You know it's gonna be a bad day at the home when

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

You know it's gonna be a bad day at the home when: someone walks up to the nurse's station on Mothers Day and asks what room Mama is in and Mama has been there six months.

You just know that Mama is going to need to go to the bathroom in less than three minutes, need something to eat, be cold (hot), look like she hasn't been bathed in three weeks, need pain meds, be constipated. Oh and did I forget Mama hasn't said a word without being questioned since she got there?

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Yep. I've had more than a few of those.

How about when you walk onto the unit and the charge nurse tells you to "git while the gittin's good"---it's been a zoo all day, there've been three falls and two admits, and your shift is short-staffed because two CNAs just called in. :icon_roll

[bubblymom373]

You know it is going to be a bad day at the home when: You pull into the parking lot for work and there is an ambulance and fire truck at the front door of the home.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

You know it's gonna be a bad day at the home when: someone walks up to the nurse's station on Mothers Day and asks what room Mama is in and Mama has been there six months.

You just know that Mama is going to need to go to the bathroom in less than three minutes, need something to eat, be cold (hot), look like she hasn't been bathed in three weeks, need pain meds, be constipated. Oh and did I forget Mama hasn't said a word without being questioned since she got there?

No kidding. I learned early in my career that Mother's Day was THE WORST holiday to work in LTC. This is the day that kids come out of the wood work that didn't have time on Christmas or any other holiday to see Momma and then they are shocked to see the condition that Momma has become and want to blame all of it on ME. I have also realized that if it is the resident that keeps calling you back for food, drink, hot/cold, etc it is often because they don't want to be with this long forgotten "child" either and they are looking to keep someone they know and trust near by them.

[JeneraterRN]

The days I hate are when momma or daddy are in the process of dying and the formerly disinterested children appear. They then try to make up for years of neglect by being the "super advocate.". You know the type. It's the ones that never use the call light because they want to talk directly to the nurse, so they come to the nurse's station every give minutes for everything the can imagine or create. There is another variety that question everything you do and launch complaint after every imaginary complaint. They can't deal with the guilt and greif combined and take it out on the nearest target.

[MaryAnn_RN]

I would like to write something amusing but it always makes me feel sad...when the previously disinterested family members all show up when it's clear the end is near, then there is the mad dash to get to the patients house first.

Once phoned a patients son to say she was very ill...he knew, and wasn't coming in. She got worse, I phoned again...no, still not coming. He finally said if she's as sick as that I'll pick up the property from the Office on Monday

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

Or...when your at a NH/SNF/rehab combo as part of your hospice work, and one of the nurses runs up, says, "You work in ICU at your hospital, right? Can you come look at my patient.?"

Oh....rats.

A PE in a non-hospital setting is not a good thing.

[runnergirl86, BSN, MSN]

It's always saddening when NO ONE comes to see a resident and the DPOA won't answer phone calls, even for simple things such as 'your mother is completely out of socks'.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

It's always saddening when NO ONE comes to see a resident and the DPOA won't answer phone calls, even for simple things such as 'your mother is completely out of socks'.

It is sad, and you know we are gonna buy those socks.

[egglady, LPN]

you know its gonna be a bad day at work when the outgoing shift says "it's been quiet"....All hell will break loose- in the middle of the busiest med pass!!!

[JenniferSews]

It is sad, and you know we are gonna buy those socks.

Yup! And you know the staff hugged that patient with love 3 times a day in the last x amount of days they have lived with you. Maybe they were an awful parent but someone is caring for them and forgiving them now. So either lead, follow, or get out of the way. :heartbeat

But yes, nothing worse than the "I called for directions even though I live across town" family member who shows up on a holiday ready to set fire to the building and call state (but not take their family member out to dinner or even bring them their fav food or those much needed socks) over the horrible care their parent is receiving. They scream while confused staff looks on that mom/dad/etc didn't get x at every meal. The staff is only confused because the resident has professed to always HATE x and if they had asked we would have given it gladly. Also, why is mom/dad incontinent, confused, unable to walk, when they have been that way for the entire 2 years you have cared for them 5 days a week and the admission assessment says the same. So WHAT HAS THIS PLACE DONE to them?!

[exnavygirl-RN]

I have also realized that if it is the resident that keeps calling you back for food, drink, hot/cold, etc it is often because they don't want to be with this long forgotten "child" either and they are looking to keep someone they know and trust near by them.

So true!!