When I arrive in the mornings, they usually have just put on a fresh diaper, though sometimes they don't even put it on properly and one side is not covering one butt check. His sheets are often wet and there is evidence that he has dug out the wet parts of his previous diaper because little parts of it are on him and in the bed and on the floor. Whenever I arrive earlier than they expect, they rush in to change him while I wait at the door. The overnight staff lie and say that they "check" every two hours and change more than once but it just isn't true. The day staff know that the overnight staff are not changing any of the residents except for once in the morning. My Dad often sleeps late into the day and it makes me wonder if he has stayed awake a lot of the night uncomfortable and wet. I don't know what to do. I see him in the morning and again at night and when I leave at 7pm at night I put a high-absorbency diaper on him (that we bought for him) to try to maximize the time he stays dry. Still...nearly 10 hours is too long to be in a diaper and my research says that 4 hours is the max (provided no stool). We live in a small town so our options are slim on other facilities. My mom can't drive long distances and she spends the middle part of every day with him. I feel that overnight staff won't change because there is no accountability or checking in on them to see if they are doing their jobs. It is very difficult for any facility to get staff (so I've learned...) so they feel comfortable that they won't get fired. Any ideas on how to navigate this situation to keep my Dad safe? I'm worried about him getting a UTI. (He already had one in July that went into sepsis and hospitalization). Thank you for any ideas.
Dad is back home; we have a male CNA coming in 5 hours a day and hospice comes in several times a week. It is working out well and I no longer feel helpless and angry all the time.
I hope that in the near future all staff at facilities get paid much more than they do now, because I think that would really attract more people into these jobs to know that they will be properly compensated. These are our loved ones who only have a limited time left with us -- they do deserve the best!
Notes:
You can purchase single caterers at a local medical supply in different sizes to try them out and see which size is best. Be sure your Dad is not allergic to this silicone catheter. My brother in law could not use them. My husband has never had any issues with them.
You can also request catheter samples from Coloplast. Call 1-866-226-6362 or send an email to samples@coloplast.com.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and advocacy. I hope you and your family are doing well!
Are cameras allowed in your state? If so, please look into installing one. A picture is worth a thousand words. You will have proof that the staff isn’t caring for your dad properly.
Wishing you success in resolving this issue.
V-tech camera:
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