Private Observations

One of the many men I know, who are in the care-giver to an elderly mother category, kept his Mom home with much help until her 80th birthday. I told him to be very sure he wanted her placed in a Facility as she met every criteria and would be fast-tracked. His other care-giver advised him that wait-lists take forever and that he should get her on the list in February anticipating a summer placement.
She was in the Facility within 2 weeks.

The other caregiver continues to work privately for this man as a companion to her mother. She does a few shifts a week in the Facility doing none of the personal care but taking the client on outings and such. The two of them go swimming with another aide sometimes. I have not worked for this man since the day the other care-giver asked me if I thought she had lost her objectivity. Everyone knows better than to ask me a question when you are looking for a lie in response.

Today I filled in for one of her shifts, a very short shift.
He, not she, called me to ask. Mom is happy and healthy but no longer speaking understandably if at all, and keeps her eyes closed for much of the day.
The Son just wants the very best for his mother. He just wants to know that she has more than standard care. He wants to think she is getting the very best.

Just like the last time I saw this woman, the first thing I did after greeting her and hugging her etc was to discreetly check behind her ears. I have this philosophy of care that I use to gauge the level of Facility and/or Private care. When clients are being bathed properly on an ongoing basis their skin does not jam the folds behind their ears and their necks do not have hard skin buildup. Alot of places use the bathing room as a conveyor belt style bath machine. One in, one out. repeat....

*buzz*
This is the swankiest of the Facilities in this area.
It failed my test.
Not by a little, not a small flake of something, nope.
This was all the ear behind, 1/4" of thick crusted dirt.

Me, the underpaid second-string player comes in to relieve the heavy hitting high priced talent and does the basic face wash. Just like my Grama used to tell me: don't forget to wash behind your ears!

Oh I tell you, it's rocket science some days.


----blah!


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