You call yourself a professional?

[Pandora]

Update:

Hubbys home health nurse came today (we just love, love, love her!) I told her what happened and that I needed the home office number. She said sure and asked why, I told her. She took out her cell phone and called the office and let them know the PT was not to come back out and left a message for her (the PT's) boss, telling him everything that had happened. With in moments, the guy calls back. He stated that there would be another PT ASAP, this was going to be addressed and that is not they feel at all tword him, and even if it was it would have been brought up by a social worker to me alone, not a PT. Got a call from the director of the home health saying how sorry she was and that the PT was way out of line and this was not the way we should have been treated. She then told me the PT was put on leave until they could handel this and we may be contacted by a third party to go over what happened. I am guessing they are covering their butt so they can fire her. I feel bad she may lose her job, but hey don't treat us that way. If you don't know what your doing.. maybe home health isn't for you. More on the story when it developes. ... TBC

 

[valg]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience - hopefully the new one will be better.

Must say we have a lovely PT - only qualified just under 2 yrs ago but very competent and has such a bubbly personality. She comes three times a week and he enjoys her visits. I come home from work and she is chatting and laughing with him and the nurse - well he isnt chatting but has a big smile on his face. She always takes the time to understand what he is trying to say. Never in a rush.

 

[VoiceforLinda]

Pandora,
Wow unbelievable what has happened to you and your dear husband. So good to read that the agency has their act together and are attempting to make this right. Hopefully this won't happen to anyone else. Tough thing to go through. You both are in my thoughts and prayers.
Blessings,
Linda

 

[sya15]

Hi Pandora, I am a PT. First of all I would never have discussed what she did infront of your husband. I don't know what the medical status of your husband is at present time. Is he still able to transfer himself? I think the PT handle it the wrong way. I work in a nursing home with pts who come in for short term rehab and do become longterm. Sometimes I do need to tell the family that there love ones care may be too much for them to handle. For ex if they need a lift to get out of bed, cant feed dress themselves. It is really hard for one individual to care for someone who needs alot of care. You need to worry about skin breakdown wounds etc. However if care giver has the right equipment, home is set up appropiately for pts needs and support then I believe they should stay in their own home around loved ones. I understand what the PT was trying to say it is difficult not only physically but emotionally for a caregiver to take care of someone who is totally dependent. I think she was just trying to let you know how difficukt it maybe but she did it the wrong way. I know I would want to care for my husband no matter what! She should never have talked like that infront of him. One should always give a pt. a positve outlook and try everything to keep their functional independence. I would never have done what she did. Not all PTs are like that! We really care about our pts. Thats why we are in this field. Hopefully you don't think negatively about all of us. I wish you and your husband the best!

 

[Katie C]

From my experience: stay out of the way of an angry case nurse with a cell phone! Good for you for following through!

 

[HelenL]

I feel lucky that my SIL is an occupational therapist, and is one of the bubbly personalities, but a taskmaster as well! When the time comes for me to be in bed, she's going to be running the show, not my hubby who is clueless!

I'm sorry if someone gets fired, but they shouldn't be doing this work if they don't have a clue about patient relationships! Even if she felt she had to say what she said (which to me was way out of line to begin with!), it should have been done respectfully, and away from the patient! No excuse for that.

 

[tammyg]

Definitly let the service know. This was our experience with a PT: She phoned to speak with me about Glen's needs. She was quite taken aback when she heard that not only was he not wheelchair bound, he did not use a walker or even a cane. After a few more questions, she asked me (fairly sarcastically) "Well why is he on hospice!?" It happened that our case nurse was due to stop by about an hour later. As soon as she arrived I told her about the PT. She asked me the PT's name, and rolled her eyes when I told her. She IMMEDIATELY pulled out her cell phone, called the program director and said she didn't want this person assigned to any more of her patients, and that the director should take a careful look because the PT did not have the appropriate attitude to be part of the hospice program! Speaking to the powers that be CAN work!

I think it is clear she should find another profession. Maybe she needs to take a course where you learn to deal with people. I think she has already got a dimploma in all the moron courses. I cannot even imagine where she was coming from, going around ruining your day like that. Your poor husband.

 

[sya15]

Katie c. I read your post above about your husband being on hospice. I do have to ask if he still is pretty much functional independent then I am wondering why he is on hospice.( i think thats what the PT was wondering too) I think hospice is a geat support system don't misunderstand me. However we don't recommend hospice if our pt. is pretty much functional. If a pt. is on hospice its hard to get some services they may need. For ex. you said your husband is not WC bound however if there is a time when he'll need a custom WC we can't get it unless you private pay. I usually have to take a pt. off hospice so insurance would cover the WC.

 

[brooksea]

Katie's husband died over a year ago, sya15. He also had dementia. Just because you are walking does not mean you are functional and independent. I am looking into hospice for my husband. The only thing he CAN do is walk, very precariously. He cannot "talk," barely is able to swallow, cannot raise his arms, has lost motor function in his hands and is basically a walking skeleton (he may even have a bit of dementia).

Don't mean to be harsh, but you might want to look into the affects of this disease as it ravages each pALS differently.

 

[Katie C]

Thank you CJ... I think you pretty much covered it! The most important think, which I will repeat so that we're sure sya sees it: being able to walk does not mean being functional. As Glen's psychiatrist put it, he needed 24/7 surveillance (her word, not mine.) His doctor ordered hospice as much because he was worried about ME as he was worried about Glen. There are many things that go into making a person functional.

 

[sya15]

i know that i work with dementia pts. that can ambulate and thats about it. you didnot understand at all what i said. "i said if they are functionally independent then they shouldn't be on hospice. so sorry for your loss

 

[brooksea]

Y'all need to familiarize yourselves with forum members, as hard as it may be. Some cALS have lost their pALS and still stick around for US. So, try to read their past posts, to see what their situation is before commenting.

 

[Katie C]

Don't want to beat this to death but I do want to clarify one point... if a physical therapist has been assigned to someone on hospice, that someone has already been recommended for hospice by their primary physician or oncologist or neurologist or insert "ologist" here. They have been interviewed extensively by the hospice intake person. They are already ON hospice. I can see no legitimate reason why a PT would ask a patient or that patient's caregiver WHY that person is on hospice... that's just not really their job.

 

[sya15]

Sometimes we do because we want to get services or equipment for our pts.( that would give them a better quality of life) and we can't if they are on hospice. If a pt is on hospice physical therapy can't come in. I can't treat a pt once on hospice. So what was this PT doing? Like i said I think hospice is a great service. I'm sorry for being ignorant and not knowing your husband passed. Truly am sorry!

 

[Katie C]

See...that's the thing.... the way Kaiser hospice works is that they WERE going to have a physical therapist come in. The particular physical therapist WAS part of their hospice department. Different hospices work different ways and have different rules. I know this because my mother and Glen were on hospice at the same time through different sources. So in our case we WERE on hospice and the hospice provided physical therapist asked why we were on hospice if he wasn't wheelchair confined. And my point stands that if someone has been referred to hospice, interviewed by the intake person and judged appropriate for hospice, it is not for a home health aide or physical therapist or anyone else to ask the patient or caregiver what that person is doing on hospice!