The nurses at my aunts nursing home took away the remote for her bed! What to do?

Nurses are not in the habit of "punishing" obese patients, and probably due to her size they may have thought she would get the remote stuck underneath her obese body and cause harm. Really. Bring your concerns to staff and administration and stop "assuming" the worse of staff. They are there to help. Do not forget most obesity issues were self-inflicted so blaming others is pointless. Sorry, but as a nurse, I have seen more people destroy themselves with food than anything else. Having a food addiction is just as deadly as illegal and legal drug misuse.

You call and talk to the head nurse on the unit, then take it to the social work head. Not by appointment, just call today.

I have worked in many hospitals and nursing homes and unless the patient is at risk of harming their self with the remote you have to leave the remote within reach of the patient. The patient is at higher risk of falling if there trying to get out of bed to get the remote. This place doesn't sound safe they sound very uneducated

The obese are a real issue for a NH. Staff run the risk of their own medical issues in having to move, clean, etc the obese much less the obese bedfast resident. I would be somewhat careful in how you come accross when you speak with management - instead of what they are not doing perhaps approach how we all can do whatever for auntie approach. You don't want this NH to do a specialized level of care review for auntie. If they did one, it could come out that due to aunties obesity, she needs a specialized nursing unit that provides bariatric care for the morbidly obese that this NH does not have. Auntie would have a "bariatric care addendum" added to her chart. It would be difficult I think to find another NH to take her as most do not have the rooms set up for bariatric care. This is why I suggest you want to do whatever to work with this NH

Does she have enough comorbidities that she can be on hospice? I'd ask about her md to write orders for a hospice evaluation. If she goes onto hospice, the NH will have more hands to help with her care which benefits everbody. Hospice will come in 2 or more days a week to do care which helps NH staff. Also hospice can order specialized equipment - like a moving mattress bed so less bedsore issues; a shower Geri chair for bathing so she an actually be rolled to shower room to be cleaned.

I am happy to inform everyone, that after my mom had a meeting with a superviser, the bed remote was returned to my aunt. This was last week. Thanks everyone for the advice!

Weekends are not good days to find that kind of stuff out. Good luck!

I am guessing that they don't have a proper bed for her, nor a proper lift. Do they even have the larger wheel chair for her?

I feel like there's some missing information. First, find out why they don't think she needs her own bed remote. If you are not the actual power of attorney or guardian, they may not give you very much information.

Can your aunt say why it was taken away?

Bed Sores are nasty. They can start up in 4 days or less and turn to be really really bad, and bad to the bone, in which case can be very toxic. They have air mattress that are on a machine to help reduce these. Or egg shell covers, easy, cheap, and very effective...Yes, do ask hospice for evaluation. it cannot hurt

taking away the remote to a bed or a lift chair is a form of restraint this needs to be discussed with administration.