Had to call police on client

[eternalscot]

i think the op acted and behaved with maturity beyond her years.

the client involved obviously had some sort of mental problem.

i think your statement is very disrespectful, unfair and demeaning towards old people .

i'm hope the op will maintain her considerate, professional attitude and not become so cynical with age

I am sorry if that how it came across it way not intended that way. However with now 18 years experience and having some lovely elderly clients who have got older over the years I can assure you as time goes on SOME can get very high maintenance and need put straight. These people usually are never away from the doctors as well with imaginary or superficial things. This is not an observation done solely by me as I have generations of family come to me this is also their observation too. Obviously this does not happen to every old dear but I have seen it a fair few times in my life, even my Gran. Your brain can go a bit not to say they have dementia but it slows down like their body.

 

[Tomme]

I am sorry if that how it came across it way not intended that way. However with now 18 years experience and having some lovely elderly clients who have got older over the years I can assure you as time goes on SOME can get very high maintenance and need put straight. These people usually are never away from the doctors as well with imaginary or superficial things. This is not an observation done solely by me as I have generations of family come to me this is also their observation too. Obviously this does not happen to every old dear but I have seen it a fair few times in my life, even my Gran. Your brain can go a bit not to say they have dementia but it slows down like their body.

I think maybe these are the elderly without family or visitors, it can get very lonely for them ad when they go for a hair or nail appointment lie to chat and make a big song and dance about it, the need to see doctors can be parts of a few things not limited to but including fear - that they will get worse if it's not sorted and lose independence. Boredom - the mind plays awful tricks on the bored. Subconscious longing for interaction - their mind invents an illness so they can get the interaction it craves.
Them are just a few, and may come across as needy but take a step back and think how many people see them of their own accord rather than that client having to go to see the people. Xoxo

 

[Rinn]

I am sorry if that how it came across it way not intended that way. However with now 18 years experience and having some lovely elderly clients who have got older over the years I can assure you as time goes on SOME can get very high maintenance and need put straight. These people usually are never away from the doctors as well with imaginary or superficial things. This is not an observation done solely by me as I have generations of family come to me this is also their observation too. Obviously this does not happen to every old dear but I have seen it a fair few times in my life, even my Gran. Your brain can go a bit not to say they have dementia but it slows down like their body.

but sure there are lots of clients of every age group who are high maintenance and who have a path wore to the doctors' door.
dementia can affect any age group.

there's threads here regularly asking how to handle 'problematic/needy/high maintence' clients

i agree with you that with some clients you do need to be firm in your dealings with them
but that's with any difficult client not just elderly ones .

i have 22 years exp myself and have lots of elderly clients , many who are in their 80's and as sharp as a pin. Infact their memory is better than my own.

 

[nicole333]

I would like to add something.

I know none of you who have mentioned this mean anything negative, but in all my years of experience in working in Acute and Intensive care area of Psychiatry, none of my patients would act like this.

I feel for my patients when others who behave irrationally are then believed to have mental health issues. The media portrays mental health in a terribly negative way and to be honest, my patients are more likely to be vulnerable to exploitation than to be the perpetrator of it.

As I said, I know nothing derogatory was meant by it. But I feel the need to speak out for my patients.

 

[lindseym631]

I would like to add something.

I know none of you who have mentioned this mean anything negative, but in all my years of experience in working in Acute and Intensive care area of Psychiatry, none of my patients would act like this.

I feel for my patients when others who behave irrationally are then believed to have mental health issues. The media portrays mental health in a terribly negative way and to be honest, my patients are more likely to be vulnerable to exploitation than to be the perpetrator of it.

As I said, I know nothing derogatory was meant by it. But I feel the need to speak out for my patients.

There was no need for the comment about the clients mental health. That comment annoyed me a bit and I am glad for your comment because I could not have expressed my own opinion correctly.

The op handled a frightening and upsetting situation very well, I think the way the discussion here is going could end up being negative which would be a shame.

Sent from my HTC One X using SalonGeek

 

[Miss Sparkle]

Well done hun, you behaved impeccably. I'm afraid we all get the odd crazy client but think of how many good ones you have .. the bad ones often occupy the brain space that should be filled with how much you appreciate the good ones

 

[laurakate]

Hi guys i dont know if ive done this right its my first time posting on here but here it goes.......

I am a mobile therapist im only 19 but have been running a succesfull mobile buisness from home for the last year and absolutely loving it!

Today i had an elderley client in for luxury pedicure, gellux on hands and eyebrow shape. I did all of the above and client was very happy when she left saying she would book again. i sat down to have my lunch about half hour later the door went and it was her she said she didnt like her nails and she wanted me to take them off so i stopped what i was doing let her in to my beauty room to look at them, i had a look and they looked lovely not a thing wrong with them (she was complaining they looked messy and she didnt like the colour she chose) so i said im sorry you feel like that i can take them off free of charge but i cant give you your money back, she then started saying was i blind or stupid, i should give her her money back and said she was going to report me to trading standards and complaining to everyone she knows in the end i said im sorry but due to your threatening behaviour i dont feel comfortable doing your nails could you please leave she then went hysterical and screaming at me saying she wasnt leaving so i picked up her bag and walked towards my front door and placed it by the front door and asked her again nicely to leave or i would have to call the police and she still refused so i went in the other room and called the police.

When they arrived i spoke to them and they told me not to worry she didnt have a leg to stand on as she should of said at the time if she didnt like them before leaving, they finally managed to get her to leave.

I am so shocked that someone could behave like this in my home and it was frieghtening to think that i couldnt get her to leave as i was the only one in my house ive never experienced anything like this before!
Im now worried about what she might do next could someone please give me some advice and let me know if i dealt with this in the right way?
She was so lovely when i did her the first time but she come back like a different person and was quite scary im only young and trying to run a buisness and have lots of very happy clients and regulars just a bit shocked today x

One of my pet hates is older clients who should have enough years of life experience to know how to act with dignity, restraint and rationality and yet they choose not to. Baffles me every time!

 

[dandelionpoppy]

I truly apologise if I have caused offence; I think I was the first one to mention mental illness.

I realise that mental illness spans a whole range. I had thought that some may manifest in erratic or irrational behaviour, and that seemed to fit the scenario described.

 

[nicole333]

Dande, I really wasn't offended as I understand that none of the posters that mentioned this meant it to be.

I just feel protective, as it has potential to give the message that mental health issues = unhinged (my words, I know).

What does offend me is watching news reports that do their best to make people out to be deranged and dangerous if they have, say Schizophrenia. This is totally the other end of the scale to what we are talking about on this thread I know. Enough said, or I will be spouting how much I hate the media!

Anyway, moving on! She certainly has a problem that's for sure, but more than likely a personality issue. As I said before, not nice!

 

[jacquelineanna]

I am sorry if that how it came across it way not intended that way. However with now 18 years experience and having some lovely elderly clients who have got older over the years I can assure you as time goes on SOME can get very high maintenance and need put straight. These people usually are never away from the doctors as well with imaginary or superficial things. This is not an observation done solely by me as I have generations of family come to me this is also their observation too. Obviously this does not happen to every old dear but I have seen it a fair few times in my life, even my Gran. Your brain can go a bit not to say they have dementia but it slows down like their body.

We're all going to get there someday as are you, I do hope that those around you will have a more sympathetic outlook on being elderly with many real or imaginary ailments and requirements.

Take a step back and look at what you have written and maybe you will see for yourself just how emotionless your words appear.

Peace and respect.

 

[Only-me]

Sorry to hear of your experience how upsetting for you...
Yes you did the right thing as you did warn her you would call the police..

Yes the police would log the incident it is done from the initial call and the officer updates after attending the scene.
Shame it ended like this.. No one knows what was going on with her in her 'world' but you have to act in the appropriate manner at the time, don't dwell too much hun xx

 

[pippy]

WOW!!! i applaud and salute you my darling for one so young to handle such a horrific experience so calmly and maturly even in my age I might have lost it and in the heat of the moment could hve ended worst off so no age doesn't always mean wisdom hehe...:wink2:
like everyone said it sounds like she might have other issues and you just happen to be the one in her way today. she left happy, she took a whole hour before coming back so either she is sick or she met someone who has a strong influence in her life who told her they looked bad so she needed a hook to hang her reason on.

bt never mind tomorrow is another day. if u see her lurking around or if u hear from someone she has bad mouthed you i'm sure your other clients will mre thn vouch 4u hun. hope u feel better nw anywayxx

 

[~Louise~]

OMG! You poor thing, but you handled it perfectly ...well done! I know for a fact I would have just handed her the money to get rid of her when I was 19, I would have been that intimidated!

But as for her bad-mouthing you, more than likely the people she would be telling know exactly what she's like anyway + take it with a pinch of salt. But if someone had to call the police on me to have them remove me from their premises - I'd far too mortified to tell that, so don't worry. And again if she tells the police had to remove her people will think worse of her than you ...so chin up my dear xox

 

[Dol]

*hugs*

 

[Rinn]

I would like to add something.

I know none of you who have mentioned this mean anything negative, but in all my years of experience in working in Acute and Intensive care area of Psychiatry, none of my patients would act like this.

I feel for my patients when others who behave irrationally are then believed to have mental health issues. The media portrays mental health in a terribly negative way and to be honest, my patients are more likely to be vulnerable to exploitation than to be the perpetrator of it.

As I said, I know nothing derogatory was meant by it. But I feel the need to speak out for my patients.

ah in my attempts to defend the elderly i have caused upset .:sad.
seems we should all choose our words more carefully.

 

[nicole333]

No worries rinn, as I said nobody was being derogatory.

If I'd have had a shift like I have had today, yesterday though, I may not have felt so protective!