Kicking The Rails
Our crazy homeless guy has been going through fifteen thousand dollar beds like Kleenex. He entertains himself mainly by kicking the side rails. Even with his ankles tied down by leather restraints, he can still kick the rails. There are just so many kicks a rail can take before it breaks off.
I happened to be around when he broke bed number six. When the side rail broke, he ended up dangling from the bed upside down with his chin and upper chest on the floor. It was tempting to just leave him that way. His sitter was just sitting in her chair looking at him, not moving a muscle. The other nurses just came, looked at him and rolled their eyes. As much as I hated to do it, I had to free him. Released from his restraints, he slid to the floor.
Later, the lift team got him back in bed, but I'm not sure why we bother. Since this happened, he has broken his seventh bed.
This is costing us a lot of money. It seems that it would make more sense to just leave him on the floor. Our beds would be safe. He also wouldn't need a sitter or restraints to keep him in bed, which doesn't work anyway. Despite everything, he still falls almost everyday.
If we just left him on the cold, hard floor, he would be fine. He might try to drag himself across the floor, but he couldn't get far. Every once in awhile, we could just grab a leg and drag him back into his room. That sounds like a reasonable solution to our problem. Do you have a better idea?
Written by Melissa on 12:41 AM
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Melissa blogging from sunny Santa Clarita, Southern California, United States.
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9 Comments:
Maybe he will put himself out of his misery soon.
Sounds like he would benefit from from a nice IV drip of propofol :)
"Floor beds" are used regularly at my hospital. We just toss a mattress on the floor and viola....the confused, combative patient is a bit more safe and we don't have to worry about him or her falling or getting hung up on the rails.
I work in a pediatric rehabilitation hospital, so we have kids/teenagers coming out of comas and head injuries who go through the "combative, non-purposeful, never-ending movement" phase. Fortunately, there is usually a light at the end of the tunnel for us....don't know what's going to come of your homeless guy. Mattress on the floor sounds good for now, though!
Euthanaise :o)
Don't you guys have a psych ward? No wait, that IS your ward, right? It sure seems like it, anyway.
I wonder if he knows he is creating a problem. I think he does. I must say that I have no ideas. None that I can mention, that is.
I like YOUR idea!
Anon, we would have to leave some things to help him near his bed. That could be arranged, I suppose.
Sarah, would that show up in an autopsy?
Anon, I really like the idea of floor beds. My coworkers think it would be illegal, but I disgree. He would still be in a bed, it would just be closer to the floor.
Michelle, would you help defend me in court?
Connie, we don't have a psych ward. We have a contract with another hospital to provide psych care, which may be one reason why psychos are rarely transferred. It's expensive.
Gary, I think that he wants to be a lot of trouble, kind of like three year olds do.
Lisa, too bad that no one go along with my idea.
Sure,between the 2 of us we couldn't go wrong! i have the perfect way to dispose of the body too :o)
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