Now get in the pit and try to love someone.
ITS NOT A FULL MOON BUT THE DEMENTIA UNIT WAS HOPPIN'
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ITS NOT A FULL MOON BUT THE DEMENTIA UNIT WAS HOPPIN'michaelanne says (20 Mar '10)Oh my.... what a night last night at work. The residents where I work were just ...I dunno how to explain it. I love that unit cuz they say and do the funniest things. They are all so cute and so sweet. I love bringing my dogs and/or kids in. The boys are like "WTF?". One guy keeps saying to Duncan who has a rats-tail in the back of his Hi-top cut. "hey kid....you missed a spot" over and over again. Duncan is just way too polite to be impatient with the man. He just smiles and says he knows and goes back to playing checkers with another resident. Tim enjoys walking around with some who just dont stop....EVER. They chatter back and forth as he follows their conversations well. Except when they start speaking Quebec-french. One resident hates it when my hair is down. To her its "unkept". She chases me around with one of those general combs(my nightmare for curly hair). strolling in her wheelchair at warp speed (lol) she calls out "c'mere! I fix it now...mere 'mere.... nappy...nappy, 'mere! I fix it" Sometimes I give up and give her a wide tooth comb, sit on the floor and let her do what she wants. Shes gentle but she puts it in a super tight bun. Cussing in french all the while.
So last night there was no fixing anything. No consoling a single one of the residents. Just about every single one of them was bickering with one another. One kept going around bitch slapping anyone she passed. One who used to be a nurse kept trying to take the med cart. We had a food fight during dinner at one of the tables. what a mess! Later it was musical chairs. They fought over chairs in the TV room! Later, trying to get them to bed.... oh forget it! Up and down, up and down, some got redressed in their day clothes OVER their pajamas. One just got all bent outa shape and took everything off! I am scurring around their med charts looking for PRNs of anti-anxiety meds and such. HOly Moly! In the end no one got hurt and no falls so I say thats a good thing. Whew! back at it again tonite. Gabba gabba wee gabba watta watta!
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Oh my.... what a night last night at work. The residents where I work were just ...I dunno how to explain it. I love that unit cuz they say and do the funniest things. They are all so cute and so sweet. I love bringing my dogs and/or kids in. The boys are like "WTF?". One guy keeps saying to Duncan who has a rats-tail in the back of his Hi-top cut. "hey kid....you missed a spot" over and over again. Duncan is just way too polite to be impatient with the man. He just smiles and says he knows and goes back to playing checkers with another resident. Tim enjoys walking around with some who just dont stop....EVER. They chatter back and forth as he follows their conversations well. Except when they start speaking Quebec-french. One resident hates it when my hair is down. To her its "unkept". She chases me around with one of those general combs(my nightmare for curly hair). strolling in her wheelchair at warp speed (lol) she calls out "c'mere! I fix it now...mere 'mere.... nappy...nappy, 'mere! I fix it" Sometimes I give up and give her a wide tooth comb, sit on the floor and let her do what she wants. Shes gentle but she puts it in a super tight bun. Cussing in french all the while.
So last night there was no fixing anything. No consoling a single one of the residents. Just about every single one of them was bickering with one another. One kept going around bitch slapping anyone she passed. One who used to be a nurse kept trying to take the med cart. We had a food fight during dinner at one of the tables. what a mess! Later it was musical chairs. They fought over chairs in the TV room! Later, trying to get them to bed.... oh forget it! Up and down, up and down, some got redressed in their day clothes OVER their pajamas. One just got all bent outa shape and took everything off! I am scurring around their med charts looking for PRNs of anti-anxiety meds and such. HOly Moly! In the end no one got hurt and no falls so I say thats a good thing. Whew! back at it again tonite. Gabba gabba wee gabba watta watta!
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Nahhh Kimmiebear. I already know what the motives are, and she knows I know. It goes way back ..... uh...."LIKE A SPINAL CORD"! One thats snapped. Just like yrs ago when I didnt put my kids in harms way during rehab, just like now I havent gone past the HIPPA line, and my son? He knows how I feel just like I said in an earlier blog; and he accepts the responsibility of his bad choices and hopefully wants to go for the better side that he shows often. (and) he'd much rather I spill my guts here than to our Aunt Barbara who still thinks Jay is just the icing on her cake or to aquaintences/ friends in town who really want to believe the best in him. She is elderly and they adore eachother.
Love your blog. It's nice to hear everybody share about their real life experiences. You should question peoples motives that are making negative comments.....
Have a great weekend
Sound like another good idea.....ugh (sigh) back atcha. LOL!!!!
Blue-Jocelyn.... ugh(sigh).... I'm not even going to bother going back and forth w/ you.
Michaelanne, get real. Reread what I said.
You are a good mother and worked very hard to fix a lot of stuff that wasn't your fault. The fact that life is gravy now, which it sure looks like from the pics, is entirely to your credit.
wow sounds like u had ur hands full. u must be a special person with alot of patients. i love old people. i miss my grandparents so much. are u afraid of becoming to attached to any of them? the reason i asked is because my sister in law worked at a nursing home and she became very close to one of the patients and when they passed away she said it felt like it was her own granmother passing. she had a hard time with it. personally i can see that happening with me.
An old man, Mr. Wallace, was living in a nursing home. One day he appeared to be very sad and depressed. Nurse Tracy asked him if there was anything wrong, 'Yes, Nurse Tracy ,' said Mr. Wallace. 'My Private Part died today, and I am very sad.' Knowing her patients were a little forgetful and sometimes a little crazy, she replied, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Wallace. Please accept my condolences..' The following day, Mr. Wallace was walking down the hall with his Private Part hanging out of his pajamas. He met Nurse Tracy. 'Mr. Wallace,' she said, 'You shouldn't be walking down the hall like that. Please put your Private Part back inside your pajamas.' 'But, Nurse Tracy I can't,' replied Mr. Wallace. 'I told you yesterday that my Pr ivate Part died. 'Yes,' said Nurse Tracy, 'you did tell me that, but why is it hanging out of your pajamas?' (You've gotta love this ..) 'Well,' he replied, 'Today is the viewing.'
Hey Mickey... Don't let anybody tell you or make you think you have done anything wrong. You have not shared any personal information with us in these blogs. Talking about things in general is not a crime. You are always going to get one person that has some shit to say... no matter what it is about.
It takes a special person to do what you do. I know I could not do it.
Michaelanne, I worked in nursing homes for several years in my teens and 20's. I lived across the street from one and my son always came over to visit. The residents loved it because most were forgotten after their families "dropped them off." We even had BBQ's with the residents, their families and the staff and our families. And never a dull moment is so very true but it was a wonderful and rewarding experience. I loved it. Then I moved into working with developmentally disabled adults. Boy, talk about an experience! I got clocked at least one a week. Even ended up in the ER once. That was one time I wished I was back with my Residents lol.
Off to work again. Never a dull moment. Oh and a lil PSA here: If you got relatives in a nursing home for any reason, stop in and visit. Doesnt have to be all day. Just a few minutes they so much appreciate. They talk about it for days if they can, and they love it so much.
Yeah it is similar. the Skitzo part. Their observations on life in general are either so nai've or so wise. They play of ppl to get what they want. either very giving or very self absorbed. RE-DIRECT, re-direct, re-direct. lol
funny, i get that reaction alot from people.....usually followed by questions regarding MY sanity....
so, like i said, what we do is mighty similar in many ways, no? i think so :)
again, kudos to you for what you do and for teaching your boys compassion (it will be returned to you!).
have a beautiful day!
OMG middle-schoolers? aaaghghghghght (tears hair out!) To me, that age group is ... OMG I cant even explain it. My middle schooler is like skitzo. I never know which one is going to show his face. lol I couldnt imagine what its like X16 to 30 of them.
funny how it can take us so long to appreciate our names....glad to hear you are enjoying its uniqueness now....
i teach middle-schoolers which also requires one to be slightly off kilter, so i can relate....working with people crazier than me gets me through the day and keeps me smiling.
i have dealt with many nurses in my life and the good ones are truly angels on earth....so good for you for keeping your sense of humor and knowing your limits.
Blue, our facility encourages family, even employees' family. As long as both parts (unit & kids) are healthy. Children bring vitality into the unit, as do dogs. It lifts spirits of the residents, and brings them a notch back to reality. Hospital care and elder care are two separate schools of thought and protocol. That you DONT need to EXPLAIN and YOU need to get your head out of your neurotic, parynoid, judgemental ass and take a couple of Lorazapam. I am not explaining MY actions to YOU any further. Back off. While you're at it, why dont you place another call to DCYF again...I dare YOU
Thanks DetroitRockgirl. After over 30 yrs I am finally liking my name. and yes it does take a certain personality to work in the dementia field. Ya gotta be a bit "off kilter" too. But some in nursing do well in like Oncology, or Pediatrics. See, I couldnt handle that. I hate IVs. and its such a sad specialty for me, anyway. its one of the reasons I avoid the Dillon threads. It breaks my heart.
Michaelanne, if I need to explain this to you further, then you need to go back to school. There is nothing wrong with sharing. It's what's revealed and the INTENTION. If you want to help the eldest, the first thing is to respect his privacy. Talking about patients and bringing your children into your work environment is dicey, since you are a "nurse." Get it?
Hippa laws go like this! I cannot discuss a NAMED patient's meds, care plan, or behavior SPECIFICALLY, with anyone NOT NAMED on their family list or not in the nursing dept. Even then, a nurse has to be careful as some of who one would think of as family is not in the need to know list. We can however discuss in general "happenings" or incodents. If I have a question I take it up with my RN supv. near by. I say something like (cuz there are always ears around) "you know the one who..... " If she doesnt know I show her my "short list" and point out the name. She will then explain to me what I need to know still without disclosing name. Room numbers are okay.
What I Blogged was in no way a violation of HIPPA. So, Jocelyn stop trying to fish for something where I am concerned. As far as what I blogged about Jay? Well THAT can be found in any court paper and since he is NOT a minor in NH its not sealed. Many of us have teens, and some of us have more difficult ones than others. This is a good place to come to get feedback on that. but of course YOU wouldnt understand that.
michaelanne- it takes a special kind of person to do the job you do...hope if i ever the chance to be old and demented i am lucky enough to find a good-hearted care giver like you!
btw, you are the third person i have met in all my life with the name michaelanne....such a great name!
You post, I read. Can't help it...
Hippa laws are by name only! if you dont like it get off my fkn blogs
Again, Michaelanne....it's great to tell stories, but as a nurse you are subject to HIPPA privacy laws....
nope...thats the scary part! I had to wonder what happen first shift to get them like that.