Surgery update - Fired the Home Health Agency yesterday

[RobNDenver]

Interesting events. Home Health RN showed up 90 minutes late, and rushed into the house. Wanted to know all about my "cabbage" had no idea that I had AVR. . . . Her clothes were filthy, with stains on her scrups and spots of brown stains around the neckline of the T-Shirt under it. I was cringing, when she dug around the bottom of here bag, finally found a thermometer sheath and took my temp. Never put on gloves to look at my wounds and before I could say anything, she whipped out her stethoscope from the bottom of said bag and placed right next to my incision.

She wanted to gather an H&P, didn't want to know about my activity level or what I needed health with. . . spent a lot of time on a form called an "OASIS" Anybody know that is? Should I push to get them to destroy this personal information??

She also wanted to know a great deal about what advance directives I had and what they covered. . .No hospitalization? DNR? Sharon and I just looked at each other and politely got her out of the house. I cleaned my chest with antiseptic soap and called the case managers and the Doc.

The new agency, had their office manager call, and about 7 pm last night the new Home RN, who was a Cardiac nurse in Wisconsin called to check on me, make certain that I knew here phone numbers and on call routine and has called twice this morning to update me on her ETA since she is waiting for one more order . . .

Anyway, really stressful start to the home care experience. . . . with a much better begininning today.

 

[zipper2]

Omgoodness i'm so sorry bout the way your
homecare started and the result of her unprofessional
duties.
GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!! honestly enough germs to worry
about and i cringe at her work habits....omg

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[marie]

I'm sorry to hear about your horrible experience. If someone recommended this agency to you maybe you should call them as well and let them know of your experience.

Good luck with the new agency and keep us posted.

 

[escargome]

Jeepers, so sorry to hear of your experience. You should call whomever owns/runs that Home Health Agency and discuss your experience. Also, is there a state agency that oversees Home Health Care? In Calif. there is and when I had a truly horrible experience with a Home Health Agency earlier this year, I wrote a complaint letter to them. It may not put them out of business, but with enough people telling them of their situations, maybe something could be done. Glad to hear you got better treatment from the new agency.

 

[Nancy]

Sounds so unprofessional that your state health dept. should know about this.

Good for you firing the SOBs.

You don't need to catch something from the home health aide.

 

[Bina]

Rob, good thing that you got her out of your house, that was unacceptable!
I had 2 different home care nurses over 6 weeks and they were great. My husband was scared of my slightly infected wound and they cared for it properly. Afterwards, I made sure to send a donation to the nursing agency in appreciation.

 

[Ana]

Oh Rob, that sounds horrendous.

I am so sorry that you had to have that experience - after everything the docs and nurses school you on how to keep your incision clean and safe from infection, I can't believe that happened to you. Eeeeep. Good thing you called the doctor's office and made those changes.

On the other hand, you sound rather energized - always good to see after OHS.

 

[Mary]

Rob,
I'm glad to read that you took action. Perhaps your call will prevent the next unfortunate soul from having to deal with such unprofessional conduct and care.

 

[hall]

Yuk! Glad to hear you got rid of her Good luck to you.

 

[WayneGM]

Sorry to hear of your experience. Totally unacceptable! Good luck with the new agency.

 

[hensylee]

Interesting events. Home Health RN showed up 90 minutes late, and rushed into the house. Wanted to know all about my "cabbage" had no idea that I had AVR. . . . Her clothes were filthy, with stains on her scrups and spots of brown stains around the neckline of the T-Shirt under it. I was cringing, when she dug around the bottom of here bag, finally found a thermometer sheath and took my temp. Never put on gloves to look at my wounds and before I could say anything, she whipped out her stethoscope from the bottom of said bag and placed right next to my incision.

She wanted to gather an H&P, didn't want to know about my activity level or what I needed health with. . . spent a lot of time on a form called an "OASIS" Anybody know that is? Should I push to get them to destroy this personal information??

She also wanted to know a great deal about what advance directives I had and what they covered. . .No hospitalization? DNR? Sharon and I just looked at each other and politely got her out of the house. I cleaned my chest with antiseptic soap and called the case managers and the Doc.

The new agency, had their office manager call, and about 7 pm last night the new Home RN, who was a Cardiac nurse in Wisconsin called to check on me, make certain that I knew here phone numbers and on call routine and has called twice this morning to update me on her ETA since she is waiting for one more order . . .

Anyway, really stressful start to the home care experience. . . . with a much better begininning today.

my cousin is cared for by Hospice. He lives in a rural area. He complains of the same things you speak of. That is just horrible. Cousin complains all the time about carelessness, lack of proper care and ignorance of staff. His dr is head of the Hospice group and his best personal friend, along with all her doctoring office going on, too, and she is appalled but says how hard it is to get decent help.

 

[RobNDenver]

On High Horse:

Well, I am going to take it one step further. I plan to call the offending Home Health agencies director of clinical services and relay my concerns. I am also going to suggest that she make sure that CIGNA not get a bill for this and that her agency destroy the personal collected on the OASIS form. In exchange, I will not report this incident to the CDOH, or file a grievance with the Colorado State Board of Nursing if the agency will agree to handle it. If I get an ounce of pushback, I will politely, firmly and accurately report the circumstances of this incident everyone who has any regulatory impact and make certain that CIGNA's clinical and UR team members know how risky these folks are.

I have now had two visits from the new agency nurse who is as different as night and day. It doesn't have to be the way the first agency made it, and frankly, it's probably much worse for some home health patients that don't have any resources or context. Imagine if I were just some little old guy, dependent on these people without any alternatives.

Off High Horse. . . .

 

[escargome]

On High Horse:

Well, I am going to take it one step further. I plan to call the offending Home Health agencies director of clinical services and relay my concerns. I am also going to suggest that she make sure that CIGNA not get a bill for this and that her agency destroy the personal collected on the OASIS form. In exchange, I will not report this incident to the CDOH, or file a grievance with the Colorado State Board of Nursing if the agency will agree to handle it. If I get an ounce of pushback, I will politely, firmly and accurately report the circumstances of this incident everyone who has any regulatory impact and make certain that CIGNA's clinical and UR team members know how risky these folks are.

I have now had two visits from the new agency nurse who is as different as night and day. It doesn't have to be the way the first agency made it, and frankly, it's probably much worse for some home health patients that don't have any resources or context. Imagine if I were just some little old guy, dependent on these people without any alternatives.

Off High Horse. . . .

Good for you. When I had a crummy Home Health experience I thought the same thing. They take advantage of those people who are the most dependent. Thank goodness for folks like you and others who won't accept this type of behavior and report it to whomever will listen.

 

[netmiff]

I just love it when people like you fire the people who are supposed to be helping them. Suppose you had been some wee old lady and had just accepted this as what happened . . . yell as loud as you can, and then yell again for all the wee old ladies who can't yell for themselves.

 

[WilliamJE]

I got pissed with the Home Health Agency last week. My primary care doctor gave me a prescription for physical therapy for my right hand. I've had numbness in it since surgery.

The HHA was told about my prescription on Monday. 48 hours later I was still waiting to learn when a therapist would come to the house. My wife wasn't home, so I raised hell over the phone. The nurse who was supposed to come that day too was running over an hour late. What was the holdup over the PT? They needed a faxed copy of the prescription. Well if they told me that from the start of that need, I could have done it ASAP. My home office has a fax machine.

 

[skeptic49]

Go get 'em, Bill! It's a shame you have to be so proactive, but that old "squeaky wheel" saying is applicable.

Jim

 

[WilliamJE]

Go get 'em, Bill! It's a shame you have to be so proactive, but that old "squeaky wheel" saying is applicable.

Jim

Jim,

I threatened the HHA with my Knucklehead of the Day award that I post at several blogs that I contribute to. One of which gets over 10,000 readers a day, another where posts rank up very high on google search pages. The threat of bad online publicity could have had something to do with the sudden turnaround.

Bill

 

[skeptic49]

The threat of bad online publicity could have had something to do with the sudden turnaround.

Bill

I'll bet it did! My other half writes reviews for a newspaper. IF we get shoddy service at a resturant he tells the Maitre'D about his job and then they hop to it!

Jim

 

[WilliamJE]

I'll bet it did! My other half writes reviews for a newspaper. IF we get shoddy service at a resturant he tells the Maitre'D about his job and then they hop to it!

Jim

A few months ago a doctor of mine cancelled an appt. of mine at the very last minute. The office calling me up around 130-200 to say the doctor couldn't see me at 4. On the other hand I was told I could come in right away. The problem was- Me and the wife only have one car and my coming in right away was out of the question.

I was pissed to say the least about the last minute cancellation. If they had called me as little as 90 minutes before, I could have made other arrangements. Also the appointment which fell on my wedding anniversary, made me and my wife alter our plans. Us celebrating it the day before instead. Then throw in the doctor didn't have another appointment for me till June 25th, almost 4 weeks after my original was.(May 30th) So I wrote the doctor's office up as my Knucklehead of the Day, and faxed them a copy and supplied the link.

Guess what? The doctor called on Monday. Still angry I hung up on him. I got a letter two days later. He explaining there was a medical emergency he had to attend to. I think its BS, if he had an emergency, why did his office worker ask if I could come in right away. He's either there or he isn't. Sounds more like a doctor canceling Friday afternoon appointments in order to leave early for the weekend. What do you think?

BTW I didn't go back to this particular doctor. Eye doctors are a dime a dozen down here.

 

[skeptic49]

​

Sounds more like a doctor canceling Friday afternoon appointments in order to leave early for the weekend. What do you think?

BTW I didn't go back to this particular doctor. Eye doctors are a dime a dozen down here.

Yea, I think he got a call from his golf buddies, Bill

Jim