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Just a thought... this just popped into my mind out of no where.... when it comes to unions, there are pros and cons.... now I am thinking too bad those of use who are free caregivers [either hands-on or logical] that we can't have a union.

A set number of hours for the type of work you are doing as a caregiver. A limit as to how much weight you can lift.... a break for 10 minutes every hour or two.... temperature inside set at 75 or less.

That we are allowed unlimited number of laying our ears back when something isn't going right.... we can get free helmets.... and clean blankets for our forts [those who have been on this forum for some time will understand those requests].

Now, let's vote for our union steward.
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Jude is the obvious choice for union steward, don't you all think?

Hearing all your stories about E R visits brings back bad memories, I tell ya.

The last visit I made to the E R with Mom turned out to be her last unfortunately.She never made it out of the hospital. But I digress......I remember when the nursing home phoned me to tell me they were rushing her there. The first doctor I spoke to said I think your Mom is passing. Fast forward a couple hours later after my siblings all rushed there thinking this is it. I asked the doctor in question "Do you still say she is going to pass" He says" Who knows, hell I could pass tonight, nobody knows" Oh how sensitive and compassionate of you I was tempted to say.

I'm sorry for you Susan, Shilo, and Hope. Please don't let doctors and the like undermine you. You are all going above and beyond.
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Popped in to see dad after work as I got a call from a cousin and her mom and dad (dads brother who he remembers) are coming for a visit.
He had a stretchy bandage on his arm- a skin tear from a table.
But then the nurse talked to me.
Dad who is very quiet and mellow got real aggressive this afternoon.
Yelling and waving his arms he wanted everyone out of "this prison". On and on , couldn't distract. The activity director took him outside to try to calm him down and the nurse said they were afraid he wouldn't come back in but he did.
Gave him a lorazepam and he took a nap was was ok. But in his arm waving he smacked the nurse under her chin by accident.
I'm of course horrified this. Months ago when he first moved in he said he was in prison. Maybe because the doors are secured with a keypad.
Not sure if this is a new development or a one time event.
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I vote for ff to be our leader. But there's a big risk in that. You know that union leaders have a long history of getting shot down here in the south. Tread lightely, ff. There's danger about.
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So much is going on for everyone and I hope tomorrow is a better day for everyone.
Susan, I hope your Mom can get some medication to help her breathe better and keep her oxygen levels steady. A catheter makes things easier for me with Mom and she hasn't had an infection since I have been giving her cranberry juice 3x a day.
Gershun, if a doctor said this to me under the same circumstances I might be tempted to tell him that I wish he would pass in the night too so that I could get my Mom a better doctor!!! Grrr...some of these doctors think they are God. Usually their bad Karma comes back to them someday somehow... As for the mammograms...I am always irrationally worried that while stuck in the smashing machine that the fire alarm will go off and the tech will run out and leave me there.
Jeanette, could your leg cramping be caused by dehydration? I was getting this and upped my water intake and started taking one potassium pill a day when I don't eat bananas.
I hope for everyone on here that tomorrow is a better day. I am sad today as my best friend's Mom died...I have known them for 45 years and they live in another state. I planted some flowers in my garden today for everyone that has lost a parent this past year and for all of you on here as well.
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I had my mamo done yesterday. all good. But I have also had to have a second one.. very scarey! But such an important test..
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Jeanette, I will add to Katie's statement about causes of leg cramps which you may already know. Dehydration, low potassium or not enough calcium and too much tea are all causes of leg cramps. Darn the FDA for taking quinine of the approved drug list for leg cramps. My mother uses an OTC supplement called 'Leg Cramps' made by Hylands to help with her leg cramps. She has gotten them so severe she could not walk. (she was walking using a walker until this past December) There is the tinniest amount of quinine in 'Leg Cramps'.
The company Hylands also makes a supplement for restless legs but we never tried it so I can not say anything about that product.
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Shilo if quinine is good for leg cramps that's the best excuse I've ever heard for a gin and tonic!
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Yes! I second Jude as union steward
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The heat is really doing a number on me and today was close to investable. I got out early and got my yard stuff done and it heats up fast. I finally got my laptop to the computer gurus so I'm hoping it is fixable. Mama has not been very alert today so that always makes for a blue day.i shouldn't be whining today. .everyone else's concerns are much more immediate. ..i hope all your loved ones are he
Better. ..i am going to try to get a good night's sleep and hopefully get beyond this meh feeling .
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Unbearable..not investable
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Finally back home to snatch a few hours of sleep before I get up and get some client work done before trundling back off to the hospital. El Stupido ER doc went off shift and another came on who was MUCH more amenable to keeping mom overnight - but not before I actually overheard El Stupido ER doc ARGUING with the new doc in the hallway over how long he was taking to meet him to get his report and also over how my mother didn't need to stay overnight - that
"all she's doing is sitting there on lasix, she can do that at home!" What a complete a**hole that guy is. He is the one that wanted to pump mom full of lasix and just send her home for me to deal with. Nice. I'm not a doctor, I don't have a catheter at home, and I'm not superwoman - I can't stay up and awake 24/7 to make sure she doesn't fall during the myriad trips she'll have to make to the bathroom since you put her on a huge dose of lasix. His response? Get her a bedside commode. That hardly solves the problem.

New doc listened to my concerns about Mom being at home on a large dose of lasix and called her regular doc, who advised admitting her at least overnight so they could get that fluid off her chest and monitor her while they were doing it. FINALLY. Someone who listens! I was SO irritated at the other doc. I'm going to get the name of that doc and file a complaint with the hospital - his treatment of patients is bordering on dangerous.

Got mom to her hospital room and settled in there, answered the nurse's questions and came home - more than 6 hours after we got to the hospital. Sooo tired.
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Susan enjoy a good nights sleep!!
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Susan so glad you persisted and finally got the job done. Hope mom is feeling better this morning. If they want to keep her another day don't fight it. All that fluid loss may have screwed up her electrolytes. You could use another nights sleep too. Well done you! Gold stars +++++++++++
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Jude for Steward - no s**t in this Union
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Susan you are completely wrong Im afraid to say., The ER doc el stupido is definitely not a complete arsehole ---for they have a use!!!!! Now a partial one is no use to man or beast!!!

Im not as brave in person Veronica hun although I would have made a great shop steward I can fight everyone else's battles

JessieBelle I dont care if I get shot as long as they make sure its a full on job ....kill me or let me say my piece!!!! I've never ever felt life was that important it's quality of life that's important FOR ME (note people ONLY FOR ME not TO ME before you all start shouting)

Pam I have to have two mammograms every time I go cos me breast wont fit on the darn plates in a one - what's that about one asks

As for my whine moment - yesterday I attended the third of my training- now there bits that were interesting like 13% of fires come from washing machines and 12% from refrigerators and how smoking related fires were on the decline except with drug users and drunks (I guess I wasn't supposed to snigger to myself on that one) and to keep a mobile phone by your bed because it's the only one that will work if there's a fire.

Now to the rest
Well the social worker drivelled on about how wonderful they were - I wasn't allowed to challenge
She drivelled on about how elderly people often want to stay in a care home after being in respite for 2 weeks - Bollo^&*
How they valued carers - double Bollo^&*
How they were trained to conduct capacity assessments (so why do we effing pay doctors and consultants then and why wouldn't your decision be valid in court - they didnt allow her to answer that question either)
How they have a quick response (why then do I need to book an OT visit 3 months in advance of needing it - not allowed to answer that one either)
Definition of abuse - incorrect - not allowed to challenge - persisted on this one - not allowed to challenge.....Then dear sweet man next to me said....if we can't ask the person who is supposed to know questions what is the bloody point of us being here.....he then turned to me and said what do YOU think abuse is? Well says me now royally angry they haven't included cultural and religious abuse in there and these are really important. Giving someone who is Jewish pork for example or non kosher food, or not getting a minister (of whatever religion or by whatever title they use) to see my relative would be awful for my mum she would be really distressed by it.

Well yes pipes up the social workers bodyguard - that's obvious - oh really then why is it a constant source of irritation for many people who have relatives in care homes.

I HATE SOCIAL WORKERS TELLING ME WHAT I ALREADY KNOW
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OK just a question for you all why is it that a blinking clean commode pot make mum behave like Pavlov's dogs...no no she doesn't salivate but she does ALWAYS seem to want a poo as soon as I bring down a CLEAN ONE and have forgotten to insert a piece of toilet tissue ( I probably am speaking to the converted here but when I clean the commode and put the disinfectant in I try to remember to always put a clean toilet tissue in the bottom - then if mum does need a poo it doesn't stick - bit gross I know but possibly worth mentioning)
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Hmm my cats seem to want to do similar with just cleaned litter boxes.
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My husband does the same with a clean toilet bowl! Lol
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"Often" want to stay in a care home after respite indeed! They wish! "I had such a wonderful time I couldn't wait to be back for good - !" Yeah right. My mother practically held her breath until it was time to go home, and I don't know why I ever dreamed it might be otherwise.
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Mom is doing a little better with her breathing today, but she's very, very tired. Still seems to be laboring to breathe a bit, and the nurse detected some crackling in her lungs this morning, so they're monitoring that to be sure she's not developing pneumonia. She doesn't have any other symptoms of it, so they're getting her to do some deep breathing and coughing to see if it clears, because laying in the hospital bed all yesterday afternoon and last night could have led to just some "gunk" in her lungs from the fluid in there. I went over this morning, but had to come back home in order to work - their internet is too slow there for me to accomplish anything at all. I'm facing some major deadlines today and am really hoping I can hit them and still get back over to the hospital later today. The nurse this morning said mom absolutely is not going home today, so I'm not concerned about having to leap up and go pick her up, but will go back later tonight to see her. I'm calling every few hours to check on her and get an update from the nurse. I hate leaving her there alone, but I have to maintain my work or we'll be sunk financially.
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I must add, too - Mom seems different today - I mean, she's tired and I definitely understand that. But this seems to be a different kind of tired and it worries me a bit. Almost like she's kind of turned the corner a bit and slipped further downhill.
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(((Susan))) I so hope they get to the bottom of what's going on with your mom! I'm worried wayyyyy over here so I can only imagine what you're going through!

Jude... el stupido? LOLOLOL I love your sense of humor! As far as the commode thing goes, well... err, as soon as I pick up dog poo in the yard guess who trots right out and poo's? No, not me ;) quite the phenomenon.

I used to take quinine for my RLS. Worked wonders too. Tried drinking tonic water but it's soooo bitter I kept adding more Vodka to it, gotta love the strawberry/lemonade flavor ;) I will look for some of the Hyland's stuff today because there is not many things higher on my list of annoyance than the feeling of restless legs. Yeegads ... makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Anybody catch Obama and the heckler? he can be quite funny at times.
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Does anyone know where I can find the policy on what links we are allowed to post? I found one written by a MD about caregiving for advanced dementia patients who are in facilities. It's very good, but didn't want to post it without confirming it's okay. I wasn't sure where to ask about this. Thanks.
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It cannot be a .com website. Only .org or .gov are permitted, and sometimes those will be changed so do not always work. What you can do is tell us what terms to search using google.
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Thanks a lot.
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Susan, Could they have given your mom something to help her sleep or calm her last night? Sometimes patients are given meds to help them sleep or calm them and it carries over into the next day making the person more tired/sleepy.
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or alternatively you could be really naughty and type dot com!
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Jude, that would make it too easy for everyone!
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tee hee Im all for too easy after the day I have had.....all set to buy and now the seller has pulled out because another estate agent (realtor) has acted unethically - gonna let the 2 companies sort it out. They said I could offer more - as I told them I dont play games sod off oh and I hope he drops the price at the end!!!!
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