Five in the Eye

This one goes in the *Sometimes nothing works* category.

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A long time ago we had a gent with a severe brain injury on the client list.
He was paraplegic however he had tremendous upper body strength.
He had lost all sense of what was appropriate and was in a family setting with his older parents.
Then his Mother died and the bottom fell out.
Noone could handle him.
Call in the Community Nursing Team.

I had grave reservations about doing any sort of care on this man.
I wanted someone to watch my back, and there was noone.
So they sent someone else.
Then one day my number came up again and I refused to go.
"There IS noone else ."

"I am NOT going."

"Well, will you assist?"

"Yes I will assist. But at the first sign of trouble I am out."

This man lived way out in the outer boundaries of our territory.
A little farther and he would have been some other Health Region's task.
It was a 45 minute drive. I was on time, just barely, and there was noone there.
No other person for me to assist.

There was absolutely no way I was going in there alone so I sat in my car and waited.
30 minutes late someone showed up.
"You just got here too?"

"No I was on time. I have been waiting for you."

"Oh who are you?? I dont know you. I would have thought you would have gotten started in there at least."

"Absolutely not. I am here to assist YOU."

"WHAT? You probably know more about him than I do. You should have gone in and prepped him. I came here from an urgent call. blah blah blah (I stopped listening)

"I don't think so. I will assist you. Let's go in."
The other person was spitting bullets. Tough break for them. No way I was doing this.

We went in and the other person did the job with the worst possible grace. I assisted.
The client was getting more and more agitated.
Suddenly, (and without warning!) he swung up with his fist, and missed me by a hairs-breathe.

"I'm done."
I walked out to the outer room and told the family they had to go in and finish.
The other person came out and yelled for ten minutes about anything they could think of to yell about and then got in the car and drove off.

Since that day I had never seen anyone else take a swing, except for a few dementia souls who do not know any better. But: all that changed.

Someone had a horrid sleep the other night.
Someone threw all their covers off repeatedly and was as a result very cold.
Someone tried it on with the family before we got there.

"Not sure what kind of reception you are going to get. A very bad night."

A very bad morning also.
Every chance they got, they lashed out.
I had to FORCEFULLY hold the arm and hand so the other person did not get whacked.
When we had the person in the lift even then, the sling control was tried as a weapon.

It was very sad.

As we left there was an inch to walk by.
The person got us both on the way out.
I have a little bruise to match the other two where they got me during the *care*

Today was a different story, everything was wonderful.
You wouldn't even know yesterday was a possibility unless someone warned you.

Thankfully I had an awesome second person.
No attitude just work.
And high skills.
And good communication.
But it still did not help us dodge the lashing out.

Sometimes, nothing works.
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"The mind is seldom quickened to very vigorous operations but by pain, or the dread of pain."
Johnson
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"The mind is seldom quickened to very vigorous operations but by pain, or the dread of pain."
Johnson