Residential Removals

Ever since I started this job, the one thing I dreaded more than anything was making a solo removal at a home. Hospital and hospice removals are not too bad; the family is usually gone by the time you arrive, and there is always a hospital orderly to help you out. With residential removals, however, the family is right there, sometimes in the same room. Most of the time you will have a hospice nurse, and they will help if necessary. The thing that concerned me most was making a mistake in front of the family. Last night, about 3:30 in the morning, I had my first solo home removal. It went fairly well, but my cot was higher than the hospital bed the man was in, and I could not get my cot to lower. I ended up sliding a sheet under the body, then bringing the sides of the sheet together in a sling-like position and just hoisting him up onto the cot. The hospice nurse helped with this, along with the niece of the man. She took his legs while we worked the upper body. It went fairly smooth, but not as much as I would have liked. Still, that first solo home removal is behind me, and now I have a better idea of what to expect.