Caregivers

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC

Deciding on a blog topic for this month was simple. August 12th marked 18 years since my 47-year-old mother passed away due to pressure ulcer complications. A flood of memories came rushing through, realizing just how much wound care has evolved throughout the years. A feeling of "if I only knew then, what I know now" type emotions. I cannot help but have a great deal of heartfelt empathy for caregivers and their loved ones with chronic wounds. My personal experiences have led me to my sense of gratification in what I do every day.

By Margaret Heale, RN, MSc, CWOCN

I was in the shower getting ready for my day volunteering at the nursing home and my mind bemoaned again how much I miss bathing. Relaxing in a deep hot bath, preferably with bubbles, background music and a cool drink...heavenly! Then I started thinking about how much the process of personal hygiene has changed since I was matron, way back when. As a child we bathed on Sundays which was great because the house was warmer on Sundays. I remember being really surprised when I went into nursing that we washed patients every day. By the time I was matron we had got rid of rubber draw sheets and had plastic ones. The rubber absorbed some of the odor from the urine, quite unpleasant. Linen changes were more frequent and we ran out of linen less frequently than earlier in my career. Most hospitals had their own laundry back then.

By Margaret Heale, RN, MSc, CWOCN

I have been living with my daughter for almost a year and helping out at a nursing home where my granddaughter works. I don't remember having this problem last year but my skin is just on fire at times, itchy, itchy, itchy! I found a cream but ran out and couldn't remember what it was called. When I got to the pharmacy and told the lady there that I was in search of a product whose name I thought sounded like 'Narnia' she pointed me in the right direction. Then, to my surprise, she added, "but remember not to go through the wardrobe door or you might get more than you bargained for." We laughed so much I remembered I best go to the feminine hygiene section. I just wanted a slim little pad, you know for the odd cough or sneeze, but—ohhh—what a choice!

By Michael Miller DO, FACOS, FAPWCA, WCC

We have all seen the use of the term "Entitlement Mentality" in the media. Liberals decry its use by pointing out that the government has a duty to all citizens to assure that all people have the same rights. This argument tends to fall short when there is juxtaposition of families with multiple generations of "welfare" against those who chose to delay gratification to further their educations and become health care professionals and other occupations of service. We have all seen patients whose corpulence rivals that of Jabba the Hut and wondered not only how someone could allow themselves to mutate into such a state but more, how their loved ones could allow it. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it does make for interesting reality television. Like the 55 year old male who had the equivalent of a '57 Chevy bypassed from him. Let's face it–regardless of how mechanistic you would like to believe we all are, regardless of your occupation, personal feelings always play a role. If not, then why would it matter if there were Republicans or Democrats sitting on our judiciary, as shouldn't the laws be interpreted based on their meaning and relationship to the US constitution and Bill of Rights and not which President appointed you to the bench?

By Paula Erwin-Toth MSN, RN, CWOCN, CNS

November is National Caregiver Month. Unpaid caregivers are the unsung army of health care providers. They give their time, energy, resources and most importantly love to those in need. Years ago images in television and movies depicted multi-generational families living under one roof in peace and harmony. Today's realities of caring for a loved one with significant medical, psychological and psychiatric needs largely go unacknowledged and unappreciated.