectful to the patient. I don't have a problem with a mattress on the floor for frequent fallers but out in the hallway, next to the patient smoking lounge?

Am I out of line to think that it was disrespectful and a violation of the individual's dignity to be on the floor, in the hallway, by the smoking lounge?

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Not only that, mattresses on the floor in the case of this resident would probably harm the staff in performing care more than they are already being hurt by occasionally lifting the pt on a standard bed.

I recently had to care for a heavy weak pt with major skin damage. The bed used for burn pts does not raise or lower, places the pt in a recessed space, and weighes close to 2000 lbs.

After the first time I had to hold the pt in position for a procedure for an extended period of time, in a crouched position, I knew I was in trouble. Not to mentiond repositioning, lifting, and all the other care required.

[leslie :-D]

wow shay, i'm really wondering why no one else (don, med'l dir, licsw) has gotten involved?

are you the one who posted about an unethical marketing director, who had the support of those in charge?

if so, my question has been answered.

time to show this family who's in charge when you're caring for them.

you can do this.

they need the proverbial kick-in-the-pants.

and wear your boots.

leslie

[dcampbell]

Restraints! Just kidding. I hate dealing with family members who can't seem to use common sense.

How about restraints for the family members! Geez!

They are interferring with the pt's plan of care and with hospital policies, they need to go.

[NotFlo]

So a family wants their mom sat up in a chair. She is dead weight and exceeds our hoyer weight limit.

Honestly, I think the above statement is your main problem. Your facility should not accept a bariatric patient if they don't have the proper equipment to care for the person. Do you keep this woman in bed 24/7? Not acceptable. The facility needs to transfer her someplace where they have a mechanical lift that that can safely transfer her, or rent or obtain a lift to transfer her safely at your facility.