Anne1017.....I was the 2nd caregiver. I have had more than one caregiver in the past. The young girls were sleeping, another women through an agency was working a double shift. She took on another client at night. After that she started coming in with serious body odor and was sleeping across my mothers bed. The caregiver who worked with her was good, but she moved to Maine. My mom couldn't stand her though. Everytime I would mention cutting her days back and getting another caregiver during the day, she said she was fine and didn't need another. Originally she was suppose to only be 3 days and assist me in bringing in another, but never did. I believe she became a bit greedy. Going through an agency makes me nervous. I want consistency. I don't want different people all the time. So many of my friends have had terrible experiences with agencies and stealing. I haven't called the local area on aging yet, but I will. Thank you. Yes, it is sad anyone feels the need to put Cameras in. Especially to protect their loved ones, but this helped me see that my mother's caregiver wasn't caring for my mother. I'm glad I had them.
97yroldmom...I'm working on some of those things. I don't want to lock her in her room, although I have bought door alarms/chimes for the bedroom doors. I also have a baby monitor set up so I can hear her. I love the card table idea and her bathroom is right there in her bedroom. I am working on the bedside commode also.
First of all, let me congratulate you for taking on the hard responsibility of being a caregiver! I was POA and caregiver for my mom for 9 years, and the last 1/12 years were the hardest. Even though it was very exhausting for both my husband and I, I will never regret the love and care I gave to her! I had the bed and chair alarms, baby monitor, but that just alarmed us that she was trying to get up, but it did not help us get better sleep when the alarm would sometimes go off 3-5 times a night. We would try to catch up on sleep during the day if she napped, it was just like being a new mom.We were lucky enough to find a wonderful girl who worked as a home health aide for 10 years and she offered to do it private duty and it cost my mom half of what a home health agency would have charged us. Then when it got so bad at nights, our day aide had a family member and was older and who was willing to do the over nights so we could get our sleep. Thank God my mom had enough money to pay for the home care and I never had to put her into a nursing home. With a sad heart, my mom passed away almost 3 weeks ago and along with hospice and the aides I was able to keep my promise to her to be able to stay at home. Just remember, as much as you are trying to do for your mother, you must also remember to take care of yourself! Prayers and Blessings are being sent!
I'm sorry I asked the question about the latched screen door. I read where someone said that could be really bad in case of a fire, unlawful imprisonment, etcetera. I obviously wasn't thinking about that aspect. A very hard problem to solve. Best of luck.
The quality trade off here is cost versus amount to education. A LPN and an RN may be worth the expense. Personally, I bring a 12 cup pot of coffee and a protein snack (protein by itself prepares the person for wakefullness). Elsewise people who work 16 hours of double shifts need to sleep some time. I used to be against video cams watching the pt's bed and room like a baby monitor.but now as a home care nurse for 13 years has changed my mind on that kind of watching. CNA 's and GNA's have less education but they may be safer than a sitter with decades of sitting. I read an article describing how the artist Andy Warhol was recovering from gallbladder surgery and had hired a sitter (not nurse) for the night shift.. The floor nurse who was still responsible the pt., and the doctor, called the room to ask how the patient was doing and were told pt was OK. The sitter sat and read a book and did not know to watch the patient's IV and the pt died by drowding in the large amount of extra fluids from the runaway IV One suggestion is to contact the local nursing school for a sitter who may be more skilled than the very experienced. The sitter above recommended by the hospital and was fired. You might talk to the ICU nurse manager because she may know who needs extra money. If the pt is going to need lots of care over a period of time, I suggest you do a background check and a drug screen. The explanation for these reguests is so the family can feel at ease and comfortable about who is caring their loved one. If pt is in a facility, outside nurses are not allowed to delegate to write legal nursing notes and give medicines. Even with my 39 years as a RN PhD I would not work in a facility anyway more than just a sitter. The floor staff is always busy and there is general resentment because the private nurses get paid much more. Your patient needs to be cared for a nurse who communicates with the doctor and also have time to tell the sittter where is the equipment located they need to do care with
My mom did that. First of all she has dementia as well as diabetes so she got up at least once an hour to use the bedside commode which takes a good 30 minutes. It took three years to get her to use adult diapers and at that time I put her on temazapan I now know why they use sleep deprivation as a tortute in war times.
Thank you Debbie and MarySlate. I am looking for a caregiver and would prefer someone with nursing skills at this point. Actually I would like at least 2 caregivers. It's been very difficult for me to even make any calls to set anything up since I can't seem to get my brother who lives down the street to spend time with our mother without having a fit and telling me I better find someone quick. I think I'm doing a great job and take very good care of my mother. I cook for her, make sure she is bathed well, dressed well, exercised, activities, ect...Whatever she needs or wants, she gets. I love her very much! Although I do know I need help. I'm not getting enough sleep and have health problems myself. I did put an alarm on my mother's bedroom door so I know if so leaves her room at night.
97yroldmom...I'm working on some of those things. I don't want to lock her in her room, although I have bought door alarms/chimes for the bedroom doors. I also have a baby monitor set up so I can hear her. I love the card table idea and her bathroom is right there in her bedroom. I am working on the bedside commode also.
Thank you both for your input.
I read an article describing how the artist Andy Warhol was recovering from gallbladder surgery and had hired a sitter (not nurse) for the night shift.. The floor nurse who was still responsible the pt., and the doctor, called the room to ask how the patient was doing and were told pt was OK. The sitter sat and read a book and did not know to watch the patient's IV and the pt died by drowding in the large amount of extra fluids from the runaway IV
One suggestion is to contact the local nursing school for a sitter who may be more skilled than the very experienced. The sitter above recommended by the hospital and was fired. You might talk to the ICU nurse manager because she may know who needs extra money. If the pt is going to need lots of care over a period of time, I suggest you do a background check and a drug screen. The explanation for these reguests is so the family can feel at ease and comfortable about who is caring their loved one. If pt is in a facility, outside nurses are not allowed to delegate to write legal nursing notes and give medicines. Even with my 39 years as a RN PhD I would not work in a facility anyway more than just a sitter. The floor staff is always busy and there is general resentment because the private nurses get paid much more. Your patient needs to be cared for a nurse who communicates with the doctor and also have time to tell the sittter
where is the equipment located they need to do care with