My neighbor with a history of bladder CA, severe COPD, and possibly some sort of osteoporosis, and s/p ball replacement to his right hip 1 yr ago, and most likely ETOH abuse fell the other day at home. His wife called us to come and help. It was 11 pm at night, and I had to work the next day, so my husband who is also a nurse went over to see if he could help. This man, who is 74, tripped with his walker in his nasty, dirty home. My husband found him on the floor and he could not touch the right leg/hip without this man screaming. My husband told the wife to call 911 and the wife did not want to. Their house is a living pig sty. Garbage bags piled in the kitchen, cig butts strewn on the floor and cat crap piled a foot high in the corner with piles of it everywhere else. It's all hubby could do to not gag. These people live this way and think nothing of it.
Anyway, he convinced her to call 911. The ambulance came and carted him off to the hospital and later sent him home! I guess the xray did not show a hip fx, however the pain was so severe they couldn't even get decent films. The wife came home and had my husband get this man in the house. It took two of them almost carrying him and he was screaming in pain. The wife put him in bed.
She once again tried to get him admitted by once again calling 911, the next day. This time they did find a fx femur that is inoperable. They have offered no hospital stay yet again, only some percocet. They supposedly told neighbor woman that her neighbors, as in my husband and myself, can help her at home.
Seriously, why would they not admit this man?? Am I missing something? He's been in bed for 4 days now. He will not turn or get OOB. They said she could put him in a nursing home, but they have money, except for beer and cigs. Medicaid won't pay because he wasn't admitted.
She can be a lose cannon (and a smelly one at that) when he's been in the hospital. Do you think she's been so bad in the past, they have banned her and she's not fessing up?
Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.
I would say that this is the time to turn them in also. If you are at all worried that they might know that you turned them in, being a nieghbor etc. Now EMS has been there twice so any number of people could be suspect. Make the call now and tell them it is urgent since it has now been 4? days with no medical care and possibly not out of bed or turned? He needs to be in a facility where he is getting treatment. Just basic pain treatment may change his attitude.
Dh just went over to see if he could help get this man OOB and he told DH to leave and was very foul about it. The wife is worried sick and crying.
Would APS be able to get this man admitted for pain control or at least get some sort of hospice lined up? The wife wants help at home, but nobody would dare to step foot in that house.
Possibly. When my sister's MIL fell and broke her hip at home, the EMTs had to practically crawl across all the clutter to get to her. These people were major hoarders and the house was a firetrap. THe EMTs took her to the hospital and called APS. MIL*who also had severe demetia* was not allowed to return home and the house was condemned, so FIL had to move to an ALF. He was pretty mad at first. But once he adjusted *and found out that the LOLs were interested in him!* he really liked it.
I would definitely call APS. This situation is way bigger than you all can handle. And it's not your job to be their nurse. Somebody is dropping the ball and it's not you.
I am going to give you some advise, call code enforcement. They can deem the house unfit to live in. This is why I know who you should call. This happened very close to where I live. If only someone had called code enforcement,instead of Child Protective, maybe Erin wouldn't have suffered the fate she did. Google, Erin Maxwell, she was 11 years old when she was murdered. She lived with her father and stepmother and stepbrother. They had 100 cats who lived in the house, along with many other animals. Code Enforcement is the solution to your problems.
Specializes in CT stepdown, hospice, psych, ortho.
APS is a slipperly slope. having done home health I can tell you that a lot of times nothing is done even for the most abhorrent conditions. Sad but true. It has been my experience that generally people have a right to live how they want to live even if it endangers them and a lot of these patients I would have sworn were mentally incompetent. Hopefully your situation will turn out differently. Anyway, in regards to the admission -- I have taken care of patients that had fx (esp pelvic ones) were they were in excruciating pain and not weight bearing but get sent home in wheelchairs with orders for home health and PT and pain meds and lovenox. Sounds like that patient needs home health and a MSW referral.
Yeah our licences our my first concern. I feel like a rat turning them in,as they seem happy living in filth. Maybe APS can help them.
Thanks for the input. I will call tomorrow.
...when their living in filth spreads to the rest of the neighborhood, even minutely, how will you feel? It *is* an awful feeling "turning them in" but in most states you are able to do it anonymously. Or if you must give your name, the agency can still refuse to give your name as the person who reported. I have done it and am glad I did.
What family is left has alienated them. She pulled some dirty work with the homeowners books and is going to trial for embezzlement in June. She might end up going to jail. She does not know we know this is the case, and if she does, she ignores that fact.
The cats look really good, dh said. Fat and clean. The house is just their little box. When the wife was served papers the cop that came out reported her to animal services, but nobody came out.
They both have lived like this for years, by the looks of it and are happy. I guess that is why I have issues reporting him.
Dh just went over to see if he could help get this man OOB and he told DH to leave and was very foul about it. The wife is worried sick and crying.
Would APS be able to get this man admitted for pain control or at least get some sort of hospice lined up? The wife wants help at home, but nobody would dare to step foot in that house.
If she ends up in jail, he will probably end up in some sort of assisted living situation. Sometimes you just can't help some people. They seem to have a lot of issues. I agree with everyone else...adult protective services is probably the only alternative at this point. Kudos for helping as much as you have. :)
It's all hubby could do to not gag. These people live this way and think nothing of it.
anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN
240 Posts
I would say that this is the time to turn them in also. If you are at all worried that they might know that you turned them in, being a nieghbor etc. Now EMS has been there twice so any number of people could be suspect. Make the call now and tell them it is urgent since it has now been 4? days with no medical care and possibly not out of bed or turned? He needs to be in a facility where he is getting treatment. Just basic pain treatment may change his attitude.
anangelsmommy