My Dad moved into an Assisted Living in June. The morning LPN who administers the morning meds is not friendly to my dad. He drinks instant coffee in his room in the morning. This morning he wasn’t feeling well and asked his morning LPN if she could make him a cup of coffee. She told him that NO, he wasn’t in that part of Assisted Living. I’ve heard her speak harshly to him on several occasions when she didn’t know I was in the hallway. She also lied to him and told him that he couldn’t have a migraine headache medication until 5 pm that day (it was morning when he asked). The order was written for the pill to be given PRN. I’ve already had 1 meeting with the administrator and things have not improved. They won’t let cameras, but I would love to be able to see what goes on when I’m not there. I think this woman just doesn’t like my dad. What else can I do?
There is a lot more going on than you see.
Is your Dad a hard person to deal with? Are you a hard person to deal with (e.g. only talking to staff when you are complaining about them, etc.) If so, unless you want to move, you will need to change your presentation. Decent places will move the staff around so that they don't get irritated by specific individuals.
It is hard work, however, that doesn't mean that you have to tolerate a situation that you consider unacceptable.
Next, if no action is taken, send a letter (with a defined timeline) to the administrators asking they take immediate action to remove this LPN from your father's care. Also, in your letter explain that you will looking to find another facility for your father if appropriate accommodations are not made. Personally, I would hope they would suspend or fire the LPN, but DO NOT request that kind of action.
As soon as the letter is postmarked, start looking to find other acceptable assisted living facilities, and do your due diligence and check the States Ombudsmen report card on new assisted living facilities. Also, check to see if these facilities are accepting new residents.
Give the current facility 2 or 3 weeks to correct the problem. If the facility has taken no action nor given you satisfactory answers to the steps they have taken to correct the problem. Tell them you will be following thru in moving your Dad to a different facility where he will receive better care.
You wrote us on the 2nd July. You were intending to follow up with the admins and I am wondering if you got any satisfaction? I would love to see an update it you have one for us. Best out to you.
Residents and family members are afraid to complain for fear of
retribution and even lower service level and meanness.
Also keep in mind in most states medications have to be given within a certain time frame and with high level security. The cart is locked the minute the nurse moves from the cart into a room to give a medication to a resident. Unless there is a code blue life-threatening emergency on her floor, she is not to leave that cart! Failure to adhere to that rule will certainly cost the AL penalties on that state reviews and that nurse can lose her license!
Oh that being said she may have just been having a bad morning or was annoyed that you asked her to leave the card not knowing that you didn't know the rules and regulations. If you like where Dad is now maybe try mending the fences with her little bit. So you might start off when she's finished her medication run going up to her and saying something to this effect " nurse Adams I'm so sorry I interrupted you the other day to ask for a couple coffee for my dad. I guess I just forgot how busy you were and how important the medication one is. Now I need your help because I need more information on how to do this if Dad wants a cup of coffee on another day?"
You are showing her that you were sorry about interrupting her work, letting her know how important you feel her work is and asking for her help. It might not work with her but I can tell you it has worked in a lot of instances for me. Get them on my train; let them think they're driving it - I don't care as long as we get to my destination.
Good luck.
Are there other substandard employees there that are being tolerated by management? If yes, this is a hopeless situation and you should move.
Start documenting your concerns in emails to the administrator even though you're not getting relief. You will need it if it escalates to a complaint to the ombudsman or to the owners.
I can't tell you how many times I'd bring a resident a snack if they weren't feeling well, chance a pull-up, or give a shower to help put the aides. Technically, it wasn't my job because I was the supervior, but if everyone was busy and it had to get done, I'm not too proud to work.
These days many, many nurses in such a situation are.
What you do have reason to complain about is if she is lying about orders on when to give medications. Also the speaking harshly. What did she say? You say you've personally heard her on several occasions. So that behavior can't be overlooked as someone having a bad day or being overtaxed with work and doesn't have time for petty nonsense that is very common with elderly folks.
I would talk to her personally and her supervisor. Personally, I'd reconsider leaving your father in a facility that does not allow cameras in his personal space if him and his family want them.
You won’t change that person’s mean streak. It’ll come out in various forms. Don’t wait around to discover how she behaves when you don’t watch. You have a bad feeling, that feeling is right.
I'm sorry this happened to your dad. If she yells and screams at her patients that is one thing. If it is just a simple no, its a simple no. At least she did give an explanation that he is not in that particular unit and left it at that. Her main objective was to get the meds passed by a certain time. You could have gone to the nurse's station and requested to get his medication for his migraines.
I don't think she has a personal vendetta against your dad.
It is big power trip for some med-administrators. I've seen this happen in every AL facility I've worked in...there is always at least one sick individual passing meds who gets off on the power. It is sick, and wrong, and needs to be reported as high up the chain as necessary to make it stop.
I was the medication supervisor in a high-end AL and I know what you say can be true.
No one under me dared step out of line on my watch because they knew what the consequences would be if I caught them. There was also no hiding in the residents' apartments until the shift is up either (this is common in AL's for aides who do not want to give a shower or change a diaper).
I expected the aide staff to behave well and to maintain a good work ethic. I will not tolerate laziness.
In turn, I would not tolerate nor did I expect any of the aide staff to tolerate abusive behavior from residents. The aides were not expected to interfere in any of the residents' personal matters. If some resident was feuding and fighting with another, it was not for me or the aides to settle it. We would never take sides or listen to any petty squabbles and complaints. I did not expect them to socialize with the residents, listen to complaining, or allow a resident to "lash out" at them because they are bored or want someone to fight with.
I know what you're saying is true though, and it's up to the supervisors and administrators to run a tight ship and make sure they know what every aide, nurse, and staff member is doing all the time.
All of the rest of it, I can understand your pov. When you have another meeting, I would leave the coffee bit out.
Sometimes you can make a person a cup of coffee. If you can't, then you can ask an aide or some other employee to do it.
No one has to be nasty about it though, but some people are and that does not have to be tolerated for one minute.
As for the mistake in medication - that is something that needs to be addressed, and focusing on the LPN's professional competence will get you farther than complaints about her difficult personality.
returning to add that this is based on the assumption that someone living in AL is a competent adult with minimal physical limitations, treating anyone with cognitive or physical needs limiting their self care in this way would indeed be abusive
If dad can have Alexa in his room you can "drop in" and listen in on conversations.
So if you know that the LPN is going to be in his room at 7 AM you can be listening in.
This would give you more of an idea what the conversations are.
You can't see what is going on but you can hear.
*As I was googling this I did come across info (did not watch it though) on how to turn Echo into a security camera...just a thought
Tell them that you require a different LPN be assigned to your father.
This is abusive behavior.