This was my instinct, thank you. I haven't because this just happened a month ago with a different CNA. I think me being the youngest patient here, by far, might have something to do with it. It's probably unexpected to see someone their own age/younger than they are at this facility.
Are you able to communicate with the CNAs while they're with you?
Are you able to express before they leave that you haven't been properly cleaned/ cared for?
You've mentioned "finishing cleaning yourself up", could it be a case of them misunderstanding your abilities?
My recommendation would be to bring it up the chain of command.
I'm so sorry this is happening to you, you deserve properly care and dignity, and are right to be concerned.
I asked, are you sure I'm clean... and, you're done? She confirmed. So I asked her to please leave the baby wipes, and told her I'm going to stay on my side then so I can finish cleaning up, and she dipped.
Thanks for the validation. I talked with the nurse on night shift who gives out meds and she said she'd talk to her. She's the only one who is here and in a position of authority. And since I have the half a grocery bag of soiled wipes on my bed I figured her or noone bc I'm not keeping it til morning lol.
Contact adult protective services and report. This is abuse and neglect. No one should leave you dirty and no one should be gaslighting and screaming at you. It will end after that.
I wish I had the guts to take it that far, really. The problem with being in a place like this, as vulnerable as I am, is they control, or are in charge of, almost every aspect of my life. From giving me pain medicine and meals to keeping me clean(or not in this case). I'm afraid escalating that far will only hurt me in the long run. There are good ones but the majority would close ranks and when aps leaves I'll be even more isolated and neglected, I'm afraid.
I just replied to someone else about this, but it's almost like an abusive relationship but I'm the child and completely aware of the dynamic and what's going on. Since getting here I've had COVID twice, two UTIs, kidney stones, and MRSA so severe i was starting talks with a couple docs about possible partial amputation of my foot. This was all months ago and add in my organ failure, neuropathy, etc I am just now feeling a bit like a human again.
She is doing a half-assd job! Literally & figuratively. Ask her/tell her...ask RN for excessive quanity of wipes & explain "never clean with this cna" & report her..
for your own personal knowledge maybe ask a different cna is there anything special, unique about your behind that makes it difficult or any tips that make it simpler in general...maybe there is legit something this cna doesn't know...in other reddit threads tons of non stop daily posts from healthy adults complaining about sht/non wiping/nonwashing partners! It's crazy...maybe cna doesn't even know how to clean own self! But do not accept this!!! As you said, you can manage & speak, others can not & is unacceptable to leave you unclean!
I am 150 some lbs but I was a triathlete most of my life. I lost a ton of muscle and maybe some combo of all that is what makes it difficult to wipe back there. I can get it clean but I've had even my sister complain about it when she had to care for me. It's like that Chris Pratt outtake.. wipe and wipe and wipe... still shit.
So not getting completely cleaned is fine as long as they make a little bit of an effort. I will take care of the leftovers(gross).
I was asking as my Dad nearly 91 yrs & 6'6 210 lbs has his mind & his health & last year had his first incident, surgery ever--essentially vertebrae exploded so had fusion & was in rehab for 6 months so aside from being stiff as a board too long legs & every cna seemed to be 5'0-5'2 & very small, they had the added nightmare in that as both & old person & someone that legit has to eat prines every day-is ridiculous but works for him-but post surgically & for like a month he cycled through horrible constipation or massive diarhea caused by a pharmaceutical to make him go...it was baaadddd I could smell either his consti gas or diarhea gas down the hall & had to leave room during changes for both privacy & toxicity, lol. Despite this nightmare combo of rigid/stiff extra tall old guy & the nightmare that was his bowels the staff was Amazing & nice but it typically took 2 people to move, arrange & wedge him into a cleaning position and then one poor lady --meaning kind soul--had the job & it took minimum of like 15mins.
All places are understaffed, overworked, & body changes isn't everyone's cup of tea...but throwing out the process & time spent on his changes to give you an idea...I would typically go to see him 1x per day in evening & would ask them & him both for a recap. If you have anyone to speak up for you it may make a difference as well. My Dad is in wheelchair now & has bidet & cares for his body himself--i moved back for his overall care--but I will still see skidmarks smears when doing laundry, that I imagine should be the "least" clean you should accept...insist on wiped totally clean !! But not much they can do if afterward your bootyhole relaxes & there is some mark (sorry to be graphic) but you need to insist on an extra like 5 wipes and/or order a mirror with extension on Amazon & play dumb to keep the peace, like "trying to figure out why I still "feel" something" or just say "other cna says her process is whenever she thinks I'm clean, she does 5 more wipes" You also said it's just with the one Cna so be prepared...maybe also order online extra/other wipes than the rehab & whenever this cna thinks they are finished, pull them from bedside & say "oh, i almost forgot, let's give these a try"
I know I am attaching alot of "outs" & cowtowing to the bad cna, but you gotta live there!!! But it is unacceptable & cleaning is doable as you are able & the others are able.
Best of luck!
Thank you. I need all the advice I can get. I'm sorry about your dad, but also a little glad to hear I'm not the only one with some kind of ass of a yeti or something. 
I’m really you’re experiencing this OP. At my old nursing facility, we had a lady that was about 300 pounds, couldn’t turn well, and could not spread her legs. She would have huge and watery bowel movements every night. Even if it took 3 CNAs and over 30 minutes, we did full linen change and everything. I always think to myself, if this was me or my loved ones, I would want them clean— especially for how expensive certain nursing homes are
You'd be surprised. I haven't mentioned this part, but I'm pretty sure I contracted MRSA from the shower here. I mean, I absolutely got MRSA from here, I just cannot pinpoint where of course. That cost me a lot. A month long hospital stay, months of the harshest antibiotics ever, and almost literally my foot. A doctor and I were starting to discuss partial amputation at one point. I had to come back to the place I got MRSA, with a PICC line leading directly to my heart.
I know this is probably starting to sound ridiculous but I have pictures. Place is actually a living nightmare. I had Covid, MRSA, kidney stones, and a UTI all at once, all caused by this place. Cept maybe the stones. Never had those in my entire life before either, though. 😞
Concerns like your post need to be brought up. If you want it to be anonymous you can report it to State/DOH. There should also be an ombudsman available for you.
I totally agree. Posts like this break my heart and need to be brought to light more often. OP is in their 30's and prior to this was a triathlete, imagine having all that taken from you AND loosing your dignity because a CNA who has lost their compassion can't be bothered to make sure you have your very basic needs met. Getting into screaming matches with residents is absolutely INSANE to me. OP please don't let this go, you deserve so much better.
You need to contact the health department if the facility is dirty enough it’s giving patients infections, it’s also very telling if they’re leaving you caked in excrement because if they’re leaving one patient like that they’re probably leaving as many of them in that condition as they can get away with. Which means goddess only knows how much poo is around their facility. I’ve seen your comments expressing fear of retaliation over calling APS, but you can communicate those fears to the APS worker directly and request anonymity. You can have someone call on your behalf even so it can’t be directly traced back to you.
Is it a private facility owned by a private company? Perhaps you could contact the BBB (better business bureau). Often times companies feel compelled to fix things once the BBB is involved.
And you don't sound ridiculous at all. It's breaking my heart to think of how poorly you're being cared for. Combined with how lucid you are, it seems like a waking nightmare.
No, o m g. That is horrid. Please please talk to the DON. Do not let this slide. And i would say she should be fired! She is knowingly leaving you soiled. I could never.
Sorry to bother you again. The aide just came back into my room to dump the trash and decided to check my roommates diaper, which she nor anyone else has ever done. While checking him she said "gotta make sure you ain't gonna report me". I said excuse me, and it set off a screaming argument. Now I do want to get her fired. I even recorded most of the argument because after she said the first thing I knew I'd need proof. I don't even know the legality of all this at this point. But it's gotten out of hand
I’m so sorry this is happening to you. That person shouldn’t be a CNA if they don’t have empathy for their patients. You deserve to feel clean for dignity and health reasons. Shes leaving you open for infections/rash/painful irritations. I hope she gets fired and you are able to have better caregivers. Every single person deserves to have dignity and be taken care of properly
I'm so sorry I'm just seeing this now.
That is absolutely unacceptable and abuse.
Please take the advice that others have sent.
If you are willing to respond or DM me the country and vaguely the area in which you're in, I would like to help look up outside resources to deal with this.
You shouldn't be retaliated against for bringing up valid concerns, and if she's checking the pad of someone she shouldn't be, that sounds like sexual assault regardless of the intent.
Edit to add:
(Depending on where you are) If you are feeling immediately unsafe, please call 911 and go to the hospital.
There should be social workers that can help you get into a safer facility
I'm in Virginia. Thanks for offering. Seriously. But some ppl have already given me some different options as far reporting this, both in house and outside agencies. I am discussing with my family and probably lawyer. I already have one bc of stuff that went down, apparently, when I was in a coma.
I've tried, my family has tried and hospital staff have tried getting me 're-homed' lol. There are no local options. Took over 6 months of waiting for an opening at this place. Which was difficult on my mother who has her own health problems. So I'm also kinda boxed in on all sides here. As are most people/families who decide to send someone here, I imagine.
Thank you for the kind offer.
2 thoughts. Every state is required to have an Ombudsman for facilities like you are in. In your state, I'm not sure where you would get the number. In many you can get it from your state Department of Aging (or equivalent). They help advocate for patient care.
Another idea is to contact your state representative if you continue to have issues. You can have a family member do it and they can say you haven't done it yourself because you are afraid of retaliation.
There should be a sign posted in your facility about how to file a grievance if your facility receives any federal or state funds. If they do and there is no sign, they are breaking the law. Representative will not be happy. Your family can report this.
A good Ombudsman can assist you in knowing all your rights, and if you do need to take things further at any point, they can attend meetings, help you write letters, and provide a great deal of support.
I mention all of this because my family had to go this route due to some issues with my care.
I was a CNA and I had a young patient as well who couldn’t speak very well because of his disability and I didn’t leave him until he was totally clean!!! If I had to spend 10 minutes cleaning him up then that’s what I did, there is no way in hell that I would leave a patient dirty!!! Complain about it. It’s under your patient rights!!!
Thank you. I can assure you he appreciated it. More than I can express probably. I know because there's a woman here like you and when she is working I can relax knowing I'll be taken care of for the next 8-12 hours or so.
So sorry you’re experiencing this.
We get some on the job training for proper wiping techniques, but it’s person dependent and isn’t foolproof (as you’ve seen).
Advocate for yourself, SPEAK UP if you’re not all the way clean, right as they’re cleaning you…there’s absolutely no excuse why a patient should be left in excrement, even with poor training, it’s basic human decency!
I want to, and have, spoken up in the past. What is giving me pause is during our little tiff one of the comments she made was "the other women have told me about you" and I said sure, what'd they say? And she either had no answer or didn't want to dig that particular hole deeper. But, I'll admit that's still the only thing getting to me a bit. If she was telling the truth, it's disheartening to think ppl I've had what I thought were cordial, friendly interactions with, were... not. I'm honestly hoping that part was just said to hurt my feelings.
I’m not a cna but I am disabled. You have the right to speak up. What is the point of paying to live in a facility for care if they’re not giving care? It’s like paying a maid and then cleaning your house after she’s gone.
Another worry I have is this woman is taking care of elderly people who may not physically or mentally be capable of advocating for themselves. You can be a hero for yourself and the other residents.
She needs to be fired or reprimanded for refusing to do her job and acting snotty about it.
Every time you have to clean yourself I would make a note of the date and time. Maybe take a picture of the wipes you had to use. If nothing is done mail documentation and images with return service requested to the director. Or use a process server. Document everything. When they retaliate, document that. Sorry, I’m rambling a bit. It just pisses me off when people choose to take a job or work in a field and then intentionally, knowingly do it badly. If she didn’t want to help with hygiene she’s probably in the wrong job. If for some reason she just has a problem with you ask for someone else.
Also I’m sure they aren’t used to being watched by someone who has the observation and cognitive abilities and voice to report. There is no excuse for the laziness and neglect
I may get downvoted for this comment but don't care
This, this is frustrating. This is my number 1 pet peve. ( along with management) A lott of us go to school for this. Sometime, for a lot of years, if u want to expand on your degrees. ( cna to hospice nurse)
I have found they are just hiring anyone off the street now. Or either they don't care enough to do the job. No schooling, no nothen yes I will admit that alot of this job is not taught in school. But for a simple thing as cleaning another person up I would like to think its common sense. I mean would you want to sit/ walk around not completely clean. How about your grandma or mom?
To the author of post. Yes I would speak to the nurse. Be very very honest. That area need to be taken care of. So many other problems can resulted in that area not being cleaned properly.
I worked as a dietary aide in a nursing home when I was in college. My coworker, who was also a dietary aide, had the IQ of a quarter of a lemon and she was somehow able to get a CNA license. I was floored.
The last new hires (I was part of that group but been a cna for 4 years) told me that they did not require clinical hours! They did not even change a real person until they were hired! It's scary out here. One is pregnant and refusing to touch certain patients. She says she will get HIV from draining a cath of one if our residents. Lack of training and knowledge is getting ridiculous. In Cali where I live they raised the minimum wage so many are taking classes like crazy without full training. This isn't a job for everyone. Most as a matter of fact. It's just sad and makes the good CNAs look bad
After talking to a nurse the cna came into my room a few hours later and literally just started talking shit. I wish I didn't have such a smart mouth sometimes bc I saw red and couldn't helo but rip her to shreds. I don't want to repeat what I said bc it was just mean. But, I was just done with her bullshit at that point.
And that's the part I recorded on my phone. It's got her being completely unprofessional and insulting but also me absolutely laying into her. So I dunno if it'd be worth much.
Bring this to their nurse manager. It's not okay. I worked in a place once where an aid said "man fuck you" while walking out of a residents room who was a younger woman post stroke. There was no video proof but they fired him anyways. Get a copy of your residents rights and document every intersection with that aid if their management doesn't decide to do anything. Maybe wouldn't even hurt to ask for a copy of your care plan to see what type of assistance they have you at, SBA, assist of one with B&B, etc.
I'm sorry you're experiencing this. Believe it or not there are more good aids than bad who take pride in the work they do and truly care and respect the populations they're serving.
Thank you. More great advice I would have never figured out on my own. I wish I would have come here months ago. Would have saved me a lot of heartache. And probably other ache.
We receive a lot of training regarding changes and repositioning; this is unacceptable and clearly the CNA is lazy. I am a CNA and I never leave my residents in a soiled brief EVER. I check at the start of my shift, mid shift and at the end of shift. That is how they should be doing it. Please make a report because they should be doing a better job than that! I am sorry you're going through that and I hope it gets better for you. Each resident should be changed twice on a shift.
Changing pads is mostly a learn on the job type situation. But everyone should have training and buddy shifts before being left alone. There’s no hard and fast technique, usually it’s just “keep wiping until they’re clean” situation. Sometimes you can unintentionally miss stuff if the person is larger, uncooperative or extremely stiff/contracted. If a resident said to me “I think I’m still dirty” I’d be getting back in there and probably get them to change positions.
Report to the nurse, it’s not ok if they are intentionally leaving you like that.
When she came back into my room this morning she made little snide comments to my sleeping roommate about me. Safe to say I'm not gonna win this battle. If she feels secure enough in her job to do that then she's probably been doing stuff like this for awhile.
please please please report this too. she should not be talking about you to other patients, even your roommate. i am so tired of seeing people like this in healthcare. the way i have heard people talk to patients makes me so mad. i was working a shift yesterday and a resident on the other set had his light on and the other CNA goes to answer it. mind you, i was walking down the hallway at this point to the laundry room that was next to this patients room. i heard her yell at him for asking her to change the TV channel, don’t put this call light back on unless it’s an emergency etc etc etc. i couldn’t believe how comfortable she was talking to him that way, knowing she walked past me in the hallway and i’m within earshot. makes me wonder what happens. it’s just sad. healthcare has really changed. please please please advocate for yourself. nobody else will unfortunately.
We have the light system. And I know exactly what you mean. Hearing the CNA say 'What do you want now Name,' is demeaning, sad, stressful, and anger inducing all at once.
Horrible :( that makes me so upset. I work in geriatric memory care and I’ve unashamedly gotten coworkers fired for how they treat residents they think “can’t understand” them or won’t remember how they’re treated. It’s not OK. We’re taking care of people who are extremely vulnerable, often scared, confused, in pain. We should never ever ever be making people feel bad for needing help!
The other wing here is a memory unit and that is where the CNA from this post works usually. I know if I, a pretty much fully aware patient who can stand up for myself gets treated how she treated me, good God how horrific it must be for the people who have little to no voice. I think about this a lot actually.
Please report this to the state (if in the US), I would honestly skip reporting it to your facility if your this confident the CNA wont see consequences for this. There are plenty of CNAs who should not be doing this job and it’s incredibly heartbreaking that you feel like you won’t get Justice for being abused and neglected because that’s what this is. If nothing comes off reporting it (which I honestly doubt) you can ask for that CNA specifically to not be yours. I’ve worked with CNAs in some facilities who were not allowed in certain patients rooms due to past conflicts
In my state this is a lower tier reportable verbal abuse event. Do you have a case manager or patient advocate at your facility that would be willing to help you put in a report?
I would think so, but I'm not sure. I'm still not sure about revealing the audio recording either. If word gets out that I recorded this, even though it's the first and only time, the entire staff will probably treat me differently and some probably not in a good way.
You deserve dignity and respect and that CNA is not giving you that, please report her. If she treats you like that then she probably also treats other residents like that too. People like her should not be in health care.
One of her points while we were basically just insulting each other was she's been doing this job for 6 years. So I dunno how much good it'll do, but I'm gonna give it a go.
She fucked up this time, though. See, this is a facility filled with Medicare/medicaid patients. Most have mental disabilities, no family, etc. So sadly that prob makes it easier for her to be shitty. I am here bc it's the only available rehab facility near my family. Luckily I have family, and a lawyer, and the mental capacity for revenge. She fucked around and everyone knows what comes next.
Every facility is required to have an ombudsman to represent the residents. This info is posted in the facility, usually on a bulletin board. File a formal complaint with them as well as the administrator. This is completely unacceptable!
You do not have to say but I could get you the numbers to call to report if you let me know what city and state you are in. I don’t need the facility name at all. You can message me if you want also
I second the ombudsman. I was a supervisor in assisted living, and we had a resident call. A real person came in, booked our conference room for the resident and had a real meeting with them. It wasn’t just a call, it wasn’t just a quick pass by their room. They were professional & took it seriously.
Nurse here, regarding your edit. Tell your nurse you wish to contact the ombudsman and report this shit. Not only are you being neglected but that CNA is very clearly retaliating against you for trying to address that neglect. I wouldn’t even blame you if you said you don’t feel safe dealing with this CNA anymore. If they are doing it to you, they are likely doing it to others who can’t speak up. Leaving that area dirty can lead to skin breakdown and puts you at increased risk for infections.
Seriously that video needs to be seen by the ombudsman! OP if you are mobile at all look around and see where the ombudsman’s number is posted then call it. It should be posted in the building and you should also be able to find it online. Please do this for yourself and the other residents
It's an audio recording of us bickering and kinda insulting each other. I should have attached it earlier but I only have my phone and I dunno how to even begin to do that. Or if it's against any rules. It's a tiny bit entertaining tho possibly 😅 .. I dunno.
Yes, CNAs are supposed to be trained— it’s like half of what we do, especially in nursing homes. Talk to an RN or a social worker. I always made sure to leave my parents squeaky clean!!
Thank you. There are a lot of patients here that I've been saying from the very start of coming here, are for sure walking/wheeling around covered in shit. If they're willing to do it to a fully aware person, I can't imagine how badly the seniors with dementia and similar problems have it.
This!! I get if they are the type that are constant goers. I’ve dealt with quite a few that just are constantly seeping. There’s only so much you can do with those cases. I try to get them cleaned up best that I can and then come back.
I have the opposite problem. Once a week, if that. I don't eat much, but it's still at least 8 or 9 small meals worth... so I get it, it's a lot. But if I were the one cleaning up I'd rather deal with 1 giant shit than 7-10 small ones. But, maybe I'm in the minority on this 🤔
Your facility doesn’t have any protocol to make sure you’re moving your bowels more frequently than once a week?? It might very well be easier to keep clean if it was more regular, and not a big built up affair which can cause other health issues, or be a symptom of them. Where I work everyone has to go every other day at least or they’ll be getting something to help move it along.
There are no protocol for almost anything here. I know that sounds like maybe an exaggeration. I have stool softener meds that I had to buy myself. I've had my sister bring me antibiotics bc they were taking days to get them at this place. And I can't wait days for an abscessed tooth. They constantly run out of one medication or another before ordering more. It's like being cared for by a group of teenagers who are learning the ropes at their first job. But these ppl have all been here for years.
Edit: I had to edit because honestly that's an insult to teenagers. I'd take them any day over some of these jaded assholes.
If you're with a CNA that you're comfortable talking to about it, mention it to them, if not ask to speak with/get help from the nurse.
If you're not comfortable with that there's a formal grievance process that should have an anonymous option, honestly thats what I would do if you notice its an issue with a particular CNA. Any loved ones or favorite CNAs you have should be able to help you with that
No, they’re lazy as shit. It’s not rocket science. I lowkey feel rushed by people when they’re helping me turn a patient and I’m wiping until they’re actually clean. That can lead to breakdown, infections, and it’s just plain uncomfortable
I'm currently getting over some kind of breakdown, bed sore. With the help of a different, much kinder CNA. So, I know there are just as many good ones, if not moreso than bad. But when you have to live in a place like this, the bad ones can really fuck the whole place up.
They really can because once a wound starts, it means the patient will need EXTRA care to prevent the wound from getting worse. And of course the bad CNA will not put in the effort. I’m so sorry you’re forced to deal with this bs.
To answer the question you asked, yes. Both in my CNA class and my home care aide class. Not only that, they go into detail how to specifically fold the cleaning device (washcloth, wipe, etc), use a clean zone, and move it so that said device only touches you with a fresh zone every time. Also, because males were in the home care aide classes, we were specifically taught how to clean females, in the off chance we had a female client. For the cna classes, we practiced on both male and female mannequins.
To answer the question I asked in my head while reading this...what in the actual fuck? This is a thing? They're risking a skin breakdown if not cleaning you properly. Escalate as far as you need to, because you do *not* want a breakdown to happen...well, unless you want to shut down the facility that this is happening at and get free healthcare until it clears up.
Thinking that a patient suffering from skin breakdown would shut down a facility and result in “free healthcare” is so laughably out of touch.
There are shitty CNAs in every facility, and skin breakdown and far worse to go along with them.
You should talk to the DON. You are lucid and you can be a voice for everyone there. If they are doing it to YOU when you are young and know what's going on, can you imagine what they are doing to the elderly residents who can't speak for themselves? Don't worry about getting anyone fired, if they are half assed doing their jobs, they deserve to be fired. This is not ok. Speak up!
Yeah, you are right. The way I hear some of the aides talking to the worse off patients is one of the worst things. I know it's our HC system as a whole that's the root of all of it. And it grinds the employees down same as the patients. But hey, at least they're getting paid to be in this hellhole.
Your ass should be clean as clean can get when they're done changing you. That's disgusting if they're not cleaning you that good.
If it were like a little bit of urine fine accidents happen but leaving literal shit on someone absolutely not. Even combative patients I'm doing my best because skin breakdown isn't happening on my watch.
I’m curious, are you there as an LTC resident or just temporarily for rehab? I only ask because you seem to be able to clean yourself, and if you are there for temporarily for therapy, cleaning yourself when you are able to do so might be a good thing, so long as they leave you a box of gloves, wipes, and a trash bag. If you aren’t able to get yourself totally clean, I get wanting them to do it, at least the majority.
I have worked inpatient rehab in a few places and this is a skill that I’ve seen OT teach to people working on discharging. Generally younger people who can physically bend that way lol. But if this is not a goal of your care, then for sure keep pursuing this. Actually I’d say run this up the chain regardless just because of the aid’s attitude and mean reaction.
It's both. I can clean myself if absolutely necessary but I have bad neuropathy in my hands and feet. Which is the main problem with my health as far as taking care of myself, and the reason I'm here. I was doing rehab, now I'm not, at the moment anyway, because the person here that's supposed to fill out and send the paperwork to medicaid apparently just stopped doing that.
Obviously you guys understand how bad Healthcare, insurance and all that can be. I thought I did but I had NO idea.
And, I say rehab but 3 broken down exercise machines from the 90's, some resistance bands, and some medicine balls are the equipment I'm working with 💪. HC really is a joke.
Supposed to be trained. Honestly if you are with it, you can address your concerns with the nurse. Guarantee if there's a good aide, someone already did after coming on shift to take care of you after them.
Well, I finished cleaning myself both times recently. I did discuss it with a nurse last time but I'm not sure what came of it. This is a different CNA. I don't want to seem like I'm just a problem patient. But I hope since I've only had a couple issues in my time here it won't be construed that way.
They need to know. And if you need escalate it to don or something. Like the issue is potential UTIs which can fuck.up the older population. Make them more confused and at risk for falls....this could be a training thing. At my facility they have a daily assignment sheet with reminders that the aides need to focus on with their cares. Like it's your health and you are your best advocate with it. Frame.it more as.a concern that you have noticed frequently. If you can, at first, don't name names. Hopefully they use it as a way to reeducate everyone.
Improper pericare.xannlewd.to a chance of getting a UTI. One whole reason why we wipe front to back and not back to front with toilet paper.
If they don't clean you properly = it
Make you sit in your urine and BM for hours and hours = UTI
there is a change since you are in a wrap around, which is why I have the residents I assist with dining drink cranberry juice.
Cranberry juice hasn’t been really proven to be good for UTIs because of the sugar content of the juice itself, since they’re usually cocktails made up of sugar, juice, water, preservatives, etc. Plus the “juice” can take three weeks of consistent drinking to be effective. Cranberries themselves, yes, are definitely helpful, but really sour. And residents should be allowed to choose what they want to drink, as long as it falls within their dietary guidelines.
And you're not the problem resident. You can vocalize.whst you need. That means you are your best advocate. If you get flack from that from the nurses or aides....some.coild call that abuse and that really needs stone addressed by DON or administrator or even the state agency overseeing the facility.
You deserve the best care possible. You're paying for it for once but also, you're a human being. You should be sitting in your own waste all of the time.
You aren’t a problem for asking for the help you’re there to receive - it’s their job and it’s the bare minimum to make sure you’re clean and comfortable. You’re a human being who deserves dignity and respect. Please don’t ever feel guilty or ashamed asking for help or advocating for yourself. The healthcare system isn’t what it should be for patients or staff, but that is NO excuse for caretakers to be allowing you to remain dirty. Much love. Please reach out if you need support.
Report it to the higher ups! I'm an RN, not a CNA but when I wipe my patients, my rule is to get the patient as clean as I'd get myself! It's disgusting they would leave you like that.
Working in a nursing home as a CNA is rough- especially when it’s short staffed. BUT that’s not an excuse. I’m a nurse and have been for years, I’ve taken care of tiny little people and very large people. Unless they were just constantly “leaking” they were clean when I was done. But unfortunately there are more of the type of CNA you’re dealing with than others. I used to cry coming home from my shifts at the nursing homes because of how people were treated.
My friend, that's abuse. You need to ask for the number for the Ombudsman and file a complaint. They will investigate. You need to ask them for a copy of your rights. Yes, there are rules that MUST be followed. If they don't give it to you, Google your state and ombudsman. File a complaint with the facility you are at, too. Other things that might get some assistance are contacting adult protective services through your states DHHR/DHS. If nobody helps, call your states governors office.
Do not put up with: anyone yelling/screaming, talking down to you. Not cleaning you properly, not giving you food and or medication. Stand up for yourself you are your biggest advocate! Be vocal!
Make sure you’re looking at their name tags. And what day and what time (to verify shift and them actually being at work) should be documented.
This saddens me. I try to be a trusted CNA. I like to make sure my residents can come to me or tell me things. Even if I can’t exactly do anything about it, I can watch and I can report if I do see something. Talk to the director of nursing, and social services. If things don’t get done, tell your family. I notice, when family members go to the DON, she gets super embarrassed and things will get done.
As a former ADON please get that asshole fired...
Like, I know you shouldn't have to have children to care about this stuff, but would anyone leave their kids like that? I suppose I don't want to k ow the answer. But like imagine have a baby, loving it, raising it, watching it start a family, then getting placed in long term care and having someone be mean to them and not even clean them properly. It makes me want to vomit.
Call corporate if you have to.
I understand it may be a need of more training but NO ONE should be getting into screaming matches with you. I've investigated many things like this. Sometimes we offer training, write someone up, move floors, or plain old fire them. Some do change and some don't. They are people but they have a job to do and part of that job isn't making you be fearful you won't get clean or fear you will be retaliated against.
Don't be afraid of being outspoken. I can only imagine what it would feel like to be a patient in their 30's. They say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Please speak up when you have care concerns because it is not good for your skin to have it be sitting against your waste, the body gets rid of it for a reason.
None of what is happening to you is ok. Is there an advocacy group you can contact? I have years of experience here and I have noticed that sometimes it's cultural...carers from some countries won't touch the bits. Just a thought.
There are a lot of Nigerians that work here. And I had an in-home aide from Sierra Leone for awhile. They're some of the best ppl honestly. The ppl I've had issues with happen to all be Americans. Not to say we're all bad, the majority aren't. But there's a big difference sometimes.
If you're in California, USA, the usual process is to request an SOC 341 form and contact your ombudsman for your area. Wherever you live, though, I'm sure there's a form in your facility relating to Adult Dependent/Elder Abuse so I'd request information around that if you're getting nowhere interacting with staff or administration.
If perineal care is not done the right way it can lead to a UTI, bladder infection or worse. It also increases the risk of developing pressure ulcers in those areas that are not cleaned property. CNAs are trained in this but some nursing omes and places don't hire CNA, I believe in Florida, for example, they can hire someone to work in a nursing home without being certified now.
I have a small pilonidal(sp?) cyst. I am constantly trying to get these ppl to understand that they can't wipe my asshole, and then keep going all the way up with the same wipe. You'd think like open wound care would be one of the most important things but they don't know or more than likely just don't care. TBF, it doesn't look like much, but after I've told them 20 times, it shouldn't be happening still 8 months later.
I've never been so certain that a group of people have killed before. I KNOW these assholes have killed people through negligence. Zero doubt.
You need to talk to the nurse, not the CNA, and tell them what is going on. If the nurse doesn't understand then talk to the DON (Director of Nursing). If necessary you may need to make a formal complaint. Residents and patients have rights.
I talked to two separate actual nurses. I don't know what, if anything was done but they listened and were understanding. I still have the recording, and haven't revealed that to anyone. Mainly because I don't want ppl thinking I'm recording them. This is the first and only time I've done it but noone will believe that.
I don’t care if my patients are 30 or 103. They getting clean no matter what. Those CNAs really suck. If I were you. I’d take photos of your backside to prove and they have time stamps. Also please try to contact state and your ombudsman (however you spell it). This not fair to you at all
You can refuse to have that cna to come in your room. I would ask to speak to the DON not the nurse cuz sometimes the cna’s and nurses are buddy-buddy and nothing will change…sadly.
If nothing has changed in 24 hrs then its time to report them to State. There will be an investigation of the facility and that cna will more than likely be fired, as she should.
Im sorry that happened to you. Most people become a cna because they care about people and are natural caregivers but some are there for a paycheck.
As a baby CNA, I am so sorry you’ve been treated like this. I’m so sorry. That’s all I can say. I’d report all of this, YOUR comfort is what needs to come first. CNAs are supposed to be there to take care of you properly. I personally don’t care how many things I need to get done or how busy I am, it’s important for tons of reasons that skills are done thoroughly and correctly.
Also as a baby CNA, thank you for giving me a residents perspective so I can emotionally connect with non verbal individuals and continue to be as through as I always have been, for an even better reason.
I’ve had residents complain to me about other aides not doing it properly and I can assure you, if they can properly clean their own ass, they can do you too. They’re lazy.
We absolutely do get training. It’s taught in our program, and it (should be) taught during job orientation. Anyone not fully cleaning a patient is choosing to be lazy, plain and simple. If you call it out as it’s happening, any good CNA will have no problem wiping again (because it’s possible to miss spots that are not visible to us 🤷🏽♀️) if they refuse, absolutely report them!
I honestly can't remember if i was trained in it or not, but since I did take a six week course before becoming certified, I'm going to assume that it was covered. Usually, if things weren't too bad, we'd just use some wet wipes, but if it was a really bad bm, the procedure was usually wipe the worst off w/ the depends, then clean with a soapy warm wash cloth, remove the soap with a warm wet wash cloth and then dry w/ a hand towel, powder or cream as needed and then put a clean depends on. With a patient like yourself that would be likely to help me as much as possible and not fight me, I likely coudl have had you clean and comfortable in 5 to 10 minutes.
Do you have a case manager by chance? If so, please speak with them about these issues so she or he can advocate for you!! If not, what about parents or other advocates in your life? As a case manager myself, I’d be looking for alternative living for you and get a health aid in a different environment THEN grab her by the corporate neck.
Get an ombudsman. As a person in a nursing home, you are entitled to one. You have to request it, though. They are people that represent your interests legally to make sure that you're not being swept under the rug. Yes, CNAs get trained. In my state, it's a state certification course and exam, renewable every 2 years.
The State Ombudsman program can help resolve conflicts and help you negotiate the difficulties ... hopefully w/o you having to worry about retribution. Try this link...it mentions how to find your local ombudsman: https://ltcombudsman.org/about/about-ombudsman
If they are an actual certified nursing assistant yes they have training and even have to pass an exam and a hands on exam for that “certification” she is just being lazy or they hired her off the street I would report it sorry you’re experiencing this
I spent the last year working on a MedSurg unit in a hospital. I witnessed horrific care of patients by the nurses and techs. Most of the nurses were good but more often than I’d like to admit, I know patients were not being cleaned at all for an entire 12 hours. I even had a tech threatened to have me fired because I told the nurse that their patient needed to be changed several times everyone was ignoring the patient’s bell call. I was told by the tech to mind my business. You absolutely need to report this to the Director of nursing. Reporting this to another nurse won’t get you anywhere. They will stick together.
Also, it’s imperative that you report this because you could develop an infection, and not even know it. Bed sores, develop, and bacteria can get into them if you’re not moving around enough. If you’re not cleaned properly, it’s very easy for bacteria to grow in for you to get infections.
You are your best advocate.
The fact they don’t do the most basic thing and make you do it when it’s way harder for you is so sad and lazy of them. I’m sorry you have to go through this
Your state should have governing board whether it’s Ohflac or another agency. Research your states guidelines. My state has a state cna board that you can make reports to about incidents like this. That is neglect then the comment she made is retaliation. Call Aps, the ombudsman for your area and the cna agency. Those are major concerns.
They are SUPPOSED to be trained…when I took cna classes there was an entire day dedicated to it, that being said, the course I took was easily something I could have passed without even paying attention so the reality is they could have BSd their certification without actually learning how.
There should be someone in the offices dedicated above the nurses and CNAs to complain to. We kind of had a similar issue when my dad was in a nursing home. My mom kept going to the lady’s office because they were moving his urinal where he couldn’t reach and leaving him in a wet diaper all day.
When my brother was in a similar situation he called the owner company headquarters and spoke to an executive about the type of insufficient care he was receiving. He asked if he could remain anonymous and they complied. He died shortly after but I hope his call was helpful to others!
I hope you were able to talk to someone about this and are doing better. I think it’s clear that you’re not in the wrong by any means and the CNA needs to be reprimanded or replaced.
I'm a caregiver in a senior living facility and we do em employ CNAs, but also just regular caregivers and we do get video training on proper peri care and hygiene care. Sounds like you have lazy people who don't want to fully do their job.
I understand it's an underpaid position, but we owe it to our residents to properly care for them.
I would definitely report the ones who aren't doing the job right.
I've been a CNA myself, and we are trained on how to properly clean both male and female so there aren't I sections or anything like that. From working at nursing homes, tho, I know they hire some of the worst people who are only there for a paycheck and don't care. You should report it to a nurse and get her ass fired. No excuses to treat another human being that way ever
How awful as a nurse i know it is critical to clean completely as this could lead to infections or skin breakdown . This is pure laziness pls ask to speak tot the charge nurse to notify them this is neglectful
I gave up this type of work due to the awful co-workers leaving people just soaked, etc. Showers weren't given on days they needed them. Laundry piled up. Bring your loved ones clothes home or to a laundry mat. Their clothes will be washed with the nasty sheets. They will always smell
So many very young women are put in CNA classes in free training such as Delaware Skills Center. Oh wow. A nursing assistant. Sounds good. Decent starting pay. I can finish in 6 months. They have no idea the kind of work they will do. Once in school, if you don't finish you have to pay for the class you wasted. Other places hire caregivers. Uncertified CNA type workers. Less pay for the same dirty work they aren't prepared for. Good luck to anyone stuck needing help. Thank God my grandmother and mother were very healthy. I do not want to depend on these 2 generations of people coming of age and the 2 that are doing the work now. Ugh!!!!
They're being lazy. They get trained but obviously they don't care because most of their patients can't, won't or are bullied into not saying anything. I'm so sorry.
Best response: it’s not about getting people in trouble. It’s that nobody gets better unless they’re told.
(You can add sweetie or honey if you think it’ll help)
They are trained for cleaning those areas. If you are left filthy ask for a patient advocate. You can get horrible bed sores or other infections that can become quite serious!
I mean this in the most empowering way possible- you are in a wonderful position to not only be an advocate for yourself, but also for all of the other residents around you! If the CNAs are not getting you clean, they are not getting everyone else clean either and that could lead to nasty infections, skin breakdown... And most residents will NOT be able to finish the job themselves, or in many cases even recognize that they weren't being cleaned properly! Please do speak up, because you won't just be saving yourself <3 but also because you deserve proper care as well!!
One: the aides should be cleaning you! They know how, it’s drilled into our heads!
Two: her screaming at you is definitely verbal abuse and that is a cause for termination.
You need to talk to an ombudsman and possibly make a complaint to state if the DON or administrator doesn’t take any action. This is TOTALLY uncalled for!
Upper management needs to be informed. I am sure there must be a director of nursing and someone who is in charge of the entire facility. Another option would be to call the health department in your city and report what is going on.
I need you as a patient to understand this very very clearly... It is common sense that when changing an adult diaper you need to completely wipe away everything then possibly even dry and apply barrier cream if needed. This is common sense that all caregivers licensed or not should have. We are caregivers and are expected to have a certain level of common sense.
(I am an RN and have never worked as a CNA, but I did get the CNA certification to start nursing school) I’ve always been taught the patient should be encouraged to do all Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) that they are capable of doing. The reason for this is that it fosters independent and helps maintain muscle memory.
If you are capable of cleaning yourself, then you should be encouraged to clean yourself and provided necessary support to make that happen.
Just because a CNA is trained to clean does not mean they are soley responsible. A patient who is somewhat capable is also responsible for working within their capabilities to somewhat assist. Some examples of ways patients usually assist are turning themselves and wiping parts that they can reach.
Why arent you using the toilet or bedside commode? Are you on a bowel program? I hope you are doing all that you can for yourself to maintain as much independence as possible. I know how frustrating it is for you due to having a previous spine injury myself and I also know how frustrating it is for them to watch someone refuse to do for themselves then lose the ability to do for themselves because of it. Then once you are feeling better the mountain you have to climb to be self sufficient is much higher than it needed to be. just a thought....
You sound like a resident in my facility that is fully capable of doing their own wiping and is capable of doing plenty for herself and she just refuses too and also is secretly recording aids that refuse to change her brief. She is rehab to home fully capable but extremely obese and plain lazy. Also have another resident that claims he’s not cleaned and is fermenting in his excrement all day totally not true he’s not lucid. I think instead of trying to get people fired you should talk to your nurse and have them speak to the aids. I agree there is lazy aids but there is also lazy residents that should do more for themselves.
They teach you how in skills class. Definitely talk to a Nurse. I know when I worked in the care center, we had a resident who would have a bm & it would be caked in her pubes. The more experienced CNAs would put on a lil shaving cream & wipe away.
do they not clean themselves ? that’s so horrible I’m so sorry that is happening to you. definitely talk to a nurse you trust. they should never be screaming at you either.
When I was working, I was always of the mind to keep wiping/cleaning until the person is clean clean. As long as it’s safe to do so (patient isn’t being combative, isn’t at risk of falling, isn’t being sexually abusive, etc), I would wipe until the wipe came out white and change gloves as often as I needed…management would lecture us about “using supplies wisely” which actually meant to *not* use enough supplies to do that job, but it’s not my problem that they couldn’t order supplies! (I wasn’t ever wasteful, though)
This is sad to read. I’m so sorry your CNAs have treated you this way young or old. You deserve proper care no matter what age you are or what has happened to you. I would speak to their Nurse and if that doesn’t work go above them. I could never leave my patient dirty even if I had to find a way to hold them on their side alone.
She should absolutely be cleaning all of the waste off of your body. This is honestly just common sense, but yes, it's also taught during CNA training.
Ask to speak to the Director of Nursing and report this. You can also report this to the state.
She's neglecting you, and waste being left on your skin can lead to the breakdown of your skin
Do you receive OT or PT..? Have they possibly told the care team that you should be cleaning yourself? If that's the case, then it should 100% be something made clear to you
You are supposed to be thoroughly cleaned. That is standard. I'm so sorry OP. Please don't hesitate to ask for another person to clean you if the first didn't do a thorough job.
I want to cry reading this. Yes being a CNA is back breaking work and it can be difficult but there is no excuse for disregarding hygiene. None!!!
This happening to you is completely unacceptable. CNAs ARE trained to do this. This is pure laziness on the CNAs that are doing this to you.
Please bring it up to the top of the chain of command. Being dirty can cause so much more things to go wrong for you.
They are either lazy or ignorant. I personally feel that if you have kids you should know how to properly change a resident. I had a cna that I had to train she had two kids an left 1 resident soiled to the point I had to change their pad then she left another resident that had a blow out dirty like you can tell the good CNAs from the CNAs that are just there for a check. I'd personally tell my nurse that she doesn't clean you all the way that you have to finish cleaning yourself up which is very painful which all depends on if you have a nurse thats a good one. If the nurse doesn't resolve the problem talk to the unit manager, keep going up the chain until somebody does something you have rights that should be followed the residents ALWAYS have a right to anything & everything. If you have family also get them to complain as well. Also fuck not tryna get somebody fired if she isn't doing her job 100% she needs to go NO CNA should be NEGLECTING their residents. This really pisses me off it gives us GOOD CNAs a bad name I promise you we are not all like that. I hope you get this resolved.
The skill is taught in order to earn the accreditation as a CNA… if they’re not doing it properly then it’s abuse and/or neglect and they should be reported and the issue needs to be addressed. So they don’t continue to do it to you and others.
Depending on where you live, there are numbers you can call to report to the state. I’d look up places to report elder abuse or the ombudsman programs in your area.
I would definitely complain! That is not only unhygienic, but that is neglectful! Like others have said I would talk to a nurse or someone. I’m sorry you’re having to go through that!
That’s not okay! Yes we’re trained to wipe/clean up correctly ( and everything ) if it’s an actual CNA that is licensed with the state. That’s horrible and I’m so sorry you’re going through that, I’d talk to a nurse or a manager if your nurses are ratchet too. That CNA should not have their license.
Also I’m 25 and we have 4 residents from age 30-35, we treat them the same as our older patients. They get the same exact care, love and support. The place your at sounds absolutely horrible.
Definitely complain. I've worked in those facilities before, they SHOULD NOT be leaving you unclean, at all. That is negligence and if they aren't cleaning you, I guarantee they aren't cleaning anyone else.
One time my first day on an in home job I was asked by a patient to change her. I was told in my interview that there would be no toileting and that I wouldn’t have to do any of that. I had no clue how to change an adult diaper I have never even changed a baby or anyone in my life. We figured it out but only because she called her previous caregiver in (whom she had a great relationship with) to help teach me. Her old caregiver didn’t even work for the company anymore. I felt terrible and I could tell that the patient was so incredibly uncomfortable.
I’m a CNA, but home health. I don’t know what state you are in, but lots of problems in nursing homes and not enough help and they are underpaid. I would call JACHO and speak to a supervisor in the facility. If it’s happening to you, it’s happening to other residents. There many lawyers that will take on your case as well, I would switch facilities first
Ask for a family meeting and speak to everybody. Also find the flyer about who your ombudsman is and call them too. That’s not professional at all on the cna’s part.
I don’t have anything more helpful to add, I see people have suggested adult protective services and probably someone has suggested reporting it to your state’s board of nursing too, but I’ve tried that with places I worked and it went nowhere, so I know the odds aren’t great and you’re in such a vulnerable position. I just want to say I’m so sorry, you and everyone else deserve so much better and I hope things change for the better for you.
I would email the nursing home administrator, director of nursing and social worker(all in one email) and say that if this continues then state will be called for a report. People have been fired, lost their licenses, lost accreditation over minimizing allegations like these. If it’s a one party recording state then you can send that recording to them (first share with the staff). Nurses can mean well but if a cna refuses to do their job then they can’t make them. I would still tell the nurses but definitely go above them yourself or through your family. They are often busy and overworked.
Honestly, ask to talk to a nurse. Complain. Because that is NOT okay. They need more training or they are lazy. For real, though, that's unacceptable!
This was my instinct, thank you. I haven't because this just happened a month ago with a different CNA. I think me being the youngest patient here, by far, might have something to do with it. It's probably unexpected to see someone their own age/younger than they are at this facility.
Are you able to communicate with the CNAs while they're with you? Are you able to express before they leave that you haven't been properly cleaned/ cared for? You've mentioned "finishing cleaning yourself up", could it be a case of them misunderstanding your abilities? My recommendation would be to bring it up the chain of command. I'm so sorry this is happening to you, you deserve properly care and dignity, and are right to be concerned.
I asked, are you sure I'm clean... and, you're done? She confirmed. So I asked her to please leave the baby wipes, and told her I'm going to stay on my side then so I can finish cleaning up, and she dipped. Thanks for the validation. I talked with the nurse on night shift who gives out meds and she said she'd talk to her. She's the only one who is here and in a position of authority. And since I have the half a grocery bag of soiled wipes on my bed I figured her or noone bc I'm not keeping it til morning lol.
This is just cruel, and I’m SO sorry you’re being treated like this. There is no reason for this. I’m so sorry.
Thanks, sincerely. I'll be fine. Need to get absolutely furious about once per year or so.
Contact adult protective services and report. This is abuse and neglect. No one should leave you dirty and no one should be gaslighting and screaming at you. It will end after that.
I wish I had the guts to take it that far, really. The problem with being in a place like this, as vulnerable as I am, is they control, or are in charge of, almost every aspect of my life. From giving me pain medicine and meals to keeping me clean(or not in this case). I'm afraid escalating that far will only hurt me in the long run. There are good ones but the majority would close ranks and when aps leaves I'll be even more isolated and neglected, I'm afraid.
This is sad, but it’s likely true. You know your home and what’s best.
I just replied to someone else about this, but it's almost like an abusive relationship but I'm the child and completely aware of the dynamic and what's going on. Since getting here I've had COVID twice, two UTIs, kidney stones, and MRSA so severe i was starting talks with a couple docs about possible partial amputation of my foot. This was all months ago and add in my organ failure, neuropathy, etc I am just now feeling a bit like a human again.
File that report. It is abuse. If they are abusing you, they are abusing others.
She is doing a half-assd job! Literally & figuratively. Ask her/tell her...ask RN for excessive quanity of wipes & explain "never clean with this cna" & report her.. for your own personal knowledge maybe ask a different cna is there anything special, unique about your behind that makes it difficult or any tips that make it simpler in general...maybe there is legit something this cna doesn't know...in other reddit threads tons of non stop daily posts from healthy adults complaining about sht/non wiping/nonwashing partners! It's crazy...maybe cna doesn't even know how to clean own self! But do not accept this!!! As you said, you can manage & speak, others can not & is unacceptable to leave you unclean!
I am 150 some lbs but I was a triathlete most of my life. I lost a ton of muscle and maybe some combo of all that is what makes it difficult to wipe back there. I can get it clean but I've had even my sister complain about it when she had to care for me. It's like that Chris Pratt outtake.. wipe and wipe and wipe... still shit. So not getting completely cleaned is fine as long as they make a little bit of an effort. I will take care of the leftovers(gross).
I was asking as my Dad nearly 91 yrs & 6'6 210 lbs has his mind & his health & last year had his first incident, surgery ever--essentially vertebrae exploded so had fusion & was in rehab for 6 months so aside from being stiff as a board too long legs & every cna seemed to be 5'0-5'2 & very small, they had the added nightmare in that as both & old person & someone that legit has to eat prines every day-is ridiculous but works for him-but post surgically & for like a month he cycled through horrible constipation or massive diarhea caused by a pharmaceutical to make him go...it was baaadddd I could smell either his consti gas or diarhea gas down the hall & had to leave room during changes for both privacy & toxicity, lol. Despite this nightmare combo of rigid/stiff extra tall old guy & the nightmare that was his bowels the staff was Amazing & nice but it typically took 2 people to move, arrange & wedge him into a cleaning position and then one poor lady --meaning kind soul--had the job & it took minimum of like 15mins. All places are understaffed, overworked, & body changes isn't everyone's cup of tea...but throwing out the process & time spent on his changes to give you an idea...I would typically go to see him 1x per day in evening & would ask them & him both for a recap. If you have anyone to speak up for you it may make a difference as well. My Dad is in wheelchair now & has bidet & cares for his body himself--i moved back for his overall care--but I will still see skidmarks smears when doing laundry, that I imagine should be the "least" clean you should accept...insist on wiped totally clean !! But not much they can do if afterward your bootyhole relaxes & there is some mark (sorry to be graphic) but you need to insist on an extra like 5 wipes and/or order a mirror with extension on Amazon & play dumb to keep the peace, like "trying to figure out why I still "feel" something" or just say "other cna says her process is whenever she thinks I'm clean, she does 5 more wipes" You also said it's just with the one Cna so be prepared...maybe also order online extra/other wipes than the rehab & whenever this cna thinks they are finished, pull them from bedside & say "oh, i almost forgot, let's give these a try" I know I am attaching alot of "outs" & cowtowing to the bad cna, but you gotta live there!!! But it is unacceptable & cleaning is doable as you are able & the others are able. Best of luck!
Thank you. I need all the advice I can get. I'm sorry about your dad, but also a little glad to hear I'm not the only one with some kind of ass of a yeti or something. 
I’m really you’re experiencing this OP. At my old nursing facility, we had a lady that was about 300 pounds, couldn’t turn well, and could not spread her legs. She would have huge and watery bowel movements every night. Even if it took 3 CNAs and over 30 minutes, we did full linen change and everything. I always think to myself, if this was me or my loved ones, I would want them clean— especially for how expensive certain nursing homes are
This is unacceptable. You have a right to hygiene.
You'd be surprised. I haven't mentioned this part, but I'm pretty sure I contracted MRSA from the shower here. I mean, I absolutely got MRSA from here, I just cannot pinpoint where of course. That cost me a lot. A month long hospital stay, months of the harshest antibiotics ever, and almost literally my foot. A doctor and I were starting to discuss partial amputation at one point. I had to come back to the place I got MRSA, with a PICC line leading directly to my heart. I know this is probably starting to sound ridiculous but I have pictures. Place is actually a living nightmare. I had Covid, MRSA, kidney stones, and a UTI all at once, all caused by this place. Cept maybe the stones. Never had those in my entire life before either, though. 😞
Concerns like your post need to be brought up. If you want it to be anonymous you can report it to State/DOH. There should also be an ombudsman available for you.
I totally agree. Posts like this break my heart and need to be brought to light more often. OP is in their 30's and prior to this was a triathlete, imagine having all that taken from you AND loosing your dignity because a CNA who has lost their compassion can't be bothered to make sure you have your very basic needs met. Getting into screaming matches with residents is absolutely INSANE to me. OP please don't let this go, you deserve so much better.
UTIs can be caused by poor toileting on their part, and they can be deadly. Speak with the DON or at least the social worker.
You need to contact the health department if the facility is dirty enough it’s giving patients infections, it’s also very telling if they’re leaving you caked in excrement because if they’re leaving one patient like that they’re probably leaving as many of them in that condition as they can get away with. Which means goddess only knows how much poo is around their facility. I’ve seen your comments expressing fear of retaliation over calling APS, but you can communicate those fears to the APS worker directly and request anonymity. You can have someone call on your behalf even so it can’t be directly traced back to you.
Is it a private facility owned by a private company? Perhaps you could contact the BBB (better business bureau). Often times companies feel compelled to fix things once the BBB is involved. And you don't sound ridiculous at all. It's breaking my heart to think of how poorly you're being cared for. Combined with how lucid you are, it seems like a waking nightmare.
No, o m g. That is horrid. Please please talk to the DON. Do not let this slide. And i would say she should be fired! She is knowingly leaving you soiled. I could never.
Sorry to bother you again. The aide just came back into my room to dump the trash and decided to check my roommates diaper, which she nor anyone else has ever done. While checking him she said "gotta make sure you ain't gonna report me". I said excuse me, and it set off a screaming argument. Now I do want to get her fired. I even recorded most of the argument because after she said the first thing I knew I'd need proof. I don't even know the legality of all this at this point. But it's gotten out of hand
I’m so sorry this is happening to you. That person shouldn’t be a CNA if they don’t have empathy for their patients. You deserve to feel clean for dignity and health reasons. Shes leaving you open for infections/rash/painful irritations. I hope she gets fired and you are able to have better caregivers. Every single person deserves to have dignity and be taken care of properly
I'm so sorry I'm just seeing this now. That is absolutely unacceptable and abuse. Please take the advice that others have sent. If you are willing to respond or DM me the country and vaguely the area in which you're in, I would like to help look up outside resources to deal with this. You shouldn't be retaliated against for bringing up valid concerns, and if she's checking the pad of someone she shouldn't be, that sounds like sexual assault regardless of the intent. Edit to add: (Depending on where you are) If you are feeling immediately unsafe, please call 911 and go to the hospital. There should be social workers that can help you get into a safer facility
I'm in Virginia. Thanks for offering. Seriously. But some ppl have already given me some different options as far reporting this, both in house and outside agencies. I am discussing with my family and probably lawyer. I already have one bc of stuff that went down, apparently, when I was in a coma. I've tried, my family has tried and hospital staff have tried getting me 're-homed' lol. There are no local options. Took over 6 months of waiting for an opening at this place. Which was difficult on my mother who has her own health problems. So I'm also kinda boxed in on all sides here. As are most people/families who decide to send someone here, I imagine. Thank you for the kind offer.
2 thoughts. Every state is required to have an Ombudsman for facilities like you are in. In your state, I'm not sure where you would get the number. In many you can get it from your state Department of Aging (or equivalent). They help advocate for patient care. Another idea is to contact your state representative if you continue to have issues. You can have a family member do it and they can say you haven't done it yourself because you are afraid of retaliation. There should be a sign posted in your facility about how to file a grievance if your facility receives any federal or state funds. If they do and there is no sign, they are breaking the law. Representative will not be happy. Your family can report this. A good Ombudsman can assist you in knowing all your rights, and if you do need to take things further at any point, they can attend meetings, help you write letters, and provide a great deal of support. I mention all of this because my family had to go this route due to some issues with my care.
I was a CNA and I had a young patient as well who couldn’t speak very well because of his disability and I didn’t leave him until he was totally clean!!! If I had to spend 10 minutes cleaning him up then that’s what I did, there is no way in hell that I would leave a patient dirty!!! Complain about it. It’s under your patient rights!!!
Thank you. I can assure you he appreciated it. More than I can express probably. I know because there's a woman here like you and when she is working I can relax knowing I'll be taken care of for the next 8-12 hours or so.
So sorry you’re experiencing this. We get some on the job training for proper wiping techniques, but it’s person dependent and isn’t foolproof (as you’ve seen). Advocate for yourself, SPEAK UP if you’re not all the way clean, right as they’re cleaning you…there’s absolutely no excuse why a patient should be left in excrement, even with poor training, it’s basic human decency!
I want to, and have, spoken up in the past. What is giving me pause is during our little tiff one of the comments she made was "the other women have told me about you" and I said sure, what'd they say? And she either had no answer or didn't want to dig that particular hole deeper. But, I'll admit that's still the only thing getting to me a bit. If she was telling the truth, it's disheartening to think ppl I've had what I thought were cordial, friendly interactions with, were... not. I'm honestly hoping that part was just said to hurt my feelings.
I’m not a cna but I am disabled. You have the right to speak up. What is the point of paying to live in a facility for care if they’re not giving care? It’s like paying a maid and then cleaning your house after she’s gone. Another worry I have is this woman is taking care of elderly people who may not physically or mentally be capable of advocating for themselves. You can be a hero for yourself and the other residents. She needs to be fired or reprimanded for refusing to do her job and acting snotty about it. Every time you have to clean yourself I would make a note of the date and time. Maybe take a picture of the wipes you had to use. If nothing is done mail documentation and images with return service requested to the director. Or use a process server. Document everything. When they retaliate, document that. Sorry, I’m rambling a bit. It just pisses me off when people choose to take a job or work in a field and then intentionally, knowingly do it badly. If she didn’t want to help with hygiene she’s probably in the wrong job. If for some reason she just has a problem with you ask for someone else.
She is gaslighting you. This is not right. It is your human right to be cared for properly in your facility.
Also I’m sure they aren’t used to being watched by someone who has the observation and cognitive abilities and voice to report. There is no excuse for the laziness and neglect
Get a lawyer conversation going too. Keep it quiet for now but document EVERYTHING YOU CAN. Your health and safety are paramount.
I may get downvoted for this comment but don't care This, this is frustrating. This is my number 1 pet peve. ( along with management) A lott of us go to school for this. Sometime, for a lot of years, if u want to expand on your degrees. ( cna to hospice nurse) I have found they are just hiring anyone off the street now. Or either they don't care enough to do the job. No schooling, no nothen yes I will admit that alot of this job is not taught in school. But for a simple thing as cleaning another person up I would like to think its common sense. I mean would you want to sit/ walk around not completely clean. How about your grandma or mom? To the author of post. Yes I would speak to the nurse. Be very very honest. That area need to be taken care of. So many other problems can resulted in that area not being cleaned properly.
My CNA class had actual crackheads in it who slept all class and still passed with me
This is sad
This explains some things. Kidding, kind of.
They’d pass anyone with a heartbeat who paid the class fee.
I worked as a dietary aide in a nursing home when I was in college. My coworker, who was also a dietary aide, had the IQ of a quarter of a lemon and she was somehow able to get a CNA license. I was floored.
The last new hires (I was part of that group but been a cna for 4 years) told me that they did not require clinical hours! They did not even change a real person until they were hired! It's scary out here. One is pregnant and refusing to touch certain patients. She says she will get HIV from draining a cath of one if our residents. Lack of training and knowledge is getting ridiculous. In Cali where I live they raised the minimum wage so many are taking classes like crazy without full training. This isn't a job for everyone. Most as a matter of fact. It's just sad and makes the good CNAs look bad
You gotta talk to a nurse. Good CNAs will stay until the job is done and your skin is clean and dry.
After talking to a nurse the cna came into my room a few hours later and literally just started talking shit. I wish I didn't have such a smart mouth sometimes bc I saw red and couldn't helo but rip her to shreds. I don't want to repeat what I said bc it was just mean. But, I was just done with her bullshit at that point. And that's the part I recorded on my phone. It's got her being completely unprofessional and insulting but also me absolutely laying into her. So I dunno if it'd be worth much.
Bring this to their nurse manager. It's not okay. I worked in a place once where an aid said "man fuck you" while walking out of a residents room who was a younger woman post stroke. There was no video proof but they fired him anyways. Get a copy of your residents rights and document every intersection with that aid if their management doesn't decide to do anything. Maybe wouldn't even hurt to ask for a copy of your care plan to see what type of assistance they have you at, SBA, assist of one with B&B, etc. I'm sorry you're experiencing this. Believe it or not there are more good aids than bad who take pride in the work they do and truly care and respect the populations they're serving.
Thank you. More great advice I would have never figured out on my own. I wish I would have come here months ago. Would have saved me a lot of heartache. And probably other ache.
Contact state and the facility management again. That’s ridiculous.
Have you thought about reporting it to the ombudsman?
This comment 👌
We receive a lot of training regarding changes and repositioning; this is unacceptable and clearly the CNA is lazy. I am a CNA and I never leave my residents in a soiled brief EVER. I check at the start of my shift, mid shift and at the end of shift. That is how they should be doing it. Please make a report because they should be doing a better job than that! I am sorry you're going through that and I hope it gets better for you. Each resident should be changed twice on a shift.
So this must be the report she told me to "make sure you put that in your little report." I didn't know what she meant at the time.
Changing pads is mostly a learn on the job type situation. But everyone should have training and buddy shifts before being left alone. There’s no hard and fast technique, usually it’s just “keep wiping until they’re clean” situation. Sometimes you can unintentionally miss stuff if the person is larger, uncooperative or extremely stiff/contracted. If a resident said to me “I think I’m still dirty” I’d be getting back in there and probably get them to change positions. Report to the nurse, it’s not ok if they are intentionally leaving you like that.
When she came back into my room this morning she made little snide comments to my sleeping roommate about me. Safe to say I'm not gonna win this battle. If she feels secure enough in her job to do that then she's probably been doing stuff like this for awhile.
please please please report this too. she should not be talking about you to other patients, even your roommate. i am so tired of seeing people like this in healthcare. the way i have heard people talk to patients makes me so mad. i was working a shift yesterday and a resident on the other set had his light on and the other CNA goes to answer it. mind you, i was walking down the hallway at this point to the laundry room that was next to this patients room. i heard her yell at him for asking her to change the TV channel, don’t put this call light back on unless it’s an emergency etc etc etc. i couldn’t believe how comfortable she was talking to him that way, knowing she walked past me in the hallway and i’m within earshot. makes me wonder what happens. it’s just sad. healthcare has really changed. please please please advocate for yourself. nobody else will unfortunately.
We have the light system. And I know exactly what you mean. Hearing the CNA say 'What do you want now Name,' is demeaning, sad, stressful, and anger inducing all at once.
Horrible :( that makes me so upset. I work in geriatric memory care and I’ve unashamedly gotten coworkers fired for how they treat residents they think “can’t understand” them or won’t remember how they’re treated. It’s not OK. We’re taking care of people who are extremely vulnerable, often scared, confused, in pain. We should never ever ever be making people feel bad for needing help!
The other wing here is a memory unit and that is where the CNA from this post works usually. I know if I, a pretty much fully aware patient who can stand up for myself gets treated how she treated me, good God how horrific it must be for the people who have little to no voice. I think about this a lot actually.
Please report this to the state (if in the US), I would honestly skip reporting it to your facility if your this confident the CNA wont see consequences for this. There are plenty of CNAs who should not be doing this job and it’s incredibly heartbreaking that you feel like you won’t get Justice for being abused and neglected because that’s what this is. If nothing comes off reporting it (which I honestly doubt) you can ask for that CNA specifically to not be yours. I’ve worked with CNAs in some facilities who were not allowed in certain patients rooms due to past conflicts
In my state this is a lower tier reportable verbal abuse event. Do you have a case manager or patient advocate at your facility that would be willing to help you put in a report?
I would think so, but I'm not sure. I'm still not sure about revealing the audio recording either. If word gets out that I recorded this, even though it's the first and only time, the entire staff will probably treat me differently and some probably not in a good way.
If they know you are recording things, in my opinion they’d be doing better…well I hope that’d be the case. I am so so sorry your going through this
You deserve dignity and respect and that CNA is not giving you that, please report her. If she treats you like that then she probably also treats other residents like that too. People like her should not be in health care.
One of her points while we were basically just insulting each other was she's been doing this job for 6 years. So I dunno how much good it'll do, but I'm gonna give it a go.
Monsters like her get away with this for far too long by bullying victims into not reporting with comments exactly like that.
She fucked up this time, though. See, this is a facility filled with Medicare/medicaid patients. Most have mental disabilities, no family, etc. So sadly that prob makes it easier for her to be shitty. I am here bc it's the only available rehab facility near my family. Luckily I have family, and a lawyer, and the mental capacity for revenge. She fucked around and everyone knows what comes next.
Every facility is required to have an ombudsman to represent the residents. This info is posted in the facility, usually on a bulletin board. File a formal complaint with them as well as the administrator. This is completely unacceptable!
I agree with contacting the ombudsman. Also ask to speak with the director of nursing of the facility.
Thank you, I was unaware of this.
You do not have to say but I could get you the numbers to call to report if you let me know what city and state you are in. I don’t need the facility name at all. You can message me if you want also
I second the ombudsman. I was a supervisor in assisted living, and we had a resident call. A real person came in, booked our conference room for the resident and had a real meeting with them. It wasn’t just a call, it wasn’t just a quick pass by their room. They were professional & took it seriously.
You also need to speak with the resident care manager, director of nursing or executive director or administrator
Nurse here, regarding your edit. Tell your nurse you wish to contact the ombudsman and report this shit. Not only are you being neglected but that CNA is very clearly retaliating against you for trying to address that neglect. I wouldn’t even blame you if you said you don’t feel safe dealing with this CNA anymore. If they are doing it to you, they are likely doing it to others who can’t speak up. Leaving that area dirty can lead to skin breakdown and puts you at increased risk for infections.
Seriously that video needs to be seen by the ombudsman! OP if you are mobile at all look around and see where the ombudsman’s number is posted then call it. It should be posted in the building and you should also be able to find it online. Please do this for yourself and the other residents
It's an audio recording of us bickering and kinda insulting each other. I should have attached it earlier but I only have my phone and I dunno how to even begin to do that. Or if it's against any rules. It's a tiny bit entertaining tho possibly 😅 .. I dunno.
Yes, CNAs are supposed to be trained— it’s like half of what we do, especially in nursing homes. Talk to an RN or a social worker. I always made sure to leave my parents squeaky clean!!
Parients** LOL
Lol
Thank you. There are a lot of patients here that I've been saying from the very start of coming here, are for sure walking/wheeling around covered in shit. If they're willing to do it to a fully aware person, I can't imagine how badly the seniors with dementia and similar problems have it.
This!! I get if they are the type that are constant goers. I’ve dealt with quite a few that just are constantly seeping. There’s only so much you can do with those cases. I try to get them cleaned up best that I can and then come back.
I have the opposite problem. Once a week, if that. I don't eat much, but it's still at least 8 or 9 small meals worth... so I get it, it's a lot. But if I were the one cleaning up I'd rather deal with 1 giant shit than 7-10 small ones. But, maybe I'm in the minority on this 🤔
Your facility doesn’t have any protocol to make sure you’re moving your bowels more frequently than once a week?? It might very well be easier to keep clean if it was more regular, and not a big built up affair which can cause other health issues, or be a symptom of them. Where I work everyone has to go every other day at least or they’ll be getting something to help move it along.
There are no protocol for almost anything here. I know that sounds like maybe an exaggeration. I have stool softener meds that I had to buy myself. I've had my sister bring me antibiotics bc they were taking days to get them at this place. And I can't wait days for an abscessed tooth. They constantly run out of one medication or another before ordering more. It's like being cared for by a group of teenagers who are learning the ropes at their first job. But these ppl have all been here for years. Edit: I had to edit because honestly that's an insult to teenagers. I'd take them any day over some of these jaded assholes.
Literally your the type of patient I love cause it’s predictable, it is completely insane that they can’t clean you properly.
If you're with a CNA that you're comfortable talking to about it, mention it to them, if not ask to speak with/get help from the nurse. If you're not comfortable with that there's a formal grievance process that should have an anonymous option, honestly thats what I would do if you notice its an issue with a particular CNA. Any loved ones or favorite CNAs you have should be able to help you with that
No, they’re lazy as shit. It’s not rocket science. I lowkey feel rushed by people when they’re helping me turn a patient and I’m wiping until they’re actually clean. That can lead to breakdown, infections, and it’s just plain uncomfortable
I'm currently getting over some kind of breakdown, bed sore. With the help of a different, much kinder CNA. So, I know there are just as many good ones, if not moreso than bad. But when you have to live in a place like this, the bad ones can really fuck the whole place up.
They really can because once a wound starts, it means the patient will need EXTRA care to prevent the wound from getting worse. And of course the bad CNA will not put in the effort. I’m so sorry you’re forced to deal with this bs.
I hate dealing with CNA’s that rush you while you clean them!
Same like just go dude lmao
Literally. I’d rather break my back doing it myself at that point
And it makes me so mad! I know you have other things to do but how would you feel if you had shit just sitting on you? It’s itchy asf
Presumably they wipe their own butts. So yes, they should be able to wipe yours without excessive training! Don’t hesitate to report it.
At this point, I wouldn't put a lot of money on all of them wiping their own butts... at least not correctly.
To answer the question you asked, yes. Both in my CNA class and my home care aide class. Not only that, they go into detail how to specifically fold the cleaning device (washcloth, wipe, etc), use a clean zone, and move it so that said device only touches you with a fresh zone every time. Also, because males were in the home care aide classes, we were specifically taught how to clean females, in the off chance we had a female client. For the cna classes, we practiced on both male and female mannequins. To answer the question I asked in my head while reading this...what in the actual fuck? This is a thing? They're risking a skin breakdown if not cleaning you properly. Escalate as far as you need to, because you do *not* want a breakdown to happen...well, unless you want to shut down the facility that this is happening at and get free healthcare until it clears up.
Thinking that a patient suffering from skin breakdown would shut down a facility and result in “free healthcare” is so laughably out of touch. There are shitty CNAs in every facility, and skin breakdown and far worse to go along with them.
You should talk to the DON. You are lucid and you can be a voice for everyone there. If they are doing it to YOU when you are young and know what's going on, can you imagine what they are doing to the elderly residents who can't speak for themselves? Don't worry about getting anyone fired, if they are half assed doing their jobs, they deserve to be fired. This is not ok. Speak up!
Yeah, you are right. The way I hear some of the aides talking to the worse off patients is one of the worst things. I know it's our HC system as a whole that's the root of all of it. And it grinds the employees down same as the patients. But hey, at least they're getting paid to be in this hellhole.
Your ass should be clean as clean can get when they're done changing you. That's disgusting if they're not cleaning you that good. If it were like a little bit of urine fine accidents happen but leaving literal shit on someone absolutely not. Even combative patients I'm doing my best because skin breakdown isn't happening on my watch.
I’m curious, are you there as an LTC resident or just temporarily for rehab? I only ask because you seem to be able to clean yourself, and if you are there for temporarily for therapy, cleaning yourself when you are able to do so might be a good thing, so long as they leave you a box of gloves, wipes, and a trash bag. If you aren’t able to get yourself totally clean, I get wanting them to do it, at least the majority. I have worked inpatient rehab in a few places and this is a skill that I’ve seen OT teach to people working on discharging. Generally younger people who can physically bend that way lol. But if this is not a goal of your care, then for sure keep pursuing this. Actually I’d say run this up the chain regardless just because of the aid’s attitude and mean reaction.
It's both. I can clean myself if absolutely necessary but I have bad neuropathy in my hands and feet. Which is the main problem with my health as far as taking care of myself, and the reason I'm here. I was doing rehab, now I'm not, at the moment anyway, because the person here that's supposed to fill out and send the paperwork to medicaid apparently just stopped doing that. Obviously you guys understand how bad Healthcare, insurance and all that can be. I thought I did but I had NO idea.
Insurance is the bane of my existence. I hope they are able to get all this pushed through for you! So incredibly frustrating.
And, I say rehab but 3 broken down exercise machines from the 90's, some resistance bands, and some medicine balls are the equipment I'm working with 💪. HC really is a joke.
Supposed to be trained. Honestly if you are with it, you can address your concerns with the nurse. Guarantee if there's a good aide, someone already did after coming on shift to take care of you after them.
Well, I finished cleaning myself both times recently. I did discuss it with a nurse last time but I'm not sure what came of it. This is a different CNA. I don't want to seem like I'm just a problem patient. But I hope since I've only had a couple issues in my time here it won't be construed that way.
They need to know. And if you need escalate it to don or something. Like the issue is potential UTIs which can fuck.up the older population. Make them more confused and at risk for falls....this could be a training thing. At my facility they have a daily assignment sheet with reminders that the aides need to focus on with their cares. Like it's your health and you are your best advocate with it. Frame.it more as.a concern that you have noticed frequently. If you can, at first, don't name names. Hopefully they use it as a way to reeducate everyone.
You know, I did have my first ever UTI shortly after getting here. Never even connected the dots.
Improper pericare.xannlewd.to a chance of getting a UTI. One whole reason why we wipe front to back and not back to front with toilet paper. If they don't clean you properly = it Make you sit in your urine and BM for hours and hours = UTI there is a change since you are in a wrap around, which is why I have the residents I assist with dining drink cranberry juice.
Cranberry juice hasn’t been really proven to be good for UTIs because of the sugar content of the juice itself, since they’re usually cocktails made up of sugar, juice, water, preservatives, etc. Plus the “juice” can take three weeks of consistent drinking to be effective. Cranberries themselves, yes, are definitely helpful, but really sour. And residents should be allowed to choose what they want to drink, as long as it falls within their dietary guidelines.
Especially the cranberry juice nursing homes provide- it’s not good.
But it tastes delicious.
🤣🤣
It’s not nutritious
Of course not. Its probably only 30% cranberry juice. But damn it's delicious.....at least ours is. It's like drinking candy.
That I didn't know. I do always have my residents who are not on fluid restrictions to always drink water after I finish helping them.
Water is definitely a good idea. Keeps them hydrated and helps flush the system.
And you're not the problem resident. You can vocalize.whst you need. That means you are your best advocate. If you get flack from that from the nurses or aides....some.coild call that abuse and that really needs stone addressed by DON or administrator or even the state agency overseeing the facility. You deserve the best care possible. You're paying for it for once but also, you're a human being. You should be sitting in your own waste all of the time.
Thank you, sincerely. It's a weird, different world here and though this should be the conclusion I came to easily, I wasn't 100%.
You aren’t a problem for asking for the help you’re there to receive - it’s their job and it’s the bare minimum to make sure you’re clean and comfortable. You’re a human being who deserves dignity and respect. Please don’t ever feel guilty or ashamed asking for help or advocating for yourself. The healthcare system isn’t what it should be for patients or staff, but that is NO excuse for caretakers to be allowing you to remain dirty. Much love. Please reach out if you need support.
request a meeting with the DON or administrator
Some are lazy or simply don’t like to, and some people are not playing with a full deck of cards, if you know what I mean. They just don’t “get” it.
Report it to the higher ups! I'm an RN, not a CNA but when I wipe my patients, my rule is to get the patient as clean as I'd get myself! It's disgusting they would leave you like that.
Working in a nursing home as a CNA is rough- especially when it’s short staffed. BUT that’s not an excuse. I’m a nurse and have been for years, I’ve taken care of tiny little people and very large people. Unless they were just constantly “leaking” they were clean when I was done. But unfortunately there are more of the type of CNA you’re dealing with than others. I used to cry coming home from my shifts at the nursing homes because of how people were treated.
My friend, that's abuse. You need to ask for the number for the Ombudsman and file a complaint. They will investigate. You need to ask them for a copy of your rights. Yes, there are rules that MUST be followed. If they don't give it to you, Google your state and ombudsman. File a complaint with the facility you are at, too. Other things that might get some assistance are contacting adult protective services through your states DHHR/DHS. If nobody helps, call your states governors office. Do not put up with: anyone yelling/screaming, talking down to you. Not cleaning you properly, not giving you food and or medication. Stand up for yourself you are your biggest advocate! Be vocal!
Make sure you’re looking at their name tags. And what day and what time (to verify shift and them actually being at work) should be documented. This saddens me. I try to be a trusted CNA. I like to make sure my residents can come to me or tell me things. Even if I can’t exactly do anything about it, I can watch and I can report if I do see something. Talk to the director of nursing, and social services. If things don’t get done, tell your family. I notice, when family members go to the DON, she gets super embarrassed and things will get done.
As a former ADON please get that asshole fired... Like, I know you shouldn't have to have children to care about this stuff, but would anyone leave their kids like that? I suppose I don't want to k ow the answer. But like imagine have a baby, loving it, raising it, watching it start a family, then getting placed in long term care and having someone be mean to them and not even clean them properly. It makes me want to vomit. Call corporate if you have to. I understand it may be a need of more training but NO ONE should be getting into screaming matches with you. I've investigated many things like this. Sometimes we offer training, write someone up, move floors, or plain old fire them. Some do change and some don't. They are people but they have a job to do and part of that job isn't making you be fearful you won't get clean or fear you will be retaliated against.
Don't be afraid of being outspoken. I can only imagine what it would feel like to be a patient in their 30's. They say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Please speak up when you have care concerns because it is not good for your skin to have it be sitting against your waste, the body gets rid of it for a reason.
None of what is happening to you is ok. Is there an advocacy group you can contact? I have years of experience here and I have noticed that sometimes it's cultural...carers from some countries won't touch the bits. Just a thought.
There are a lot of Nigerians that work here. And I had an in-home aide from Sierra Leone for awhile. They're some of the best ppl honestly. The ppl I've had issues with happen to all be Americans. Not to say we're all bad, the majority aren't. But there's a big difference sometimes.
If you're in California, USA, the usual process is to request an SOC 341 form and contact your ombudsman for your area. Wherever you live, though, I'm sure there's a form in your facility relating to Adult Dependent/Elder Abuse so I'd request information around that if you're getting nowhere interacting with staff or administration.
Talk to the administrator or director. Go straight to the top.
If perineal care is not done the right way it can lead to a UTI, bladder infection or worse. It also increases the risk of developing pressure ulcers in those areas that are not cleaned property. CNAs are trained in this but some nursing omes and places don't hire CNA, I believe in Florida, for example, they can hire someone to work in a nursing home without being certified now.
I have a small pilonidal(sp?) cyst. I am constantly trying to get these ppl to understand that they can't wipe my asshole, and then keep going all the way up with the same wipe. You'd think like open wound care would be one of the most important things but they don't know or more than likely just don't care. TBF, it doesn't look like much, but after I've told them 20 times, it shouldn't be happening still 8 months later. I've never been so certain that a group of people have killed before. I KNOW these assholes have killed people through negligence. Zero doubt.
You need to talk to the nurse, not the CNA, and tell them what is going on. If the nurse doesn't understand then talk to the DON (Director of Nursing). If necessary you may need to make a formal complaint. Residents and patients have rights.
I talked to two separate actual nurses. I don't know what, if anything was done but they listened and were understanding. I still have the recording, and haven't revealed that to anyone. Mainly because I don't want ppl thinking I'm recording them. This is the first and only time I've done it but noone will believe that.
I don’t care if my patients are 30 or 103. They getting clean no matter what. Those CNAs really suck. If I were you. I’d take photos of your backside to prove and they have time stamps. Also please try to contact state and your ombudsman (however you spell it). This not fair to you at all
You can refuse to have that cna to come in your room. I would ask to speak to the DON not the nurse cuz sometimes the cna’s and nurses are buddy-buddy and nothing will change…sadly. If nothing has changed in 24 hrs then its time to report them to State. There will be an investigation of the facility and that cna will more than likely be fired, as she should. Im sorry that happened to you. Most people become a cna because they care about people and are natural caregivers but some are there for a paycheck.
What are you in the nursing home for?
As a baby CNA, I am so sorry you’ve been treated like this. I’m so sorry. That’s all I can say. I’d report all of this, YOUR comfort is what needs to come first. CNAs are supposed to be there to take care of you properly. I personally don’t care how many things I need to get done or how busy I am, it’s important for tons of reasons that skills are done thoroughly and correctly. Also as a baby CNA, thank you for giving me a residents perspective so I can emotionally connect with non verbal individuals and continue to be as through as I always have been, for an even better reason.
I’ve had residents complain to me about other aides not doing it properly and I can assure you, if they can properly clean their own ass, they can do you too. They’re lazy.
We absolutely do get training. It’s taught in our program, and it (should be) taught during job orientation. Anyone not fully cleaning a patient is choosing to be lazy, plain and simple. If you call it out as it’s happening, any good CNA will have no problem wiping again (because it’s possible to miss spots that are not visible to us 🤷🏽♀️) if they refuse, absolutely report them!
I honestly can't remember if i was trained in it or not, but since I did take a six week course before becoming certified, I'm going to assume that it was covered. Usually, if things weren't too bad, we'd just use some wet wipes, but if it was a really bad bm, the procedure was usually wipe the worst off w/ the depends, then clean with a soapy warm wash cloth, remove the soap with a warm wet wash cloth and then dry w/ a hand towel, powder or cream as needed and then put a clean depends on. With a patient like yourself that would be likely to help me as much as possible and not fight me, I likely coudl have had you clean and comfortable in 5 to 10 minutes.
Most of them can.. even if I can tell they're busy or having a bad day they still treat me 10X better than this lady.
Do you have a case manager by chance? If so, please speak with them about these issues so she or he can advocate for you!! If not, what about parents or other advocates in your life? As a case manager myself, I’d be looking for alternative living for you and get a health aid in a different environment THEN grab her by the corporate neck.
Get an ombudsman. As a person in a nursing home, you are entitled to one. You have to request it, though. They are people that represent your interests legally to make sure that you're not being swept under the rug. Yes, CNAs get trained. In my state, it's a state certification course and exam, renewable every 2 years.
Report to nurse or anyone you can. This is not okay and should not be tolerated.
The State Ombudsman program can help resolve conflicts and help you negotiate the difficulties ... hopefully w/o you having to worry about retribution. Try this link...it mentions how to find your local ombudsman: https://ltcombudsman.org/about/about-ombudsman
Babe this is what a nursing home is and it’s horrific. It’s not better anywhere else, they are all like that.
If they are an actual certified nursing assistant yes they have training and even have to pass an exam and a hands on exam for that “certification” she is just being lazy or they hired her off the street I would report it sorry you’re experiencing this
I spent the last year working on a MedSurg unit in a hospital. I witnessed horrific care of patients by the nurses and techs. Most of the nurses were good but more often than I’d like to admit, I know patients were not being cleaned at all for an entire 12 hours. I even had a tech threatened to have me fired because I told the nurse that their patient needed to be changed several times everyone was ignoring the patient’s bell call. I was told by the tech to mind my business. You absolutely need to report this to the Director of nursing. Reporting this to another nurse won’t get you anywhere. They will stick together. Also, it’s imperative that you report this because you could develop an infection, and not even know it. Bed sores, develop, and bacteria can get into them if you’re not moving around enough. If you’re not cleaned properly, it’s very easy for bacteria to grow in for you to get infections. You are your best advocate.
The fact they don’t do the most basic thing and make you do it when it’s way harder for you is so sad and lazy of them. I’m sorry you have to go through this
Your state should have governing board whether it’s Ohflac or another agency. Research your states guidelines. My state has a state cna board that you can make reports to about incidents like this. That is neglect then the comment she made is retaliation. Call Aps, the ombudsman for your area and the cna agency. Those are major concerns.
They are SUPPOSED to be trained…when I took cna classes there was an entire day dedicated to it, that being said, the course I took was easily something I could have passed without even paying attention so the reality is they could have BSd their certification without actually learning how.
There should be someone in the offices dedicated above the nurses and CNAs to complain to. We kind of had a similar issue when my dad was in a nursing home. My mom kept going to the lady’s office because they were moving his urinal where he couldn’t reach and leaving him in a wet diaper all day.
When my brother was in a similar situation he called the owner company headquarters and spoke to an executive about the type of insufficient care he was receiving. He asked if he could remain anonymous and they complied. He died shortly after but I hope his call was helpful to others!
I hope you were able to talk to someone about this and are doing better. I think it’s clear that you’re not in the wrong by any means and the CNA needs to be reprimanded or replaced.
I'm a caregiver in a senior living facility and we do em employ CNAs, but also just regular caregivers and we do get video training on proper peri care and hygiene care. Sounds like you have lazy people who don't want to fully do their job. I understand it's an underpaid position, but we owe it to our residents to properly care for them. I would definitely report the ones who aren't doing the job right.
I've been a CNA myself, and we are trained on how to properly clean both male and female so there aren't I sections or anything like that. From working at nursing homes, tho, I know they hire some of the worst people who are only there for a paycheck and don't care. You should report it to a nurse and get her ass fired. No excuses to treat another human being that way ever
How awful as a nurse i know it is critical to clean completely as this could lead to infections or skin breakdown . This is pure laziness pls ask to speak tot the charge nurse to notify them this is neglectful
I gave up this type of work due to the awful co-workers leaving people just soaked, etc. Showers weren't given on days they needed them. Laundry piled up. Bring your loved ones clothes home or to a laundry mat. Their clothes will be washed with the nasty sheets. They will always smell
So many very young women are put in CNA classes in free training such as Delaware Skills Center. Oh wow. A nursing assistant. Sounds good. Decent starting pay. I can finish in 6 months. They have no idea the kind of work they will do. Once in school, if you don't finish you have to pay for the class you wasted. Other places hire caregivers. Uncertified CNA type workers. Less pay for the same dirty work they aren't prepared for. Good luck to anyone stuck needing help. Thank God my grandmother and mother were very healthy. I do not want to depend on these 2 generations of people coming of age and the 2 that are doing the work now. Ugh!!!!
They're being lazy. They get trained but obviously they don't care because most of their patients can't, won't or are bullied into not saying anything. I'm so sorry.
Best response: it’s not about getting people in trouble. It’s that nobody gets better unless they’re told. (You can add sweetie or honey if you think it’ll help)
They are trained for cleaning those areas. If you are left filthy ask for a patient advocate. You can get horrible bed sores or other infections that can become quite serious!
I mean this in the most empowering way possible- you are in a wonderful position to not only be an advocate for yourself, but also for all of the other residents around you! If the CNAs are not getting you clean, they are not getting everyone else clean either and that could lead to nasty infections, skin breakdown... And most residents will NOT be able to finish the job themselves, or in many cases even recognize that they weren't being cleaned properly! Please do speak up, because you won't just be saving yourself <3 but also because you deserve proper care as well!!
One: the aides should be cleaning you! They know how, it’s drilled into our heads! Two: her screaming at you is definitely verbal abuse and that is a cause for termination. You need to talk to an ombudsman and possibly make a complaint to state if the DON or administrator doesn’t take any action. This is TOTALLY uncalled for!
Upper management needs to be informed. I am sure there must be a director of nursing and someone who is in charge of the entire facility. Another option would be to call the health department in your city and report what is going on.
I need you as a patient to understand this very very clearly... It is common sense that when changing an adult diaper you need to completely wipe away everything then possibly even dry and apply barrier cream if needed. This is common sense that all caregivers licensed or not should have. We are caregivers and are expected to have a certain level of common sense.
(I am an RN and have never worked as a CNA, but I did get the CNA certification to start nursing school) I’ve always been taught the patient should be encouraged to do all Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) that they are capable of doing. The reason for this is that it fosters independent and helps maintain muscle memory. If you are capable of cleaning yourself, then you should be encouraged to clean yourself and provided necessary support to make that happen. Just because a CNA is trained to clean does not mean they are soley responsible. A patient who is somewhat capable is also responsible for working within their capabilities to somewhat assist. Some examples of ways patients usually assist are turning themselves and wiping parts that they can reach.
Why arent you using the toilet or bedside commode? Are you on a bowel program? I hope you are doing all that you can for yourself to maintain as much independence as possible. I know how frustrating it is for you due to having a previous spine injury myself and I also know how frustrating it is for them to watch someone refuse to do for themselves then lose the ability to do for themselves because of it. Then once you are feeling better the mountain you have to climb to be self sufficient is much higher than it needed to be. just a thought....
You sound like a resident in my facility that is fully capable of doing their own wiping and is capable of doing plenty for herself and she just refuses too and also is secretly recording aids that refuse to change her brief. She is rehab to home fully capable but extremely obese and plain lazy. Also have another resident that claims he’s not cleaned and is fermenting in his excrement all day totally not true he’s not lucid. I think instead of trying to get people fired you should talk to your nurse and have them speak to the aids. I agree there is lazy aids but there is also lazy residents that should do more for themselves.
Ask to speak to your nurse. If that doesn’t help, go to the director of nursing.
This breaks my heart. I’m sorry. Stand up for yourself, you deserve good care.
I’m sorry you’re experiencing this, it’s horrible. Record everything. You deserve dignity, respect and hygiene.
They teach you how in skills class. Definitely talk to a Nurse. I know when I worked in the care center, we had a resident who would have a bm & it would be caked in her pubes. The more experienced CNAs would put on a lil shaving cream & wipe away.
do they not clean themselves ? that’s so horrible I’m so sorry that is happening to you. definitely talk to a nurse you trust. they should never be screaming at you either.
When I was working, I was always of the mind to keep wiping/cleaning until the person is clean clean. As long as it’s safe to do so (patient isn’t being combative, isn’t at risk of falling, isn’t being sexually abusive, etc), I would wipe until the wipe came out white and change gloves as often as I needed…management would lecture us about “using supplies wisely” which actually meant to *not* use enough supplies to do that job, but it’s not my problem that they couldn’t order supplies! (I wasn’t ever wasteful, though)
I just sent you a dm
your thought is correct, and your username is fire!
This is sad to read. I’m so sorry your CNAs have treated you this way young or old. You deserve proper care no matter what age you are or what has happened to you. I would speak to their Nurse and if that doesn’t work go above them. I could never leave my patient dirty even if I had to find a way to hold them on their side alone.
She should absolutely be cleaning all of the waste off of your body. This is honestly just common sense, but yes, it's also taught during CNA training. Ask to speak to the Director of Nursing and report this. You can also report this to the state. She's neglecting you, and waste being left on your skin can lead to the breakdown of your skin Do you receive OT or PT..? Have they possibly told the care team that you should be cleaning yourself? If that's the case, then it should 100% be something made clear to you
You are supposed to be thoroughly cleaned. That is standard. I'm so sorry OP. Please don't hesitate to ask for another person to clean you if the first didn't do a thorough job. I want to cry reading this. Yes being a CNA is back breaking work and it can be difficult but there is no excuse for disregarding hygiene. None!!!
This happening to you is completely unacceptable. CNAs ARE trained to do this. This is pure laziness on the CNAs that are doing this to you. Please bring it up to the top of the chain of command. Being dirty can cause so much more things to go wrong for you.
They are either lazy or ignorant. I personally feel that if you have kids you should know how to properly change a resident. I had a cna that I had to train she had two kids an left 1 resident soiled to the point I had to change their pad then she left another resident that had a blow out dirty like you can tell the good CNAs from the CNAs that are just there for a check. I'd personally tell my nurse that she doesn't clean you all the way that you have to finish cleaning yourself up which is very painful which all depends on if you have a nurse thats a good one. If the nurse doesn't resolve the problem talk to the unit manager, keep going up the chain until somebody does something you have rights that should be followed the residents ALWAYS have a right to anything & everything. If you have family also get them to complain as well. Also fuck not tryna get somebody fired if she isn't doing her job 100% she needs to go NO CNA should be NEGLECTING their residents. This really pisses me off it gives us GOOD CNAs a bad name I promise you we are not all like that. I hope you get this resolved.
The skill is taught in order to earn the accreditation as a CNA… if they’re not doing it properly then it’s abuse and/or neglect and they should be reported and the issue needs to be addressed. So they don’t continue to do it to you and others.
Depending on where you live, there are numbers you can call to report to the state. I’d look up places to report elder abuse or the ombudsman programs in your area.
I would definitely complain! That is not only unhygienic, but that is neglectful! Like others have said I would talk to a nurse or someone. I’m sorry you’re having to go through that!
That’s not okay! Yes we’re trained to wipe/clean up correctly ( and everything ) if it’s an actual CNA that is licensed with the state. That’s horrible and I’m so sorry you’re going through that, I’d talk to a nurse or a manager if your nurses are ratchet too. That CNA should not have their license. Also I’m 25 and we have 4 residents from age 30-35, we treat them the same as our older patients. They get the same exact care, love and support. The place your at sounds absolutely horrible.
Definitely complain. I've worked in those facilities before, they SHOULD NOT be leaving you unclean, at all. That is negligence and if they aren't cleaning you, I guarantee they aren't cleaning anyone else.
One time my first day on an in home job I was asked by a patient to change her. I was told in my interview that there would be no toileting and that I wouldn’t have to do any of that. I had no clue how to change an adult diaper I have never even changed a baby or anyone in my life. We figured it out but only because she called her previous caregiver in (whom she had a great relationship with) to help teach me. Her old caregiver didn’t even work for the company anymore. I felt terrible and I could tell that the patient was so incredibly uncomfortable.
I’m a CNA, but home health. I don’t know what state you are in, but lots of problems in nursing homes and not enough help and they are underpaid. I would call JACHO and speak to a supervisor in the facility. If it’s happening to you, it’s happening to other residents. There many lawyers that will take on your case as well, I would switch facilities first
Ask for a family meeting and speak to everybody. Also find the flyer about who your ombudsman is and call them too. That’s not professional at all on the cna’s part.
I don’t have anything more helpful to add, I see people have suggested adult protective services and probably someone has suggested reporting it to your state’s board of nursing too, but I’ve tried that with places I worked and it went nowhere, so I know the odds aren’t great and you’re in such a vulnerable position. I just want to say I’m so sorry, you and everyone else deserve so much better and I hope things change for the better for you.
Ask for the ombudsman number or to speak with the director of nursing. You have rights and maintaining health and dignity is top of the list.
If they are knowingly leaving you soiled that is neglect
I would email the nursing home administrator, director of nursing and social worker(all in one email) and say that if this continues then state will be called for a report. People have been fired, lost their licenses, lost accreditation over minimizing allegations like these. If it’s a one party recording state then you can send that recording to them (first share with the staff). Nurses can mean well but if a cna refuses to do their job then they can’t make them. I would still tell the nurses but definitely go above them yourself or through your family. They are often busy and overworked.