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.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately, you cannot do much about your colleagues back injury, but you can take steps to try and prevent this type of injury from reoccurring. Maybe the staff could write a group letter requesting that a bariatric lift be purchased for any future bariatric patients? Give the letter to management and keep a copy. The fines for failing to provide a safe workplace cost much more than the lift.

If the facility is not willing to purchase the bariatric lift they could make it a policy that bariatric patients cannot be admitted until after a bariatric lift has been rented. This is what my facility does and it has prevented patient and staff injuries.

dishes

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

How is the family able to get her to sit on the bedside? strong men doing the lifting and tugging? How exactly does she fall?

All you really have to say to the family is that you are not able to get her up because she is too heavy for you to safely do that. You don't want her to get hurt and you don't want to get hurt, either. Just tell them the truth. She is too heavy for the lift, also, you're so sorry, you will help her roll a little. Then get four or six of you in there and do that. This is a ridiculous situation.

It really does sound like they're not dealing well with the fact that she is dying. Or maybe they honestly believe she is uncomfortable lying down all the time. Do you turn her?

Again, as someone said, no one, patient, family, no one has the right to expect you to hurt yourselves while caring for them. That's really nuts.

Maybe you should just call the DON when they want her up. Let him do it.

[leslie :-D]

How is the family able to get her to sit on the bedside? strong men doing the lifting and tugging? How exactly does she fall?

All you really have to say to the family is that you are not able to get her up because she is too heavy for you to safely do that. You don't want her to get hurt and you don't want to get hurt, either. Just tell them the truth. She is too heavy for the lift, also, you're so sorry, you will help her roll a little. Then get four or six of you in there and do that. This is a ridiculous situation.

i know, right?

that is something i'd be saying myself, but not everyone's personality is the same.

however, if i truly believed the pt wanted to get up, i'd be expending a lot of effort...

not sure how (w/o bariatric equip) but would do everything i could to honor pt wishes.

leslie

[dcampbell]

So this pt will probably be going home soon?

How will the family deal with her care at home? (When she falls because they get her up.)

When she becomes injured at home/or needs to be readmitted due to her dx, does your facility HAVE to take her back?

Can it be suggested that she go to a facility with bariatric equipment?

I don't need to tell you, but you DON'T want to have to deal with this family again, or have any more staff injured.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

We had a similar family for a while.

Pt was a very dense stoke - flacid on one side. Family would want pt to sit on commode. We tried a couple of times. With her lack of control she leaned very badly and would not make attempts to hold herself up (language barrier did not help). After picking her up off the floor, we said No more. We would offer bedpan for BMs. Pt was inc of urine. Family NOT happy. But we stood firm. So they started transferring her themselves. On of the OTs watched and said it was not safe - both family and pt were at risk. But they insisted, she just documented. Family took pt home - refused hoyer life (which is how nsg transferred her). That was about 2 weeks ago. I am still waiting to see this pt return with injuries from a fall.

[catshowlady]

We cannot stop her family from coming as long as they don't threaten us.

As far as I'm concerned, this family IS a threat to the safety of every staff member there, not to mention their mother. They should be barred or limited to one at a time on those grounds. I don't give a hoot what they want, they have no right to cause me or anyone else a back injury!

:paw:

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I certainly hope everyone---INCLUDING the DON and supervisory staff---is documenting the h-e-double-hockeysticks out of all this. Families like the one you've described always seem to be the quickest to call a lawyer when the inevitable happens and their loved one suffers a serious injury (or worse).

I'm wondering if the family is actually HOPING for that. That if they can get the patient injured because the staff wouldn't help her get up, they think they'll have a nice little lawsuit in the making.

[ShayRN]

They behaved today. Thanks for all the comments, this has been a very frustrating situation for everyone involved. Will suggest a baratric lift. Most days there are only 4 people on shift, 3 nurses and an aide, so I am sure this will be a problem again.

[qbedobedoo]

I would ask them to setup a video camera and record the stunt of their mom falling to the floor.

Then submit the video to Americas Funniest Videos.. maybe you can win $10k?? he he:jester:

Seriously, tell that ignorant family that if she falls again, THEY have to pick her up. You have many years of work ahead of you and rely on the health of your back. If she falls again, I would flat out refuse to touch her.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

As the nurse, I'd be asking the daughter for her lawyer's contact details, and letting her know that I'd be suing her pretty damn fast when I got injured lifting her mother off the floor (and that I had the documentation to back up that she was warned prior).

I would also be writing my administrator a letter warning of the risk to both staff and patient safety, so that I can sue them too when I get injured.

Sometimes the risk of losing the almighty dollar will move people when nothing else will.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

yes, restraints for the family and document, document, document!!!!!