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 Post subject: Embarrassing Moments.
PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 6:17 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:16 am
Posts: 2
Iv been employed by a small nursing home here in Tacoma Wa for the past 7 years. I was able to keep my urinary incontinence a private matter untill Christmas of 2013. I was working one night and it was getting close to the end of my shift when I had a very heavy void. My diapers usually will hold out for the 8hr shift, but this time I had several large wettings that day and my diapers were too wet for the bus ride home. I had an extra diaper in my locker, so after I punched out on the time clock I ducked into the employee restroom and changed my wet diaper. I made the mistake of putting the wet diaper into the trash can and left to catch the bus home. The next day my employer had found the diaper I had thrown away in the employee restroom and assumed that a CNA had changed one of our patients inside our employee restroom!! She had a quick meeting with all of us that morning and when she was done I waited until she was alone to speak to her about what had happened. I began by saying that I had put the diaper in the the trash can, But it wasn't from one of our patients. (I must have been red faced) I then explained to her that I have no bladder control, and my diaper was too wet to wear for the bus ride home, so I had to change them in the restroom and dispose of the wet diaper in the trash can. She said there is no problem about me using the restroom to change my diapers if I needed to. What really puzzled her the most was the nursing home didn't use that color, or brand of diaper!! Iv always felt embarrassed about having to wear adult diapers for my incontinence but Iv tried the condom cath, and leg bag and they are not dependable enough for use at work or school. Life is full of embarrassing moments if your incontinent but I'm not going to let it get me down.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 11:20 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:45 am
Posts: 1836
I guess that nursing homes must be among the more accepting employers for incontinents. I'm glad that this turned out well for you, and I hope that this acceptance will eventually become commonplace for other employers, and, eventually, will pervade our society. We are on the cutting edge of this progress, which makes me just a little proud.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 1:49 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:07 pm
Posts: 370
Location: Midwest
I'm glad all went well. Its hard enough to work and carry on with normal life's with our issues. I'm totally incontinent and have set up plan with my employer to keep me protected. They are more than happy to make sure I have myself covered so I can preform my job safe and efficient. The key for me was communication.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:17 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 03, 2014 8:08 pm
Posts: 480
Location: York, Maine
That is terrible......I have told a couple of co-workers that I'm having "bladder issues" but have never elaborated on it beyond that. I don't know if they assume or not. But I have only told a handful of close friends that I'm wearing diapers. Most of my friends have seen the foley bags, they're a lot harder to hide, especially with shorts on. I don't like to advertise my problems as I'm sure you all don't either.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:31 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:50 pm
Posts: 687
Location: Oklahoma
Glad it ended well. Kudos to you for not letting your coworkers hang in the balance and to your employer for handling well.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:07 am 
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Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:29 pm
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I think the supervisor could have and should have handled it better. If she were on the up-and-up, I think she would have said something like "I want to remind everyone that the employee restroom is never to be used for changing patients' diapers."

(a) Why was she searching the garbage can? Is it a routine part of her job to look for evidence of drug/alcohol use among the employees?

(b) If she was perplexed about the brand/color of the diaper in the trash because it's not a facility diaper, what prompted her to assume a staffer changed a patient in the employee restroom?

Maybe she suspected that one or more of the employees wear(s) diapers, and she staged the interrogation, knowing that the employee would out her/himself, rather than let a coworker take the blame for something that never happened.

Wetters


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 10:09 am 
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Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:07 pm
Posts: 370
Location: Midwest
Wetter,
You are right ,I didn't look at it like that. The disability act protect us if you are employed. I had talked to HR about my condition and she told me that my condition falls under this act. It's hard to communicate when you have our issues, but in my case it was very helpful in getting back to work.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:11 pm 
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Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2015 11:49 am
Posts: 890
Location: Jacksonville Fl
You're lucky. I've been lead to believe that not all employers are as forgiving. While the ADA is supposed to protect us, it really doesn't do so quite well. The ADA is really nothing more than a bunch of rules and regulations that businesses are supposed to follow- there is nobody there to fight for your rights. If that employer doesn't follow them, then you still need to hire a lawyer and sue them as an individual. You can use the ADA regulations for your basis, but you still have the burden to prove they discriminated against you because of your disability. This is extremely difficult to do, and not to mention expensive which most can't afford to do even if they are in the right.


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