Experiences in Geriatrics

I now have 2 full days of my geriatrics (old people) clinical under my belt and coupled with my hospital nursing and assisted living nursing assistant experiences, I've come to the conclusion that the elderly are to be treasured.  It is never a dull moment in the nursing home, and while I cannot fully practice a thorough and logical interview and assessment with these people, I am fully entertained.  In the past 2 shifts alone I have encountered-

a conversation which included both decubitus ulcers and gel nailpolish.

a patient's blood sugar continues to drop to dangerous levels overnight not because he isn't eating enough, it's because there is no colby cheese at the nursing home.

an elderly man scooting himself in a wheelchair wearing a sweatshirt of a kitten hanging from a tree with a bold "hang in there" printed at the top.

constipation. constipation. constipation. constipation.

all "organizations" are stingy with their heat because they want to make a profit instead of take care of ol' folks.  the patient that believes this is going to be sleeping in his shoes tonight because his feet are so cold and if "they" don't let him, he's walking his 97-year old self 30 miles home in the middle of January.

"does it hurt?" asked by me in the most straight face I could muster, to an elderly patient with a big toe the size of a golf ball with an ulcerative, oozing growth on top, following a full physical exam focusing on said toe and leaving the room several times to have other providers see the toe as well.   his response "somebody said somethin' about my toe! is there somethin' there?"

Edna*** has all the hard candy.  If you need some, she's got it.  If you have some, she's going to take it.

It takes 12 processes to make a vase.

A patient saving bandages from her oozing ankle wound to be sure the staff knows what the drainage looks like.  Notice I said bandages (plural).

Several stories from patients literally falling and they couldn't get up.

I think I have an interesting semester ahead.

***All names and patient identifying information changed for confidentiality