Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nursing

Help me help her

yawper — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:39:54 -0800

How to help an elderly family friend with homecare, meals, transportation and other general stuff? What services are available in Ontario, Canada and how best do I navigate them? A close family friend is in need of help. Mary is elderly (86) and lives with her husband (95). They have virtually no family to help them, and she is doing everything herself. She's got osteoporosis and a bad back (along with the other issues that tend to accompany old age). Her husband is worse off. He had been battling a bad cough for a couple weeks and recently ended up in the hospital for 5 days. He's been home now for a week and a half and improving, but Mary is in a desperate situation...caring for him all alone.

There are a few issues I want to help her with. We are in Ontario, Canada.

- Home care for her husband. He is a veteran so entitled to some benefits. She’s been in contact with someone from the veterans’ affairs office, but it seems like a long process to get something concrete established. Does anyone have any advice on getting through this process quickly?

- Home help for Mary. She has difficulty doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. I will be calling CCAC this afternoon to find out what public services she might be entitled to. Can anyone tell me what I can expect? Services provided, frequency of visits, etc.

- Meals. Her husband is entitled to Meals on Wheels though his veteran's benefits, but Mary is not. Do you know of any other services that might help them in this regard?

- Transportation. Her 95-year-old husband still drives them to doctor’s appointments. Are there services for this?

Lastly, what can I physically and financially do to help her? She has always been very proud and independent and hates to ask for help, but is incredibly grateful when she gets it. I live 1.5 hours away from her so I can visit her about once a month for a whole day. Besides doing her groceries, cleaning up the house, cooking for her, and leaving her with gift cards for groceries and gas, what other little things might help her? I’m fortunate to never have been in the position of caring for an elderly or sick person; I don’t know what I’m missing.

Yes, I know this can be sensitive territory, but I will not be stepping on anyone’s toes (i.e. her children are not in the picture). She has no advocate and virtually no support. She called me because she needed someone to vent to. I offered to help her with this and she readily agreed.

What should I get my Grandpa?

smartypantz — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:23:40 -0800

You: a man in your mid eighties, in a "nursing home"
Me: Granddaughter visiting for just a day.
Question: what would be the most awesome gift that I could leave with you that would provide amusement or happiness? I searched and found a similar question, and I will check out the idea of a bird feeder (like if there is one already or if it would be allowed). I have given him cd's before and I don't know how easy it is for him to access the cd player, plus he has a "roommate" so that might complicate things.

I know that a visit and my company is the best gift, but this is not easy for me as we are not in the same city. I will be visiting him this weekend - just overnight, but I want to leave something that he will enjoy. My Grandma died last year so I really want to give him something special.

He was a mechanic in the air force, an avid square dancer and used to be a real fix it kind of guy. He's not much of a reader, I don't think. Also, he is/was a "naturalist" - (ie nudist) a fact I only recently found out!

In the past I have got him things like: a calendar of old cars, a Johnny Cash cd, a nice bolo tie, various foods.

What kind of nursing school to go to?

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:49:48 -0800

Career change filter. I'm interested in becoming a nurse. How do I pick what degree to go for? I find the number of options confusing - ASN, BSN, LPN/LVN, masters programs, etc, and I have no idea what path would work best for me.

About me: I graduated with a BA from a liberal arts college a few years ago and have spent the past 2-3 years doing scientific research. I have taken a number of the courses commonly listed as pre-requisites for nursing school, although not all of them. I have a good (around 3.5) gpa and 1500+ GREs. I currently work full-time and take 1-2 courses per semester through the university I work at, although none so far have been targeted to nursing school. I plan on volunteering at a local hospital starting in January, to get a better sense of what a nursing career would be like (and would love suggestions of other ways to get more of that kind of experience).

I'd like to move through nursing school as quickly as possible. The end goal is to become a traveling nurse. I enjoy research and teaching a great deal, and have a background/interest in psychology/psychiatry, so those are avenues to pursue as well, but my most immediate hope is to gain the stability and flexibility of a working nurse as soon as possible, and I'm happy to bust my ass for a year or two to get there.

It seems that accelerated BSNs exist but are very hard to get into. It also seems like an associates, or becoming an LPN would be fast and probably less expensive as well, but perhaps there are fewer job opportunities?

What *are* the functional differences between these options?

Throwaway email is paging.anonymous@gmail.com if you need it. Feel free to ask follow up questions and I'll find a way to reply.

How can I find a school nurse to let me shadow her for an article?

rinosaur — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:21:09 -0800

How can I find a school nurse to let me shadow her for an article? For my final paper this semester in my health writing class I'd like to write a "day in the life of a school nurse" piece that focuses on the new/emerging responsibilities taken on by school nurses with the growing diagnoses of ADD/ADHD (and the subsequent medication) and the like. The trouble is that I do not know any school nurses personally. What's the best way for me to go about finding that resource?

I've made contact with several of the "community relations" personnel at surrounding school districts, and I see via google that there is a School Nurse Association and have emailed their main contact information. Is there more I should be doing, or a tactic that might be more direct to help produce results? Are there concerns that school districts and nurses will have that I'm not considering and should be prepared for?

Alternately, do you know a school nurse in the Philly area who might be interested?

I'm hoping this is an OK use of ask.me and I apologize if it's misplaced.

Thanks in advance for any help you could give!

test out of nursing school?

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:16:08 -0800

I'm a nursing school student and I'm interested in testing out of as much school as I can. I live in California, I have an extensive health care background, and I'm already in nursing school. Every nursing school I've researched offers a "challenge" option for each nursing course - where someone who is already experienced in that area can test out of the course. There is a paper and a clinical portion of most of these challenges. In practice, I've never heard of anyone challenging nursing classes or nursing school. If you have any experience with these challenge exams, or any ideas about where to talk to people who have actually challenged these complex courses, or any idea where to find the law that requires this challenge option, I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!

Tips on adjusting to nursing

gypseefire — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:13:11 -0800

My daughter just had my grand daughter. The entire process was amazing and I haven't fallen in love this hard in nearly 20 years. (when my daughter was born) She has decided for the health and benefits of the baby to nurse. I nursed and I remember how hard it is the first 2 weeks. A great deal has changed and I was wondering if anyone had any practical advice on how to get through the rough beginning of nursing an infant with a barracuda grip. Are there any products, herbal remedies etc...

Cat, I don't like it like that.

xiaolongbao — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:04:52 -0800

My kitten is dry nursing me at night. She won't let me pick her up or pet her during the day. What can I do to strengthen our bond while preserving my sanity? I adopted my kitty from the local Animal Care & Control in early July. She was listed as 4 months, but the vet said she was probably closer to 9 weeks when i took her in for her first checkup. Obviously, she was taken from her mother too soon, right? The nursing behavior is something I've seen documented on various websites. I've read suggestions on forums and whatnot, but would appreciate the wisdom of Metafilter on this one. I know this behavior must provide comfort to her, but it's driving me a little nuts. I want to stop it without further alienating her from me, if possible. She doesn't seem to be growing out of it - a few months have passed and it's about the same.

I guess she probably thinks I'm her mother because of my long hair. She'll knead my neck with her paws (I started clipping her claws because this hurt). Then she'll try to get at my neck with her mouth. If I block my neck with my arm or a blanket, she'll cry pitifully, then resign herself to going away and sleeping elsewhere, or nurse/chew on my hair instead. I think she's sort of biting me a little bit, but it doesn't hurt. She also drools on my nightshirt. She doesn't nurse on my boyfriend. Presumably because he doesn't have long hair, and is away working most of the day, while I stay home?

Confusingly, or perhaps not, she doesn't like to be touched or petted during the day. She'll often rest on the floor with her paws and tail tucked under her, which looks rather defensive. If I pet her while she's napping and looking relaxed, she'll often get up and walk away. I've tried "letting her come to me" but she never has, except when she brings something for me to throw for her (yeah, she likes to fetch). It's perhaps worth noting that I do have another kitten, also adopted from AC&C, roughly her age. He's a loving little guy, though a biter/electronics cord destroyer. (Any suggestions for stopping this? Spray bottle? Bitter apple?) She calms down considerably when he comes over and starts licking her, but usually he's off sleeping at the foot of the bed, and I don't want to disturb him.

So, Metafilter, I'm asking you...what can I do? I love this cat and want her to love me, just not like this. Thanks for any suggestions!

Nursing clothes

LittleMissCranky — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:41:54 -0800

I need breastfeeding tops. Please tell me where I can find some that won't cost a ton of money. So I currently have two infants at home, and I'm breastfeeding. One is generally crawling all over the place and often trying to hurt himself in new and inventive ways, while the other is wanting to nurse pretty constantly. For many reasons, nursing tops are pretty essential for me right now, but I'm having a hard time finding them for less than exorbitant sums. There are a few websites that I've found, but they're very expensive and generally have terrible return policies. What with the two babies and all, I don't have a whole lot of money to spend on this, and I really don't want to spend a bunch of cash on clothes that I can't try on. Any ideas, MeFi mommies?

Travel Nurse in UK?

mrmarley — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:50:45 -0800

As a registered nurse for 2 years now in the U.S., I’m thinking about going to England for a temporary nursing job for a year. I’m looking at this company Continental Travel Nurse. Anyone familiar with this company or other reputable programs. What are the benefits or pitfalls of such programs?

It was a world of tears and ouch. Need it be again?

lottie — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:11:39 -0800

Nursing mother alumni filter: Question about breast feeding a second baby, when you had trouble breast feeding the first. For nursing mothers, past and present: If you had difficulty breast feeding your first baby (attachment, pain etc) did you find it easier the second or third time around?

I got the hang of it eventually first time 'round, but not without bleeding, pain, classes, sheilds, lanolin and angst, and I'm wondering if I have to start from scratch with the baby I'm expecting later this year. Should I expect the experience to be similar? Should I prepare for classes, pain, shields etc all opver again? Or is it likely that I've learned how to do it now, and will have an easier time?

Just FYI: Mastitis wasn't one of my myriad issues. Thank god.

What was your experience?

Longer periods between nursing/pumping sessions?

hollyanderbody — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:07:09 -0800

Breastfeeding filter: I'm breastfeeding a 5 month old, and pumping at work full time. Is it ok to sometimes go 4-5 hours, maybe 6 without pumping or nursing? I try to pump 3 times during my workday, but sometimes stuff happens, and I can only do it twice. I also try not to pump past 3:30 so I'm ready to nurse around 6 when we get home. This means sometimes, I realize its 3:30 or 4:00 and I havn't pumped since noon or 1:00, so I skip it so I'm ready for baby when we get home. Baby still usually gets up once or twice in the night to nurse but once or twice has slept 6 hours straight. I have about a 1 week supply of pumped milk in the freezer. (oh, and YANMLC) Thanks in advance!

I just want to help people

pintapicasso — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:28:44 -0800

I want to be a nurse. Should I get a BSN, RN, or something else? Caveat: I have another B.S. under my belt. Calling all nurses!

I graduated in May 2008 with a B.S. from my local (respected) university with a degree in Human Development. I've decided that I want to pursue a career in nursing. Based on people I've talked to, I have two options:
1. Get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
2. Only get an RN license

Option 2 is a shorter program I could complete at several local colleges. However, according to the nurses I've talked to (mostly recent grads), it's a good idea to have BSN to back up your RN.

Many schools offer Accelerated BSN programs to people who already have a B.A. or B.S. in another field. This means that I can complete my BSN in less than two years (rather than four). However, the programs are difficult to get into (I think?) and are all out of state. I need to take four pre-reqs and I am almost done with two of them.

Plenty of nurses who've been at work for a long time (my aunts) have their RNs and say that it's just fine. Are the standards different for green, new hires? Are the times a-changing? And what can I do to make myself desirable when I apply for nursing schools?

(I've read this question and it's got some great advice. However, I'm also looking specifically for some testimony on the desirability of an RN vs a BSN.)

Both are great for me, actually

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:29:45 -0800

Please help me choose between nursing and pharmacy school please. I did volunteer work, talked to both nurses and pharmacists, read extensively about both careers, and still feel pretty confused. I can see aspects of my personality that would allow me to do a great job in either field. I was originally interested only in nursing and specifically aspired to be a Nurse Anesthetist.

However, and this might be silly, I started reading various message boards and forums, as well as news articles, and am concerned by what seems to be a huge surge in the number of people going back to school for nursing. I'm also discouraged by the anecdotes regarding healthcare administrators who freeze hiring and rely on a skeleton staff. The message boards seem to be full of recent graduate nurses who passed the NCLEX and can't find jobs.

I've been considering pharmacy school at the same time, even though I know the jobs are fundamentally different. BLS data suggests that the demand for nurses will be higher than for pharmacists (in that there will be more openings). My cousin, who is a doctor, insists that there are way more opportunities in nursing, but I pointed out that there are all these cash cow programs in Healthcare Administration spewing out graduates without any experience actually working in the healthcare field. BLS data suggests that there will be more growth in nursing than in pharmacy.

I'm about to start my pre-reqs and I don't know how to figure out which path would be a better bet.

I'm 32 and a career changer, single, childfree, and I know pharmacy school would be 4 years, and getting a 2nd degree BSN + Masters would be more like 5 years. I'm really just way more interested in how to figure out which field will have more demand/security/stability. (Also, please don't give me platitudes like "Follow your passion.")

Nursing in New Zealand vs. nursing in the US.

supercrayon — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:58:21 -0800

Nursing in New Zealand vs. nursing in the US? Are there any nurses about who have experience working in NZ and the US? What's it like? How do they compare in terms of working conditions, pay, quality of care? Or has anyone recieved nursing care in both countries?

I'm an american getting my nursing degree in NZ and I'm trying to find out what I'll be in for depending upon which country I wind up working in.

The racerback nursing bra. Does this exist?

jquinby — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:30:33 -0800

(ahem) Women of MeFi: Seeking information on nursing bras. Difficulty level: racerback. Google-fu has failed Mrs. Q. in her quest for a racerback nursing bra.

Racerback, because it's summer here and lots of sleeveless tops are on offer and nursing, because, well, she's still nursing.

The only one that keeps coming up is from Bravado, which she has tried and hates because it lacks support (the wide elastic band that runs across the bottom front has a tendency to fold).

She picked up a 6-pack of widgets earlier today that (purports) to turn regular ol' bras into racerbacks via a little thingie that pulls the straps together in the back. I wonder if such a thing will be comfortable since it seems like it'll pull in a way not designed for the apparatus, but I'm only the husband here and the whole thing is a bit out of my milieu.

A single (dated) reference to an alternative has popped up in web searches but the company seems to have stopped making them.

I've gone through a few of the older threads on the subject but have come up dry so far. Does such a thing exist, or will the widget have to suffice?

Can I turn a family loan into a loan that qualifies for loan repayment?

hurricanemag — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:33:17 -0800

Can I turn a loan from a family member into a loan that qualifies for loan repayment? I completed a very expensive nursing degree a year ago with a BSN and an MSN and am working as a nurse practitioner. I was fortunate enough to have an aunt who was willing and able to loan me the money during the program and I'm now paying her back interest-free. I know what a great deal that is, but it is still going to take me >15 yrs to pay her back and I have looked into some loan repayment programs that might help speed up the process.

The non-profit I currently work for qualifies as working for an under-served population, but I'm wondering if there is any way to turn my family loan into a qualifying loan. The nursing education loan repayment program I want to apply to (http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm) lists qualifying loans as:

2) Examples of Eligible Loans
Nursing Student Loans;
Stafford Loans; and
Supplemental Loans for Students

3) Examples of Loans Not Eligible

The following are examples of financial obligations that do not qualify for repayment by the NELRP:

• Loans for which the applicant has an Existing Service Obligation (see Definition of Terms);

• Loans obtained for training in vocational or practical nursing (LVN/LPN);

• Loans obtained from family members or private institutions not subject to Federal or State examination and
supervision as lenders;

• Loans made prior to or after the applicant's qualifying nursing education;

• Loans obtained for non-nursing education;

• Loans that have been repaid in full;

• PLUS loans (made to parents);

• Any portion of a consolidated/refinanced educational loan that is not clearly identified as being for
reasonable educational expenses and reasonable living expenses incurred for qualifying nursing education
by the applicant (See Definition of Terms).

• Consolidated/refinanced educational loans that include any debt other than eligible educational loans of the
applicant;

• Credit card payments or personal lines of credit;

• Federal Perkins Loans (unless the applicant can provide documentation as indicated in Section L.3
(Instructions for Completing Required Supplemental Forms) that such loans are not subject to cancellation).

Has anyone had a similar situation? Can I take out a loan that would qualify and pay my aunt back? Or is it just too late at this point?

Any input is appreciated, Thanks.

Blood makes me sick, Needles make me pass out

TurquoiseZebra — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:03:48 -0800

Career in the medical field that doesn't involve blood or needles? I was laid off in early December (YAY!) and shortly thereafter begin helping a lady from my church. She is in stage 4 bone cancer and is in and out of the hospital. I've basically become her companion, doing everything from dispensing meds, taking her to and from the doctor, staying with her in the hospital, etc. I've also taken care of all of her financial issues, disability, etc.

In my previous position, I did marketing and graphic design.

My question is this: What can I do in the medical field that would actually help people, but doesn't involve blood or needles? At the sight of blood my knees get weak and needles seriously make me pass out. Just SEEING them. I've tried forcing myself to watch medical procedures and look at pictures of wounds, etc. In the ER Sat night a nurse was teasing me about my dislike of needles by shoving a needle in my face and I about passed out.

I'd love to go to school and become a nurse, however I think that with my "issues" that's just out of the question. But I want to help people! I've enjoyed what I'm doing, basically acting as a social worker. I realize that I could always do social work, but I'd like to hear of a few other things I could do.

I'm willing to go to school/college. I'm 30 if that helps.

Suggestions? Ideas?

I'm stuckz. Help me figure out how to get unstuckz.

sully75 — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:28:08 -0800

I need to decide whether to move from Maine to Boston or not for school. (extended explanation below). As most of my recent questions will make clear...I'm planning on going to nursing school. I'm currently living in Portland, Maine, taking prerequisite classes. I'm facing a few alternative situations and wondering about how to decide between them.

Sorry for the ramble below but I do appreciate your attention

Givens: I've applied to two accelerated nursing programs, one here and one in MA, both of which start in May of next year, both of which need a lot of prerequisites that I would need to complete next semester. The one here is quite affordable, but is very competitive. My guess is that I will not get in, however, in the past I've gotten into a lot of grad programs that I didn't expect to get into (I'm a little older, and I write a killer essay...I think that's what it is anyway).

The program in Boston seems quite expensive (about $80k all together). It would require more prerequisites.

I don't find out about the Boston program till at least mid-december. The Maine program will be towards the end of december.

I lived in Boston for 8 years and have a lot of really good friends there. I moved to Portland last year after a year in rural Maine and had a good time although it was really hard to find a job last winter. It's even worse now and I'm struggling to pay my bills at all. I'm really depressed here and pretty miserable. I had a few great friends living around here, and had an ok time while they were here but they're gone now and I'm really lonely and not enjoying myself at all. I'm a musician too, and most of my musician friends are in Boston and for the obscure music I play, it's a way better scene by many orders of magnitude. I know a lot of people here, but haven't made many friendships that I think will last. That makes me sad.

But Boston is also stressful and expensive and it's really hard to find a place to live. I know the grass is always greener, but I'm finding that this place is not clicking with me at all and every day I think about how nice it would be to be back in Boston.

Although I'm broke, my parents will help me move to Boston if I so choose. There is also the possibility of a well paying full time job in Boston with a company that a lot of my friends work for.

So I'm faced with a couple of scenarios and all of them suck in one way or another.

1) I make plans to move to Boston in December regardless. If I get into the program there, I immediately register for the prereqs I need (maybe preregister even before I get down there). I take out loans to live for the spring semester, then enter the program in May.

If I don't get in, I take the full time job that I line up and take 2 classes in the evenings, and 2 more in the summer, and enter a different program in the fall (there will be a lot more options in the fall for programs, but the programs will take a lot longer at least 2 years from next september, vs 15 months from next May for the accelerated programs).

Benefits: I get to Boston soon and can get out of this period of my life. I may get done with school very quickly.
Drawbacks: I have to ask my parents to bail me out a bit, which I'm not psyched about. Not sure about the loan situation if I move to Boston. Not sure about the health insurance situation if I go to Boston (although I think I'm poor enough right now to get it for free there). I think I'm no longer going to qualify for any MA resident discounts (haven't lived there for 2 years), although if I don't get into either program, it starts my residency clock there for a different program. The program there that I'm applying to is really expensive and I'm not sure how I feel about the debt load.

2) Stay here in Portland at least until May. Get the school decisions and make a decision from here, take prerequisites at the community college I'm currently at. If I get into the program here and not the one in MA, think about sucking it up, stay here for the 15 months of the program and then go wherever I want afterwords.

benefits here: possibly the fastest scenario for finishing school. Could be very cheap too. I don't have to move on the fly to Boston and I'd have way more time to figure things out. I may have no time to take advantage of music or friendships in Boston. (Although there is so much music in Boston right now, it would be really to take advantage of it).

Drawbacks: I'm terribly depressed here, miss all my friends, dying for some more musical challenges and really feel the need to get out of here as soon as I can. If I decide to stay and then don't get into the program up here, I've kind of stayed for nothing, as there aren't any other alternatives, and I haven't built up that MA residency thing for other programs there.

3) Decide that the program in MA is too expensive, and that it's more important to take my time and be in Boston than it is to get school over with as soon as possible. Move to Boston, plan on not going to either program, get a job, work through my prereqs over two semesters and enroll in a non-accelerated program in the fall.

advantages: less harried than any other approach. Less debt (possibly anyway). Gets me to Boston and allows me to get my feet on the ground there. More choice of programs.

disadvantages: I'm old (33, I feel old). I like school well enough but really it's a means to an end and I'd like to get it done with sooner than later. The prospect of slowly working through school is not that appealing to me. Plus with the economy the way it is, I'd rather be in school right now, and in the position to get a better paying job as soon as possible.

Other details: I have almost no debt at the moment, just owe for the two classes I'm taking now. Single, no kids, pets, etc.

I really appreciate you reading this far. Thanks in advance for any advice.

one semester? FAIL!

sully75 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:09:25 -0800

Is it humanly possible to take A+P II (3 credits, 4 with the lab), Introduction to Chem (4 credits), Microbiology (5 credits), and Nutrition (4 credits), for a possible total of 16 or 17 credits, all in one semester? A few months ago at the very last minute I decided to take a stab at nursing school. To put my feet in the water, I registered for a few prereqs. Soon after I decided I wanted to do it, but it was too late to add more classes.

I'm applying for a program that starts next May. I'm currently taking A+P I and Stats, leaving another 17 credits worth of prereqs to go. I'm not sure, is that even possible to do in one semester? It seems obvious that I would not be able to work much during that time, but is that even doable? I'm filling out the application now and wondering if it's even worth sending it in. I'm doing great in the classes I'm taking (A+ average or something like that so far). Just wondering if I can more than double my course load next semester and pull it off?

Need home health care / home aide in NY

exlotuseater — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:07:38 -0800

Help. Please. (Live-in?) Home Health Care in NY. Really long explanation inside. My parents are in their eighties, dad had a triple bypass in April or so and mom has a whole bunch of problems. Mom was hospitalized (sepsis from a massive UTI) in June of this year, and was sent to sub-acute rehabilitation afterwards; her situation is complicated because she has Rheumatoid Arthritis (a particularly bad case) and the loss of muscle tone from being in the hospital really set her back. She has had a bunch or recurrent infections, UTI's, Clostridium difficile, etc, and so bounced back and forth between the hospital and the rehab. It seems that she's finally ready to come home, and I need some advice.
They both live in an Independent living set-up (continental breakfast, full sit down dinner, linen service, cleaning once a week) and they are going to continue to do this until they absolutely must leave--obviously, assisted living or nursing home is the next step, but my concern is quality of life, and everyone seems to agree that this will be best served by having a full-time aide.
Right now, my mother will need help getting dressed in the morning, help with showering, perhaps toileting, transferring from bed to wheelchair and back. Maybe other, unforeseen issues as well. She can walk ~80 feet right now, but otherwise she moves around by shuffling around in one of those "transfer wheelchairs" (I think that's what they're called--the ones with four little wheels). She might only need someone in the morning and at night, but I'm guessing that with toileting and whatnot, it's more likely that she'll need someone all the time, at least for now.
They are making a move from one apartment to another, larger one within the same facility; there will be a small den for an aide with another bed, nightstand, bureau for clothes.
The aide does not need to be a nurse, although a CNA would be good. Dad needs a little help too, as he's slowing down cognitively--medicine management, etc.
My questions include, how much can we expect to pay for this service? Would getting two aides to cover two shifts be better and potentially cheaper than one live-in aide? What have your experiences been with live-in help? What agencies do you know of in NY, specifically Suffolk County, Long Island? I am getting references from people in-house (all of whom I mostly trust in terms of quality, I just don't know about cost, what's "fair" or exorbitant. It is also my understanding that, depending upon the discharge plan, Medicare might pay for all or some of the aide service if mom has an outpatient rehabilitation plan or concurrent qualified nursing care (which she might need.)

I'm sorry if this question seems incoherent or rambling; I'm the only child (no other relatives who can really do anything, I'm an MA grad student who lives 150 miles away from them, I'm taking classes, I'm a TA with my own class, I work a second job, and I have been in a state of complete crisis for the past seven months trying to take care of everything, driving back and forth every week. (Also in the midst of dealing with an Elder Law Atty, we're trying to get mom's medicaid app. going). I'm not intending to sound dramatic or histrionic, I'm telling it like it is--in fact, things actually seem like they are calming down a little, I'm just trying to organize everything from the apartment move to the aide vetting, and I'm really just looking for your advice and experience.

*breathe*

I have a midterm tonight, so I will be studying like a madman, but I will check into the thread as often as possible to provide clarification and feedback to anyone who might offer advice.

Thank you so much MeFi.

How do I abruptly and painlessly wean my toddler?

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:04:26 -0800

My toddler has abruptly stopped nursing. How do I deal with this, physically? My two-year-old child hasn't nursed for a few days. I'm ready to wean, so this is great. But I'm getting uncomfortable, and I'm worried about mastitis. I've never had any luck with a breast pump or expressing by hand. Any suggestions?

I didn't plan on weaning her this suddenly, but I was out of the house for a few bedtimes, she fell asleep in the car a few times, and now it's been three days. She was down to nursing just once or twice a day.

(Anon. because asking questions about extended nursing leads to unpleasant e-mail, in my experience.)

Help a liberal arts major become a nurse

learn to read — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:12:31 -0800

Help me flesh out a plan to first become a nursing assistant then a nurse. I've been thinking about what I want to do with my life and perusing AskMefi for inspiration. I've hit upon nursing. I already have a BA in English, and I'd like to achieve this goal fairly quickly. Of course, I also want a chance to first get my feet wet before I make the big nursing school commitment. While I may want to leave the city once I've graduated from nursing school, I'm hoping to stay in NYC for the initial work and schooling.

Right now, my plan is: 1. Get certified as a nursing assistant. 2. Find job as a nursing assistant. 3. Take prereq classes while working. 4. Apply for an accelerated post-bacc program at a nursing school. 5. Be a nurse.

The questions follow: Is this a reasonable plan, or would you recommend any modifications? Where can I find information on CNA programs in NYC? Does it matter where I go for the CNA stuff? Are there enough nursing assistant jobs available here to find work? Where can I take classes that can fit into a nursing assistant's schedule? How quickly should I be able to clear away the prereq classes? Are there any schools that don't require any prereqs?

Finally, any books or websites with general (or NY-specific) information about nursing and nursing schools would be very much appreciated.

RX something interesting

sully75 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:46:44 -0800

I'd like to get more excited about healthcare/medicine. What should I read? I decided, after about 7 years of thinking about it, to go to nursing school (probably an NP program). Right now I'm taking prerequisites and waiting till the program starts up next May. I'd like to read more about medicine, interesting and inspirational stuff. I'm rereading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which I love. And read Mountains Beyond Mountains a couple of times in the past, and loved that too.

What else is good to read? It doesn't have to be third worldly, I'm just interested in reading stuff that's accessible to a (currently) layman. Is there a magazine or journal that would be interesting reading too?

Becoming an RN abroad?

wordsmith — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:10:48 -0800

Are there any opportunities to attend nursing school (to become an RN) abroad as a U.S. American? What with the nursing shortages, is there any opportunities for an American to travel somewhere (anywhere) abroad and become an RN? Further, if you become an RN in, say, Sweden (for instance), does that restrict you to working only in Sweden? Or would you be able to take that back to the U.S. and be an RN there as well?

Elderly Skin and Bruising and the Effects Of

watercarrier — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:38:13 -0800

Nursing home horror, involving the skin of elderly people - (disturbing description inside) OK - This is a warning - it's not pleasant at all what happened to someone I know, in fact it's outright gross. But apparently it is a fact of life - that the older we get - the thinner the skin becomes. So - again - if physical description will gross you - please don't read this.

OK - so my friend was visiting her mother at an old age home, when suddenly another resident who was walking around apparently in a state of dementia (there was NO nurse or staff anywhere to be found there at the time, btw), suddenly fell. She was walking into a raised garden plot and apparently didn't or couldn't see that there was a certain height between the ground and the raised bed - and she fell.

My friend rushed to her and as she was attempting to pick her up, the woman's skin just pierced. There was no force involved other than attempting to lift her. Her skin just came away so that there was a quarter sized blister like sore where my friend's thumb was. In short, the elderly woman is *fine* as much as could be expected in a place like that and she finally was administered first aid. But my friend is virtually freaking out - and somewhat traumatized by the whole situation.

1 - He essentially would never hurt anything or anyone and to think he hurt a little old lady is just, in his mind - unfathomable

2 - He can't get the moment his thumb pierced this woman's arm out of his mind

I'd really like to help him - what kind of reassurance do I give him aside from *you were trying to help, things happen, it just happened that way...*? Is there anything that could put his mind at ease? Just as a side note to this, she did apparently have bandages in other places on her arms - so this could have possibly happened before.

Lastly, my friend will have to return to this place, is there maybe a salve he could bring the woman that would help with this type of thinning of the derma?

Thanks.