More Things Your Nurse Won't Tell You: Spring Fever in LTC Edition

I could have written this.We have love in the air and the images are ,,, evocative. Of what, I don't know.We had a really beautiful day my last weekend on and I herded everyone OUTSIDE. I have non-responsive people in geri-chairs respond when I asked if they wanted to go out. They sat in the sun like cats drinking it in.

We had one 70-degree day last week, and I did the same thing---got the aides and activity people to take as many people outside as wanted to go. Most of 'em did (and it gave me a great excuse to go out for a few minutes myself). I swear, they ate better and went to sleep earlier than they have in months......what a difference a little spring air makes!

We have a beautiful patio - with a lovely mural painted on the wall and trees and plants and now flowers . . . but you have to walk through the smoker's area to get there . . . I love your sense of humor Marla - and Sue, I did smile reading your post about taking the elders outside for a while. My in-laws do the weekly church service in our LTC - but they don't caterwaul. steph

Glad to hear that, Steph.......do you think they'd want to come up I-5 once a week and sing for the folks here? God love 'em, this little group sings their hearts out, and since they are all well north of 70, their voices aren't exactly what they might have been. But I, being constitutionally unable to endure off-key musical efforts without breaking into hysterical laughter, am in constant torment because I have to keep such a tight lid on it during their performances. I mean, it's BAD: there's this one woman who sounds like Bjork on meth, she hits those high notes about two seconds before the rest of the group and then her voice quavers haltingly in the air long after they've moved on. The others aren't quite so awful, although a couple of the guys tend to bugle like a pair of bull elk when they really get into a song (you oughta hear 'em on the chorus of "How Great Thou Art").Fortunately, there's a group of Eucharistic ministers who do a service on Thursdays, and they are so good I often find myself singing along (not that I can carry a tune in a wheelbarrow either) and thrilling to the Catholic hymns I've loved for years. And I don't even snicker.

Thank you for your funny and very honest description of what we'd all like to say sometimes. I'm glad to see there are some geriatric nurses in the crowd. One of our nurses told me the following: A resident in one of our dining rooms started to choke. A lady yelled across the room-"She's choking, she's choking!" The young nurse went to assess and assist, and all the residents yelled, "put her arms in the air!"

Quote from VivaLasViejasGlad to hear that, Steph.......do you think they'd want to come up I-5 once a week and sing for the folks here? God love 'em, this little group sings their hearts out, and since they are all well north of 70, their voices aren't exactly what they might have been. But I, being constitutionally unable to endure off-key musical efforts without breaking into hysterical laughter, am in constant torment because I have to keep such a tight lid on it during their performances. I mean, it's BAD: there's this one woman who sounds like Bjork on meth, she hits those high notes about two seconds before the rest of the group and then her voice quavers haltingly in the air long after they've moved on. The others aren't quite so awful, although a couple of the guys tend to bugle like a pair of bull elk when they really get into a song (you oughta hear 'em on the chorus of "How Great Thou Art").Fortunately, there's a group of Eucharistic ministers who do a service on Thursdays, and they are so good I often find myself singing along (not that I can carry a tune in a wheelbarrow either) and thrilling to the Catholic hymns I've loved for years. And I don't even snicker.

All I can say is thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all of you awesome LTC nurses. I could NEVER work in a nursing home, and I am so grateful for those of you who do and make them better places every day for these residents by bringing (literally!) a ray of sunshine into their lives.

Quote from carlanocnurseThank you for your funny and very honest description of what we'd all like to say sometimes. I'm glad to see there are some geriatric nurses in the crowd. One of our nurses told me the following: A resident in one of our dining rooms started to choke. A lady yelled across the room-"She's choking, she's choking!" The young nurse went to assess and assist, and all the residents yelled, "put her arms in the air!"

I have noticed the same thing on my unit the past few weeks.I want to perform a cleansing ceremony and burn some dried sage or something.It's bad karma all over the place. We had several family members make arrangements to take their loved ones out for Easter dinner today and they all asked that we not allow their s/o's to eat prior "because then she won't eat when I get her home" So-we cancelled their lunch trays and then every single family was 45 mins to an hour and a half late! I informed each and every one that we would no longer hold their meals because they were all in a tizzy.It caused so much upset among the little old half confused gals.Never again!

Well done for making the brutal truth sound so funny!

Thank you so much for this thread. I'm a new nurse and my career has begun in a LTC. I've only been there for a month now but even so I have felt so overwhelmed with some of my residents, families, and even co-workers. There is those that I would love to tell excatly what I am thinking but bite my tongue, smile and go on.

Well written