Your worst case nursing home calls?

[HeavyCrow]

So the other day started as an exciting day for me as it was only my second shift as new EMT-B vollie, and I would be running all the bls calls. Dispatched to a nursing care facility for a Pt with a pulseless, cyanotic/cold leg and foot. As we go in I am getting report from nurses, one who states pt has been this way for few hours, then another says pt has had blue/cold foot for over 24hrs. My medic/FTP looks at me and quietly asks "why did they wait so long to call?", more as a rhetorical question then anything. Pt is stable, no pain, just history of CHF and rigors of advanced years. We have to transport to a hospital 30 minutes away because one across the street doesnt have doppler tech on duty. So I keep her comfy during the ride, very sweet Pt, never complains and says experiencing no pain. After arrival and as I am giving ER doc my report, ER nurse leans over and whispers "why did they wait so long to call you guys?" Of course I had no answer.
To make a long story short, the doctor found necrosis on the leg that seems to indicate it had been that way for several days. And sadly the Pt will lose the leg from the thigh down.
I know people get lost in the "cracks" and things like this happen frequently, and I hear from a lot of my medic buddies that it seems to be the norm, not the exception. Since such a broad geographic diversity is represented on this site, what are some of the more severe cases you have seen in nursing home and assisted care facilities? (yes, I tried very hard not to be specific and avoid any HIPPA violations)

 

[Emtint08]

Nursing home Nightmares

I have been a basic for two years and I have seen plenty, being in Medical transport. Nursing home transport being prime source of transportation, to and from hospitals and the like. I have more nightmares than I can count. I have witnessed the abuse of a patient, who I had previously, by an RN. He was an invalid who was morbidly obese, and we were failed to be notified that he was that heavy and offered us no assistance in lifting him from chair to gurney. The nurse had a bad attitude to begin with, and thought that I could discern his information from osmosis, rather than providing me with the necessary info. Patient was obtunded, and scared. RN Picked up patient before I could stop him and through him on the bed, tearing out his oxygen. It doesnt get better after that. Nursing home situations, on the whole, are going to always be bad, and we have to be the patient advocate. The best thing my partner and I could do was get him the heck out of there and provide a lot of comfort care. One of those calls that make you cry and mad at night. This RN Also abused us, and his fellow staffmembers. This poor patient had irreversible disease, compounded with decreased mentation and anxiety, and this rn didnt help the situation. There are so many more of them out there that I see every day. you are not alone in this.