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Need a reference but how to navigate it??
Situation: Care recipients Dr’s knew I was transitioning last minute into full time caregiving and felt they needed to discuss with me the care recipients behavior, and how it might negatively affect me. This care recipient refused to plan ahead knowing she was very ill and I was her only person,(for the last 5 years).
This person I help told doctors that they could share things with me… and said they could share things with me in front of three nurses and her present as the consenting Director of her own care.
So, Dr’s pulled me aside and went through a list of her “observable behaviors” in the phys rehab hospitals,and I’m glad they did. (person wasn’t diagnosed because they refused a psych eval),
I have never dealt with anyone that was called to have “negativistic personality“ traits.
But her behavior is still affecting me hugely by putting me at risk for extensive drug resistant bacterial infections. Many, many extensive drug resistant bacteria. She continues lying and does all kinds of covert obstructions against cleanliness practices, good personal hygiene, and universal precautions.
Now, after two years of direct hands on care and seven overall years of patient and thoughtful service, I have three of these XDR bacterial infections and she’s the only person I help.
I had to insist to my Drs that my bacterial tests were DNA tests. As a lot of these are such a rare isolates, (that she carries doesn’t treat and exposes us to knowingly),
that they don’t show up on regular augers or growth mediums the way the regular species of these bacteria do. DNA testing for bacterial infections is really the only way now to know conclusively. And I had to pay for it.
It’s conclusive.
She’s known about her bacteria for years and has denied it to each of the caregivers,( there’s no crossover between us), but we are all finding out and we recently patiently, but honestly, confronted the situation and her, all together recently.
Where we’re at now:
she’s refused to do most anything the doctors say, but tells everyone she will, but we still have to bed bath and and bladder flush.
She seems to have people that are sycophantic around her.
And people that only want to cosign really negativistic personality type behaviors(again not diagnosing just going on with all the doctors and nurses have told me), and I’m at a loss after seven years.
My universal precautions are flawless,
we have PPE and I’m very trained and wise. I insist on Lysol IC and safe sanitation practices, but her lack of self care is horrendous and we offer to do everything.
It’s been years, but her procrastination about getting almost all things done to make it safer for all of us by her bodily care are things she says constantly she’ll do and refuses to do,
says she’ll plan a bed bath with the next shift and never does,
told by her doctors bed bathing is not going to work because her XDR’s are all over her skin/urine and body fluids, and she needs to shower.
but keeps making barriers to it even though the water temperature is safe, all safety precautions have been put in place, we would do all the work, she has tons, and tons of money to buy any equipment that she needs, and she has all the support from us.
She lies about most everything, and is the most well is well provisioned for care recipient I’ve ever seen.
Lies about emptying her cath bag into the home health aids toilet, dumping her cath bag with(with diagnosed XDR bacteria, some of which get real serious real quick). Urine saturated hands, she goes around the house and touches everything. Years of this. I’m finally putting my proverbial foot down and have laid out the contamination control and infectious disease control details down,(yet again), am ready to walk. Thank you for reading:how might I ask passively-aggressive,(negavisticic), care recipient for a letter of reference after 7 years of caring and professional service.

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For gods sake just quit. It's not worth your personal health.
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HmHlthAid38y Sep 2023
Thank you so much. Yes definitely
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Quit. I wouldn’t hold out for a reference. It may never come. And in all honesty, putting up with what you’ve just described is NOT a great recommendation. Leave, get a low-level job that will give you a reference and a track record, and move on. Perhaps the doctors involved will give you some sort of reference and confirmation of work history, if you explain your problem in getting one.

Good luck for a better future.
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HmHlthAid38y Sep 2023
Thank you, Margaret. I just appreciate the feedback from other people who can see it from the perspective of the outsider, and seems to be the consensus, unfortunate that I won’t be able to get a reference, most likely after seven years of service, but I think at this point my safety is going to be more important.
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Sounds to me like you should quit (if a paid caregiver) right away.

No, you won't be getting a letter of reference.

You will simply tell your next client that the last client is not in a condition so as to be able to write references.
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HmHlthAid38y Sep 2023
“The last client is not a condition” thank you. Very professional and I will use that with my next job interview.
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You've stayed too long already--just quit.

And don't plan on any letter of recommendation, it won't be coming. Not from her anyway.

So sorry--what a mess! Good Luck to finding a better client/caregiver fit in future.
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HmHlthAid38y Sep 2023
Thanks, I agree, I am ready to exit without a recommendation. I’ve decided to gather recommendation letters from my coworkers, who see the craziness of it all, and who are very kind and willing to write me a letter.
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I can't wait to see what Burnt says. She has had 25 yrs if experience as a CNA and now runs her own company. You must be getting a nice salary from this lady to put up with this stuff this long.

Are the other aides aware of what they are being exposed to? If not, I would wonder if that is ethical. Not saying you should make them aware. You need to follow HIPPA rules and were made privy to woman's health info. Seems to me this woman needs to be in a bubble with anyone carrying for her dressed from head to foot biohazard gear. Mask and all. And you, can you spread these bugs to others? I would have quit when I first heard about her.
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HmHlthAid38y Sep 2023
Yes, we all decided to get together, some of the aids and politely confront her about the dishonesty. She was giving each one of us. Again, we were polite about it, but we needed to let her know it would not go on. She appeared contrite. However, some of the people she chooses to hire are people who are sycophants. She is very negativistic, probably slightly narcissistic and has a problem with being direct and honest with people.
And, yes, part of my concern, and you brought up a very good point was that is this even legal for her to knowingly, put us at risk? She’s a very passive aggressive person. Dangerously so it appears.
And yes, my universal precautions are flawless and has more things have come to light. I’ve absolutely insisted on the stringent conditions mentioned in my original post. I would love to hear what Burnt says. My notice will be going in, but I will be finding myself some thing else first so I’m not without income as a result of this clients bad behavior. By the way, she doesn’t pay me near what I’m worth, I just felt like a frog in a boiling pot this whole time. Thank you for your response.
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Yes, that seems to be the consensus and thank you for the advice
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Glad you are giving notice and getting out of this situation. Hopefully you don't get sick again before you are done with this client. How long do you think it will take to get another job and how much notice are you giving?
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HmHlthAid38y Sep 2023
Thank you for your response. I will be giving one months notice since she within the last two years quadriplegic, I’ve been with her seven years approximately, and I will be giving her one months notice.
I will be giving it in written form, also by an email, not allowing her a chance to respond because she’s very argumentative and I don’t want to debate. I’ve spent way too long, apologizing for things that aren’t my fault due to her negativistic personality issues.
But, I’ve also pulled out of hands-on care,

I’m not there anymore, but nine or so hours a week, she has 3 other caregivers, but refuses to get anyone on call.

I feel like that’s plenty of time and I don’t know how long it will take me to get another job, but I’m gathering references for my coworkers at this job who quit after some time, because of the circumstances she created. These were very reasonable and kind care providers..

So, glad to say I’m giving a month notice.

I told her for the duration of my time I would be glad to help her plan and strategize against minimizing the colony counts on her body, giving her body the best chance for recovery against some of these infectious processes, and try to give her consults from my mini years of experience of learning, how to work against these bacteria and ensure safety for her and others. That’s about all I can do at this point.
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