Scheduling ?

-*-

One of my two imminently palliative clients passed away just after I left his home.
Inquiring about the other I was told he was now receiving service BID.

Today he was on my list and with much trepidation I pulled into the driveway.
It seemed unthinkable he could have made it to today in the shape he was in.
The last visit he was still conscious but so very weak that even sipping water was a difficulty. As I left he had said to me: "That was something. You pushed me hard."

Now I am going to the door and thinking to myself: "No way."

I sneak a peak through the window and the hospital bed is gone and the living room back to normal. The wife sees me peering in and now I am committed to action.
O no!

Luckily, I am locquacious. Thankfully, I have chutzpah.
There is always something nice to say.
Ok I said nice things. It was regrettable that I was sent there in error but perhaps it was a divine moment. A divine appointment.

Some little thing I said touched that woman and as I left she called me back for a close embrace and through tears thanked me (again).
..

..........0

-=- More Changes -=-

With great sadness I have learned that the Nurse I identify with the most, has accepted a position far away from our Paradise but closer to her own.

She endeared herself to me permanently when I learned she backed up her spoken dedication to workplace wellness with actions. How I love to see management, oh pardon me, Management reaching out in equity and not down in imperiousness.
Aww, she will be so missed, *sniff*

Change change and more.
There has been entirely too much of it in our Region and now it is time for things to settle down. (please)

------ *

Positively speaking, the gentle soul who daughter attended to him so lovingly got his wish and died in his own home. I am very happy for that.

---- *

BAH! More Snow!

This Winter is getting very old. More severe weather warnings for my area, and more snow. If I wake up snowed in I will be most displeased. I need the $$
We do not get paid if we do not work. Like most people.

I had an interesting experience today.
I had a *change* in my schedule since I refused to return to the home of the hugger/rubber. I am not usually so picky but in this case I think it best just not to go there ---period--- since the person in question is generally very genteel and kind.
All the more reason it stunned me.

---- !

So the *change* was a lateral move so's to speak.
A couple in their 90's with dementias.... go help make sure they are all right and so on...

I go. He is deaf. Seems alot deafer when I try to speak with him than when everyone else does. And yes, there are quite a few people about. A team of house cleaners are around and a family member is taking a swim in the indoor pool.

---!

All went well. I even had the wife down the hall and cleaned up which I announced to the stairwell as I left. The family were obviously surprised.

One of the housekeepers took me aside and said quietly:
"They don't usually like new people, they can be very difficult. You did very well.


OH great.

-!

Do I sound spoiled?
It is only because it is becoming more and more common for all levels of staff to be put at greater and great risk as people with heavier dementias are staying at home longer.

So I traded a kisser and rubber/hugger for a possible puncher.

!

Martha Stewart's Holiday to-do List

This just in from the Staff Room:

---------

Are you up to speed, Slackers?

Martha Stewart's Holiday To-Do List
Dec. 1st- Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey.
Spray pain gold, turn upside down & use as a sleigh to hold Christmas Cards.
Dec. 2nd- Have Mormon Tabernacle Choir record outgoing Christmas message
for answering machine.
Dec. 3rd- Using candlewick & hand-gilded miniature pine cones, fashion a
cat-o-nine-tails. Flog Gardener.
Dec. 4th- Repaint Sistine Chapel ceiling in ecru, with mocha trim.
Dec. 5th- Get new eyeglasses. Grind lenses myself.
Dec. 6th- Fax family Christmas newsletter to Pulitzer committee for consideration.
Dec. 7th- Debug Windows (all versions)
Dec. 10th- Align carpets to adjust for curvature of Earth.
Dec. 11th- Lay Faberge egg.
Dec. 12th- Take dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble.
Dec. 13th- Collect dentures. They make excellent decorative pastry cutters.
Dec. 14th- Install plumbing in gingerbread house.
Dec. 15th- Replace air in mini-van tires with Glade "Holiday Scents"
Dec. 17th- Child-proof the Christmas tree with garland of razor-wire.
Dec. 19th- Adjust the legs of chairs so each Christmas dinner guest will be the same height when sitting at his or her assigned seat.
Dec. 20th- Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in confectioner's sugar
to add a festive sparkle to the pasture.
Dec. 21st- Drain city reservoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and cinammon sticks.
Dec. 22nd- Float votive candles in toilet tank.
Dec. 23rd- Seed clouds for white Christmas.
Dec. 24th- Do annual good deed.
Go to several stores.
Be seen engaged in last minute Christmas shopping, thus making people feel less inadequate than they really are.
Dec. 25th- Bear Son.
Swaddle.
Lay in colour-co-ordinated manger scented with homemade potpourri.
Dec. 26th- Organise spice racks by genus and phylum.
Dec. 27th- Build snowman in exact likeness of God.
Dec. 31st- New Year's Eve!! Give staff their resolutions.
Call a friend in each time zone of the world as their clocks strike midnight.

Somewhat Askew

Such a beautiful way to start the day.
I woke up after a perfect 7 hours of delightfully deep sleep.
One glance at the clock and I knew I had best get myself up and going.

God Bless the CBC was saying there was the inevitability of rain, yet the morning sun filtered through grey clouds was trying, grasping, even sneaking into my bedroom.

Tim Horton and I went to the beach with a bagel and some honey creweller Timbits, 6 to be precise.
Tra la la la.
Factoids on the radio.
Waves steel blue rushing horizontally.
Only 8:05. And a huge break between client #1 and 2.
*brilliant idea*
Scheduling? Can I move my clients up a little? I have an hour and 15 min break today."

"Sure. Wait a moment. We can find something for you to do,"
---sound of papers and background voices---
"uh ? Where are you now?"

The beach!"

"Did you go to Susan B.?"
Susan B. The dreaded one, the ritualistic method of food preparation one. My challenge to love.

Nope I have Mr. Trout at 8:15 and then nothing til 10:45."
At least that is what I thought when lazily I cruised through the drive through and off to the Ocean front to pop sugar in my mouth between sips of the worlds most desirable morning coffee. ( with 3 cream).

"Hey, we have you down as being as Susan's at 7:45. For an hour and 15 mins."

Mortified, the coffee chilling in my mouth I frantically looked for my printout. Praise God.
I was not insane.

No. My printout doesnt say that."

I read what I had.
Luckily the scheduler on the other end of the telephone was the one who had printed it out.

"Just go on to Susan's and do your best."

I asked her to call Mr. Trout who was expecting me at 8:15
What a way to start the day.
Susan B. was asleep and thought I had been diligently working away quietly.
Mr. Trout forgave me and things got better.

The coolest part of the whole day was at the end.

My beautiful Norma, I just love her.
She is just winding down from the hell move of all time.
Norma did not want to move.
Norma was forced to move.
Norma has kept a sitting room and two small bedrooms of her best and most beloved but she does not feel at home after 1 month.

She calls it her prison for old ladies. And this is "Assisted living." Imagine if she was in facility.
She would fold up and die.

We had to go through her Master Bedroom to the bathroom with the shower. Her furniture is just as I remember my Grandmothers to be. Very tasteful and probably the same as it was the day she first got it.

Norma this bedroom suite is just beautiful. Look at the bed, it is lovely."
Norma laughed at me.

"It sure is. This is my original wedding set. From my first marriage. This is a great bed! And I was a virgin too! Woo boy what a bed!"

We both sat on the original wedding bed we were laughing so hard.
What a day!
===============

The great majority of people in England and America are modest, decent and pure-minded and the amount of virgins in the world today is stupendous. -- Barbara Cartland 1901-, British Novelist

God bless you for that Ms. Cartland.