Monday, January 04, 2010

Some People

Last week I worked on a floor of the hospital that I get to work on every once in a while. I like working there it is busy, it flows and the nurses have time to help with patient care. So last week Patient A (now going to be referred to as PA) was admitted. PA is 97, has dementia to the point of only being oriented to self, and is jaundice. None of those is a cause to be admitted to the hospital.

I should explain that oriented to self means that the person does not know where they are, what year it is, who anyone is. All they know is that they are there, no one or nothing else exists. This is a very simple definition but it works.

So, back to PA. PA is in for a blood transfusion that is it, the patent is not eating, hardly drinks anything and just hollers for CG. PA yells for CG so loudly that the shouts can be heard over the entire floor. Now, there is a CG (short for caregiver, a personal one) none of the nursing staff has ever seen this CG the entire time that PA has been in the hospital, and it has been over a week.

I am telling you this is that CG is getting the entire staff at the hospital angry with him. Why?

The reason is simple, PA is in the last stages of life, and needs to go on to the Summer land. What we at the hospital are doing is worse than torture. PA does not understand the reason behind turning so not to get bedsores, does not understand taking of blood for labs, or the machines that peep all the time, or why strangers come in and out doing things. PA does know that this is scary and has no control over what is happening.

PA's power of attorney is CG. CG is a paid caregiver not a relative. The longer PA is alive the more money CG will get. The Dr. said that the only reason PA is in the hospital is because CG wants the money, and that CG is tired of dealing with PA. However, if PA goes into long term care then CG gets no cash ola.

OK so this post does not make a lot of sense. I just wanted to rant about how some people need to get their heads out of the money train a$$, and take a look at real life.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

yes definatly. I wish people would start careing more about eachother then the stupid green.

Anna said...

How did a paid caregiver end up getting power of attorney?

Poor woman...I hope she gets to live her remaining days peacefully.

Martini Cartwheels said...

Wow, that is so sad. It's got to be very frightening to be in that mind set, not knowing where you are or what you are doing there. It's a shame her care giver is neither caring or giving.

shrink on the couch said...

I think there is a crass name for this: patient dumping. The too oft untold story of hospital staff dealing with the emotional end-of-life baggage. This has to be extremely distressing for everyone involved, overly taxing hospital staff whose resources are needed down the hall. Taxing for all except CG who apparently is off shopping or gambling or otherwise spending the patient's money. Very sad.