I guess she's trying to see if we can kill her daughter . . .

[Crescent Cat]

In our facility we have a client in the vocational program that has type 1 diabetes. Before she eats she has to have her glucose checked and the grams of carbs she's going to be eating added up. Then that information is put into a monitor which calculates and injects the right amount of insulin into her body.

It's actually pretty easy to do but it would be even easier if her mother would cooperate with us. You see, her mom likes to cook food for her daughter's lunch. Nothing wrong with that, except that she never tells us what she made or what ingredients she used. If it's store bought she won't include the nutritional value so we have to look up the values in a guide book.

Again, that is pretty easy - assuming we can find the food. The day before yesterday she came in with black beans. The book had every kind of bean except black in it. She also had a Hot Pocket but because there was no packaging we weren't sure which kind (it ended up being pepperoni pizza). We tried calling her mom to see if she could help but she never answered her phone.

We were able to find the carbs in black beans and used our best judgment. She was okay so I guess we did all right.

When her mom came to pick her up we asked if she could provide some nutritional information for us when she packs her daughter's lunches. She says okay . . .

. . . then the next day sends her in with homebaked cookies and no information on what ingredients she used. Okay, they're chocolate chip but what kind of oil did she use? What butter? Did she use a sugar substitute like splenda? That would be nice to know. So we call her and she doesn't answer. We go based on the closest thing we can find in the book since that's the best we can do. Then for lunch she made her . . . a . . . something.

What is it?

I guess it's quiche . . .?

God dammit! No one is enjoying these guessing games! Now I don't have any personal experience with this type of diabetes but I'm going to assume it's kind of important we get it right. Lady, can you please help us keep your daughter healthy and safe by telling us what you're packing for her lunch?

Did I mention the mother is a nurse?

[Amusement Gal]

Did I mention the mother is a nurse?

"I know what I'm doing, I'm a nurse! They don't need to know it because I can do it just fine myself! Do they think I'm stupid, or something?" <- Stupid Mother

That's the only thing I can think would run through a friggin' NURSE'S head when their daughter has a condition that sensitive.

[ralerin]

And it will take either the daughter being sick and nearly, or even, dying, or a massive hospital bill to make this nurse realize how stupid she's being.

[Sapphire Silk]

Does your facility have a nurse who supervises the health of the residents? If so, time for an intervention.

[Crescent Cat]

No - no nurses here. Everyone here is BLS certified and that's the only medical training that's required to work here. I believe as a CMA I'm the highest medically trained person they have, but that doesn't mean jack because I have no authority to do anything. It's really more of a workshop than a medical facility since we're focusing on improving people's lives through vocational training and opportunities. We do have a lot of clients that have medical needs so we're trained in administering medications and checking glucose.

For other needs, such as injections, some clients do have nurses that come in and do that for them.

My supervisor is doing everything he can about this situation. I just don't understand why this is an issue to begin with. As a mother and a nurse you'd think she'd want to help the people who look after her for 8 hours a day keep her healthy.

[Sandman]

you might want to drop a dime to the nurses' boss. if she isn't following directions in her personal life.. there's no knowing about her professional life.

[Sapphire Silk]

you might want to drop a dime to the nurses' boss. if she isn't following directions in her personal life.. there's no knowing about her professional life.

Don't go there. The OP would be opening a can of worms she does not want to open.

Interfering with a parent is pretty serious stuff. Interfering with ones job based on a disagreement over parenting is skirting slander.

Whether or not the supervisor can do anything really depends on how tough the facility is willing to be. Ultimately, the mother might be given a choice: you will provide nutritional information with every food item you provide, or you will find another vocational program for your daughter. That's tough medicine, and the facility might not want to go there.

What should happen is extensive documentation. I'd recommend the OP and her CWs write an incident report every time the mother neglects to bring this information. Then there's a solid record for when something bad happens. Or, the OP and her CW's can get a notebook and keep a journal of food intake and blood sugars for this client in case something happens, so that there is a record. The mother should be informed this is being done and that conversation also documented.

[Crescent Cat]

I believe my supervisor is documenting every time this happens as well as the conversation he's had with the mother. Maybe not write an incident report each time it happens, since each and every one would required a call to DDD and the mother, but maybe case notes so that we can document what is going on. I'll suggest that to my supervisor if it continues.

As far as monitoring the glucose and carbs, the monitor records everything that is put into it automatically. I also noticed that it's running low on batteries. I wonder if her wonderful mother is expecting us to maintain her daughter's medical equipment too.

[trailerparkmedic]

I believe my supervisor is documenting every time this happens as well as the conversation he's had with the mother. Maybe not write an incident report each time it happens, since each and every one would required a call to DDD and the mother, but maybe case notes so that we can document what is going on. I'll suggest that to my supervisor if it continues.

Who is DDD? I would have NO problem calling the mom every day about the incident report because she's the one causing its creation. If DDD is a big boss or something, I can understand the reluctance.

[Crescent Cat]

Who is DDD? I would have NO problem calling the mom every day about the incident report because she's the one causing its creation. If DDD is a big boss or something, I can understand the reluctance.

Department of Developmental Disabilities

But anyway, this woman never ceases to amaze me. Yesterday she sends her daughter into work with no lunch or snack whatsoever. Brilliant! But at least we don't have to hazard a guess at what the carb content is so I guess it's an improvement.

I swear, this lady seriously doesn't give a fuck, you know? She just does not give a fuck.

I'm not sure on the specifics of how my manager is handling it. I know he's documenting it and we did provide her with something to eat. If it continues it may go to the point where we will refuse to offer our services. It's a shame because in a lot of cases this is the only form of employment these people can get. She could essentially lose her job because her mom doesn't have her shit together.

[Solumina]

A parent can't send their kid to school without any food (or any way to get food) so why should it be different when the dependent is an adult? She is failing in her duties as a carer so it sounds to me like DDD should be notified.

[trailerparkmedic]

What Solumina said. Do you have any other reason to believe that your client is being neglected? I wonder what her home life is like, which would probably lead to me calling Adult Protective Services (that's what we call it in my state).

[Crescent Cat]

We have adult protective services here too but I don't know if we have enough to go on to call them yet. We may if this nonsense continues and we're keeping a paper trail.

[LillFilly]

I agree with the documentation; that way the child's mother can't blame you if problems arise. You think she'd be more concerned for her child's health - maybe she's in denial, sure that because she's a nurse that nothing bad will ever happen?

[RootedPhoenix]

If she's flaky like that, that's a serious red flag. I'd keep track of what goes on, just so you have it if you need it. (Like what others have said already.)

It bugs me that a mother doesn't appear to care about her child. Yikes.