When there's no Hoyer pad available

I've always thought that Hoyer lifts are restrictive. They do lift and work pretty well. But the Hoyer lift needs to be maintained and the battery needs to be charged. The other thing that's required is to make sure there's a Hoyer pad to use.

Today, the shower aide was late and so was my shower. I don't know if anyone checked before my shower to see if there was a dry Hoyer pad ready to use. The pad I use has a hole in the bottom for toileting. But that means it has to stay under me when I get a shower. Since they don't have a shower bed here, the only way for me to be showered is in a shower chair with the Hoyer pad under me.

When they finished my shower, they went to get a dry Hoyer pad. That's when they found there wasn't one. I was told I would have to go to bed until one was dry. The aides could only put me in bed to be able to remove the wet Hoyer pad.

I was dejected to say the least. Mondays are usually bad enough. And then the shower aide had the audacity to bounce a Monday by being late. I got back into bed chilling from the ride from the shower on a wet pad.

It was over an hour later when they said a dry pad was available. By then, I was aggravated, developed a stomachache, and decided to stay in bed. I was about to be late for lunch anyway.

I certainly hope the facility will decide that a removable, universal Hoyer pad is what I need. Even if they require me to leave the universal pad behind me when I'm in the facility, I'd like it to be removed before I get a shower, and when I want to go out.

That way, there will be no nursing home evidence attached to me.