Originally Posted by
justakiwi
Not doable. At least not if you want to provide quality care. I know it seems like all caregivers have to do is help residents shower then move on to the next person, but it’s far more than that, especially at hospital level. Morning cares might include - helping the resident mobilise out of bed, undressing them, helping them shower, dressing, brushing teeth/dentures, re-dressing leg ulcers or other wounds, changing urinary catheter bags or colostomy bags, applying prescribed ointments and moisturising creams, putting on pressure stockings (they are a bitch to get on!). For some residents there may also be a shave needed, hair done and makeup applied (yes, some female residents still need to do this for their self esteem). All of this takes much longer than you might realise.
There will be differences between homes/facilities of course. Caregivers in places like OCA, RYM, SUM etc may well be able to focus solely on caregiving. Smaller facilities like ours cannot. We also have laundry duties (washing, folding and ironing), serve all meals and afternoon/morning teas/supper. Day shift has cleaning duties such as emptying resident’s rubbish bins, cleaning hand basins and tray tables, ensuite cleans as needed, and bed making/bed changes. All of that needs to be done alongside and around personal cares, while answering call bells as needed.
If you expect caregivers to be responsible for morning cares for 6-8 residents there are only two ways to achieve it:
1/ You rush your residents, prioritise tasks not people and your residents do not receive the quality care they deserve
2/ You take more time but some residents will not be assisted with dressing/showering until after lunch as there is no way you can achieve that number in just 4 hours.
Neither of those options are acceptable to me. Our residents deserve better and caregivers are human beings, not machines. The job is physically demanding and there is a limit to how much one can do/achieve in any given time frame. Paying less staff more, doesn’t mean your staff can magically fit more work into a shift.They are already usually working to capacity.