There must be something wrong with me. I just came home from work and I feel so fine it is sinful. Maybe it is because I only worked for an hour?? I will try to explain this.
About a month ago I took my sister-in-law to the Dr’s office. While she was inside seeing the Doctor I sat in the waiting room and got to talking to a lady in a wheel chair. This lady was very nice and explained she had fallen and injured herself and was having trouble getting things done. She asked me for my name & phone number so I gave it to her. Did I mention she was elderly? Now you know, gentle reader, I have a soft spot for elderly people. Anyway I I was surprised when I received a call from her brother asking me if I could provide some assistance. Of course I said I would be glad to. I went to the home and gave the lady a full bath. I wasn’t able to do her hair because she had trouble standing and I was afraid I would drop her. She was so thrilled just to have a real good bath and lotion—said she felt like new! Of course I felt good about the whole thing. Than we made arrangements to have me come every week. I went a couple more times and her brother told me some great news. Her therapist said she was doing much better and didn’t seem to be as depressed as she had been previously. Than we come to Mothers Day. My Mother died several years ago so it is a quiet time for me. I got to thinking about Edith and so I called and made arrangements to take her to get her hair and nails done and it would be my treat for Mothers Day. When I picked her up to take her she couldn't believe it. Her daughter, who was here visiting from Georgia, went with us. Fran did her hair and it took awhile because Edith had a terrible build up in her hair. Edith has psoriasis and that takes a special shampoo and treatment. Than Sue did her nails and she really felt like a fabulous. Then I took her home and she was so happy. Today was the day for a bath so I went to the house and gave her a nice bath and lots of lotion. She had a plastic cover on her bed so if she had an ‘accident’ at night the bed wouldn’t get wet. I told her the plastic sheet was not good to sleep on. She said that was all they had so I made a fast trip to the drug store and got her a pad. This only took about a half an hour so it was no big deal but to her it just “put the icing on the cake” is what she said.
I guess this is where the old saying—it is better to give than to receive---comes from. How true it is. I miss running the Home for the Elderly. There was always something going on and it was such a great job. How many
When you can do something for another person and not expect anything in return is what really counts in this world. Most of the time everyone is just too busy and really don’t want to be bothered. I sure hope I don’t get this way.
A couple of months ago I was working in the hospital for a lady. My shift was from ten at night until eight in the morning. I had books to read and a MP3 player for movies so I was awake all the time. In the same room was another lady (elderly) (does this sound familiar). This lady was having a very hard time moving in bed. Carolyn, my lady, was sleeping soundly. I asked the other lady if I could help. She wanted the nurse so I turned on her light for her. It took about 10 minutes for anyone to come. The lady said she wanted to be turned over on her side. The aide replied they were too busy to cater to people and not to call unless it was important! Then she turns to me and said “If she bothers you just ignore her”. “She is just trying to get attention”. The aide leaves and I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I put Carolyn’s light on. When another aide came I asked for the supervisor and reported the whole thing. Then I helped the nurse turn the other lady to a more comfortable position. I could have said a lot more but for what purpose. The aide was rude and didn’t care and no amount of my talking was going to change her.
That reminds me of the lady I met in the mall crying……..
Love Ruth
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
DO NOT RESUCIATATE DNR
I was recently asked my opinion of DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders. This is not an easy thing for anyone to deal with. If you say you want one than you must choose someone who will carry this out. If a person makes the choice it means they know what they want from life. Most of the people I talk to in my home wanted a DNR order issued. If I needed to call 911 when the First Responders came I would tell them whether or not there was a DNR orderfor that person.
A few years ago I received a phone call from a dear friend, Pat. She just wanted me to know she was in the Albany Medical Hospital and due to have a very serious operation. She said this in the same tone you would say “I am going to the store”!!Now, dear reader, I am sure you’re wondering how can a dear friend be in this situation and I not know of it. Well, Pat, my dear friend and I would always call one another if there was a serious problem. Sometimes it would be a few weeks when we didn’t hear from each other but no matter, when we needed to talk we could find each other. It was the type of friendship you could say anything to each other and no offense was ever taken. There are not many folks who can do this so I have always cherished this friendship.
She thought I should know she had just signed a Health Care Proxy and named me as the executor!!! I left for the Albany Medical within half an hour. We talked about her operation, which was life threatening, and what I needed to know. I accepted the job of executor and agreed to do as she wished. I thought this would be easy. WOW!! Was I in for a surprise? You better believe it, gentle reader, and it was going to be a big surprise.
She went into surgery and came out to the Intensive Care Unit. For the first few hours everything was ok and then things started to change. It got to the critical point where she didn’t know me, or her family. The doctor thought she might have had a stroke and as to the recovery he wasn’t sure what would happen. Over the next two days it was getting bad. I tried talking to her doctor but didn’t get any good news. She might be a vegetable if things didn’t improve. She had made it clear she never wanted to live if she was bed-ridden or not in her right mind. Now came the decision time. I was frantic!! This was my best friend and how could I say remove everything???? So I came home and called Dr. Pitkin. Where would I be without this Dr.?? I explained everything and asked what he thought. He said to wait another 24 hours and then call him if she had not improved. So I waited and by the next day she opened her eyes and said “Hi Ruth, where is my sister”? I was so happy I cried. Needless to say from then on she recovered. Now I know what being an executor of a Health Care Proxy is. It is the hardest job I know.
This is such an important issue for everyone because you never know when anything can go wrong and you are on life support. No one wants to think it will happen but it does. Then you have to make sure what you want and who makes the decision. If you do not have a Health Care Proxy already, dear reader, please consider having one done, the sooner, the better.
Until the next time, stop and take a break, call a friend or cheer someone up ………
Love Red
A few years ago I received a phone call from a dear friend, Pat. She just wanted me to know she was in the Albany Medical Hospital and due to have a very serious operation. She said this in the same tone you would say “I am going to the store”!!Now, dear reader, I am sure you’re wondering how can a dear friend be in this situation and I not know of it. Well, Pat, my dear friend and I would always call one another if there was a serious problem. Sometimes it would be a few weeks when we didn’t hear from each other but no matter, when we needed to talk we could find each other. It was the type of friendship you could say anything to each other and no offense was ever taken. There are not many folks who can do this so I have always cherished this friendship.
She thought I should know she had just signed a Health Care Proxy and named me as the executor!!! I left for the Albany Medical within half an hour. We talked about her operation, which was life threatening, and what I needed to know. I accepted the job of executor and agreed to do as she wished. I thought this would be easy. WOW!! Was I in for a surprise? You better believe it, gentle reader, and it was going to be a big surprise.
She went into surgery and came out to the Intensive Care Unit. For the first few hours everything was ok and then things started to change. It got to the critical point where she didn’t know me, or her family. The doctor thought she might have had a stroke and as to the recovery he wasn’t sure what would happen. Over the next two days it was getting bad. I tried talking to her doctor but didn’t get any good news. She might be a vegetable if things didn’t improve. She had made it clear she never wanted to live if she was bed-ridden or not in her right mind. Now came the decision time. I was frantic!! This was my best friend and how could I say remove everything???? So I came home and called Dr. Pitkin. Where would I be without this Dr.?? I explained everything and asked what he thought. He said to wait another 24 hours and then call him if she had not improved. So I waited and by the next day she opened her eyes and said “Hi Ruth, where is my sister”? I was so happy I cried. Needless to say from then on she recovered. Now I know what being an executor of a Health Care Proxy is. It is the hardest job I know.
This is such an important issue for everyone because you never know when anything can go wrong and you are on life support. No one wants to think it will happen but it does. Then you have to make sure what you want and who makes the decision. If you do not have a Health Care Proxy already, dear reader, please consider having one done, the sooner, the better.
Until the next time, stop and take a break, call a friend or cheer someone up ………
Love Red
Saturday, May 10, 2008
KEEP SMILING!!
I started to write about Larry in my last blog. Larry had to have the biggest smile I ever saw!! Even when I got the point of exasperation with him he would just smile and say, very softly, “I didn’t mean it”!!
Larry was 83 when his daughter-in-law brought him to my home. She had told me he had slight dementia and as long as he took his medicine he would be OK. She said they lived in a mobile home with two small children and it was just too much for the family. She brought him on a sunny day and when he came in the door he had a huge smile. He didn’t have many clothes with him so I called Sister Lauren for help. The daughter-in-law, Nancy, only stayed about half an hour and she was gone. She said to call if we needed anything and she would be back to visit. Where have I heard this before?? I am telling you, dear reader, I knew when she left I had a problem. She had left his medicine and the instructions for it. I discovered within two days why she didn’t want him. He was on heavy doses of Haldol which just drugged him up. It was hard to get him to do anything---even take a bath. He would take his medicine and then sit down and sleep. I did not want my people sleeping all the time. I never believed in drugging the folks just to keep everyone quiet. Larry wore depends and when he had an “accident” he would go in his room, take them off and hide the wet Depends in somebody’s drawer. This created all kinds of problems and he just didn’t seem to understand.
I called his doctor and we discussed the medicine. I told him I wanted the Hadol stopped and he agreed. Within three days you could see a huge change in Larry. He smiled all the time but he wanted to be in the kitchen with the aide. Sarah was a very pretty female and Larry just loved to be around her. She finally got him to understand there was a line in the floor and he had to stay on the other side. It was funny dear reader because all you had to do was point to the line and there was Larry with this big smile saying “I see the line”!
There was a day when Larry didn’t smile much. I had wanted new carpeting for quite some time and my dear friend, also named Larry, came to install the carpeting. Well dear reader, it was a total mess. I had tried to empty the rooms for him and everyone was very understanding except Larry. I had breakfast served on the outdoor patio and he was not going outdoors to eat!! So I fixed him a place inside. He started following my friend Larry around and was really getting in the way. Of course my friend never complained but I knew we had to do something. It was almost lunch time and Sarah came to work. She got the outside table ready and got Larry to help her. Than when everyone was outside eating (including Larry) I locked the doors so he couldn’t get it. Well, I am telling you this is the only time I ever saw him mad. He was really upset and angry so I let him in and we just tried to work around him. It took some doing and a lot of patience but we managed. I am telling you, dear reader, even Larry, the carpet man, was smiling!!! When it was all done Larry, my resident, said “I have to go take a nap now I am so tired of helping”!!!
When other people got visitors you could see Larry looking out the window and you knew he wanted to see his family. That was one of the sad times. In all the time Larry was with us, about 2 years, Nancy came to see him once a month. That was to pay his rent. . His son was “just so busy” but he sent his love!!! Than the day came Nancy said they were going to take Larry back home because he had no money left. It seems the family thought if they bought a house with his money they could all live together. I felt terrible about this and Larry didn’t understand why he had to leave. The other people really got upset and depressed because Larry was one of the family now. I heard from his doctor later that Nancy had him put back on Haldol and he was really in rough shape. He died within a year of leaving our home. The one thing I will always remember about Larry is the way his face would light up and the big smile whenever he saw Sarah!!!
It was later in the day when I got the urgent phone call about a DNR order. I will save this story for the next time gentle reader!!
Love Red
Larry was 83 when his daughter-in-law brought him to my home. She had told me he had slight dementia and as long as he took his medicine he would be OK. She said they lived in a mobile home with two small children and it was just too much for the family. She brought him on a sunny day and when he came in the door he had a huge smile. He didn’t have many clothes with him so I called Sister Lauren for help. The daughter-in-law, Nancy, only stayed about half an hour and she was gone. She said to call if we needed anything and she would be back to visit. Where have I heard this before?? I am telling you, dear reader, I knew when she left I had a problem. She had left his medicine and the instructions for it. I discovered within two days why she didn’t want him. He was on heavy doses of Haldol which just drugged him up. It was hard to get him to do anything---even take a bath. He would take his medicine and then sit down and sleep. I did not want my people sleeping all the time. I never believed in drugging the folks just to keep everyone quiet. Larry wore depends and when he had an “accident” he would go in his room, take them off and hide the wet Depends in somebody’s drawer. This created all kinds of problems and he just didn’t seem to understand.
I called his doctor and we discussed the medicine. I told him I wanted the Hadol stopped and he agreed. Within three days you could see a huge change in Larry. He smiled all the time but he wanted to be in the kitchen with the aide. Sarah was a very pretty female and Larry just loved to be around her. She finally got him to understand there was a line in the floor and he had to stay on the other side. It was funny dear reader because all you had to do was point to the line and there was Larry with this big smile saying “I see the line”!
There was a day when Larry didn’t smile much. I had wanted new carpeting for quite some time and my dear friend, also named Larry, came to install the carpeting. Well dear reader, it was a total mess. I had tried to empty the rooms for him and everyone was very understanding except Larry. I had breakfast served on the outdoor patio and he was not going outdoors to eat!! So I fixed him a place inside. He started following my friend Larry around and was really getting in the way. Of course my friend never complained but I knew we had to do something. It was almost lunch time and Sarah came to work. She got the outside table ready and got Larry to help her. Than when everyone was outside eating (including Larry) I locked the doors so he couldn’t get it. Well, I am telling you this is the only time I ever saw him mad. He was really upset and angry so I let him in and we just tried to work around him. It took some doing and a lot of patience but we managed. I am telling you, dear reader, even Larry, the carpet man, was smiling!!! When it was all done Larry, my resident, said “I have to go take a nap now I am so tired of helping”!!!
When other people got visitors you could see Larry looking out the window and you knew he wanted to see his family. That was one of the sad times. In all the time Larry was with us, about 2 years, Nancy came to see him once a month. That was to pay his rent. . His son was “just so busy” but he sent his love!!! Than the day came Nancy said they were going to take Larry back home because he had no money left. It seems the family thought if they bought a house with his money they could all live together. I felt terrible about this and Larry didn’t understand why he had to leave. The other people really got upset and depressed because Larry was one of the family now. I heard from his doctor later that Nancy had him put back on Haldol and he was really in rough shape. He died within a year of leaving our home. The one thing I will always remember about Larry is the way his face would light up and the big smile whenever he saw Sarah!!!
It was later in the day when I got the urgent phone call about a DNR order. I will save this story for the next time gentle reader!!
Love Red
Thursday, May 1, 2008
WINDS of CHANGE
Believe it or not I heard the wind blowing. That meant a change was coming. I had no idea what a change it was bringing that night. I also noticed there was a full moon on this night. I know a lot of folks don’t believe in this but I am telling you when a full moon appears people with mental problems are really affected!!I I will give you credit, dear reader, I never believed it either until Bob came.
I had mentioned Bob before. He is the WW2 veteran who was a prisoner on the Burma Road death march. He was held prisoner and they cut the bottom of his feet so he couldn’t run. When he returned to the states after the war he was placed in the Veterans Hospital and he lived there for years. They determined his mental condition would not allow him to live independtly. He was diagnosed as a manic depressive schizophrenic. When he was in his 60’s he came to live with us. He was in the hospital and his sister called to see if I could take him. I went to pick him up and discovered I was really going to have my hands full. While riding in my car from the hospital he threatened to jump out of the car if I didn’t take him to see his attorney IMMEDIATELY!! He had his hand on the door handle and I knew he was serious. I got him quieted down by telling him the attorney was on vacation and would be back next week. That worked for a while. When we got home I showed him his room and he seemed happy. He wanted six glasses of water, lukewarm, placed on his dresser. I did this right away and this was a standard thing and no one was allowed to touch the. He kept this up until the day he died. I had placed a metal wardrobe in his room for clothes and he put everythiung he had away. He opened the doors on this so many times he drove Emily crazy. She had the room next to his. I said “Bob, why are you opening these doors all the time.” He said “I have to make sure no one takes my clothes”!! I said “No one will take anything while you’re here; Bob so please keep them closed”. He replied “ I don’t trust anyone but I will try to leave them alone”. It wasn’t five minutes later and you could hear him opening the doors!! I said, Bob, Your making too much noise and you need to stop this immediately”!! He said “I am not making any noise”!! That is when I realized he couldn’t hear well. The next day I took him to the Veterans Hospital in Albany and he was seen by a specialist. The Dr. cleaned his ears out and one of the first things he said was “Why are you talking so loud”?? When he got home he opened up the closet door to put his coat away and then said, very seriously, “Boy!! That is really noisy”!! He quieted down quite a bit after that. When Dr. Pitkin came to see him he explained about all the medicine Bob took and said how important it was for him to be on this. He was on Lithium and Thorazine. He didn’t like taking medicine but he would take it, sometimes very slowly. Then one day I noticed he was acting very differently. Not like him at all. No matter what anyone said he would argue and when he did it was “in your face” type with a voice slightly raised. I suspected he was off his medicine. I checked his room, closet, pockets and everyplace you could think of. I couldn’t find anything. Of course he wouldn’t let me search him so I figured out a plan.
I told him he had to go to the hospital for a checkup. He said Ok so he got in the car. I drove him to the Corinth Hospital where I knew Vic (PA) was working. I left Bob in the car and went in and told Vic what was going on. Then I brought Bob in. Vic told Bob to empty his pockets first. Bob did so immediately. One thing about Bob was he was afraid of authority and if told to do something he did. Guess what was in his pockets!!!!He had over 40 pills all mixed up. Vic said, Bob, what are all these pills for”? Bob said, She gives me them and I don’t think I need them so I put them away”. Vic said, very sternly, “Bob you have to take them every day or go back to the hospital”. Bob replied, raising his voice a little “I am never going back to the hospital to live”!!
Vic said, very calmly “Then you go home and take your medicine and we will forget about this”! When we got back home that evening I noticed the wind had died down to just a breeze!! Needless to say Bob started taking his medicine again and things started getting back to normal. I was never sure what normal was at our home but it sure was quiet for a while. There was a few times later over the years when he would quit taking his medicine but by then I could get him to the VA Hospital. They would put him in a “lock down” ward for thirty days and then start his medicine back up. I would always go get him of course.
Dear reader you will find this very interesting. Dr. Pitkin stopped at the house one day to show me an article he found in a magazine. Lithium was one of the main ingredients put in Cokes for many years in the 1920”s!! Do you think this had anything to do with the “Roaring Twenties”??? It really makes you smile when you think about it, gentle reader.
Speaking of smiling I remember Larry and ……..
Love Red
I had mentioned Bob before. He is the WW2 veteran who was a prisoner on the Burma Road death march. He was held prisoner and they cut the bottom of his feet so he couldn’t run. When he returned to the states after the war he was placed in the Veterans Hospital and he lived there for years. They determined his mental condition would not allow him to live independtly. He was diagnosed as a manic depressive schizophrenic. When he was in his 60’s he came to live with us. He was in the hospital and his sister called to see if I could take him. I went to pick him up and discovered I was really going to have my hands full. While riding in my car from the hospital he threatened to jump out of the car if I didn’t take him to see his attorney IMMEDIATELY!! He had his hand on the door handle and I knew he was serious. I got him quieted down by telling him the attorney was on vacation and would be back next week. That worked for a while. When we got home I showed him his room and he seemed happy. He wanted six glasses of water, lukewarm, placed on his dresser. I did this right away and this was a standard thing and no one was allowed to touch the. He kept this up until the day he died. I had placed a metal wardrobe in his room for clothes and he put everythiung he had away. He opened the doors on this so many times he drove Emily crazy. She had the room next to his. I said “Bob, why are you opening these doors all the time.” He said “I have to make sure no one takes my clothes”!! I said “No one will take anything while you’re here; Bob so please keep them closed”. He replied “ I don’t trust anyone but I will try to leave them alone”. It wasn’t five minutes later and you could hear him opening the doors!! I said, Bob, Your making too much noise and you need to stop this immediately”!! He said “I am not making any noise”!! That is when I realized he couldn’t hear well. The next day I took him to the Veterans Hospital in Albany and he was seen by a specialist. The Dr. cleaned his ears out and one of the first things he said was “Why are you talking so loud”?? When he got home he opened up the closet door to put his coat away and then said, very seriously, “Boy!! That is really noisy”!! He quieted down quite a bit after that. When Dr. Pitkin came to see him he explained about all the medicine Bob took and said how important it was for him to be on this. He was on Lithium and Thorazine. He didn’t like taking medicine but he would take it, sometimes very slowly. Then one day I noticed he was acting very differently. Not like him at all. No matter what anyone said he would argue and when he did it was “in your face” type with a voice slightly raised. I suspected he was off his medicine. I checked his room, closet, pockets and everyplace you could think of. I couldn’t find anything. Of course he wouldn’t let me search him so I figured out a plan.
I told him he had to go to the hospital for a checkup. He said Ok so he got in the car. I drove him to the Corinth Hospital where I knew Vic (PA) was working. I left Bob in the car and went in and told Vic what was going on. Then I brought Bob in. Vic told Bob to empty his pockets first. Bob did so immediately. One thing about Bob was he was afraid of authority and if told to do something he did. Guess what was in his pockets!!!!He had over 40 pills all mixed up. Vic said, Bob, what are all these pills for”? Bob said, She gives me them and I don’t think I need them so I put them away”. Vic said, very sternly, “Bob you have to take them every day or go back to the hospital”. Bob replied, raising his voice a little “I am never going back to the hospital to live”!!
Vic said, very calmly “Then you go home and take your medicine and we will forget about this”! When we got back home that evening I noticed the wind had died down to just a breeze!! Needless to say Bob started taking his medicine again and things started getting back to normal. I was never sure what normal was at our home but it sure was quiet for a while. There was a few times later over the years when he would quit taking his medicine but by then I could get him to the VA Hospital. They would put him in a “lock down” ward for thirty days and then start his medicine back up. I would always go get him of course.
Dear reader you will find this very interesting. Dr. Pitkin stopped at the house one day to show me an article he found in a magazine. Lithium was one of the main ingredients put in Cokes for many years in the 1920”s!! Do you think this had anything to do with the “Roaring Twenties”??? It really makes you smile when you think about it, gentle reader.
Speaking of smiling I remember Larry and ……..
Love Red
Friday, April 25, 2008
THE CUCKOO'S NEST
I read a newspaper article about the movie “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and I had to laugh at the memory of this. It is ironic that when you see something that really made you laugh hard once you will do the same thing years later when you see this again.
It had been a hectic day at the house. I had to go grocery shopping and I really didn’t like to. It would take three to four hours to do all of it. I would usually fill six or seven grocery carts. I would fill one, take it to the front of the store, fill another and do the same until I was done. When they saw me in the grocery store they were kind enough to open a aisle for me, imagine that, dear reader!!When you think about it grocery shopping is WORK. You load the cart, unload on the counter, load in the truck, and unload the groceries, carrying them in the house!!!
I had groceries all over, on the floor, table, counter, and any place that was empty. Of course everyone wanted to help. I told them I had to do it myself so I would know where everything was—and of course they believed me. (I never knew where anything was)!!
I finally got all of them put away and had just sat down to have a cup of coffee when Emily asked for me. She didn’t feel good and was having severe pains in her side. I tried to get her comfortable and told her I would call the doctor. I headed for the phone and got stopped by Bob. He said “I just broke a glass and I need a broom”. I told him “Wait just a minute, Bob, and I will take care of it. You go sit down”. Bob said “I am not waiting, I need a broom NOW” Bob could really get upset, especially if he was off his medicine. I grabbed a broom and got the worst up and then told him “Don’t move”!!! I grabbed the phone and called Dr. Pitkin.
When Dr. Pitkin answered I said”Doc I hate to bother you but I have a problem with Emily”. I hear Dr. Pitkin laughing hard and then he said”We just finished watching a movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest and it reminded me of your place!!! I hadn’t seen the movie so I just said, “Well it must have been good”! He listened to what was wrong with Emily and of course came right to the house. He was still grinning broadly when he came in. We went to Emily’s room so he could check her out.
The end result was she had diverticulitis. He ordered some medicine for her and started to leave. Bob stopped him to tell him about the glass. He just wanted Doc to know he was OK. In Bob’s eyes Dr. Pitkin was his dearest friend and I am certain Doc really liked him. I finally got to see the movie and I must say, dear reader, it sure fit my place. I will always laugh when I see or hear about it. Isn’t it great to have such wonderful memories of days gone by? It is just like the wind.
When the wind blows it always brings changes and speaking of changes do you remember when the wind was blowing hard and …..
Love Red
It had been a hectic day at the house. I had to go grocery shopping and I really didn’t like to. It would take three to four hours to do all of it. I would usually fill six or seven grocery carts. I would fill one, take it to the front of the store, fill another and do the same until I was done. When they saw me in the grocery store they were kind enough to open a aisle for me, imagine that, dear reader!!When you think about it grocery shopping is WORK. You load the cart, unload on the counter, load in the truck, and unload the groceries, carrying them in the house!!!
I had groceries all over, on the floor, table, counter, and any place that was empty. Of course everyone wanted to help. I told them I had to do it myself so I would know where everything was—and of course they believed me. (I never knew where anything was)!!
I finally got all of them put away and had just sat down to have a cup of coffee when Emily asked for me. She didn’t feel good and was having severe pains in her side. I tried to get her comfortable and told her I would call the doctor. I headed for the phone and got stopped by Bob. He said “I just broke a glass and I need a broom”. I told him “Wait just a minute, Bob, and I will take care of it. You go sit down”. Bob said “I am not waiting, I need a broom NOW” Bob could really get upset, especially if he was off his medicine. I grabbed a broom and got the worst up and then told him “Don’t move”!!! I grabbed the phone and called Dr. Pitkin.
When Dr. Pitkin answered I said”Doc I hate to bother you but I have a problem with Emily”. I hear Dr. Pitkin laughing hard and then he said”We just finished watching a movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest and it reminded me of your place!!! I hadn’t seen the movie so I just said, “Well it must have been good”! He listened to what was wrong with Emily and of course came right to the house. He was still grinning broadly when he came in. We went to Emily’s room so he could check her out.
The end result was she had diverticulitis. He ordered some medicine for her and started to leave. Bob stopped him to tell him about the glass. He just wanted Doc to know he was OK. In Bob’s eyes Dr. Pitkin was his dearest friend and I am certain Doc really liked him. I finally got to see the movie and I must say, dear reader, it sure fit my place. I will always laugh when I see or hear about it. Isn’t it great to have such wonderful memories of days gone by? It is just like the wind.
When the wind blows it always brings changes and speaking of changes do you remember when the wind was blowing hard and …..
Love Red
Friday, April 11, 2008
DISCRIMINATION OF MEDICARE
I recently had to call a Doctor. I was having a skin problem and so I asked a few people who would be a good Dermatologist to see. The one recommended the most was too busy so I called another one. When I asked for an appointment the receptionist asked what insurance I had. I replied “I have Medicare and “, she stopped me immediately and said “The Doctor doesn’t accept Medicare!” I said “I didn’t say Medicaid I said Medicare because I am past 65”. She replied" I know you said Medicare but the Doctor does not accept that”. I asked “What is the problem with Medicare since you have to have it if you’re over 65?” She said" the Doctor made the rules and I follow them”. I said" this is discrimination of the elderly and I wonder where he took his Hippocratic Oath?” She answered that by hanging up on me. I was just furious. I have never heard of any doctor doing this. I made several calls around the area and no one else had but one receptionist said she had heard of it in Albany.
I remember when the great Dr. Pitkin made calls at my house for a lot of my people. The many times he said” This is just a social call” or else “I was passing by” I never heard of him refusing anyone medical attention. If they had Medicare or Medicaid he treated everyone alike. I also remember Dr. Vinicor doing the same thing with any of my residents. There was one thing that Dr. Vinicor did and I remember this with a smile.
When there was a holiday, Thanksgiving or Christmas, I baked a lot. It was nothing, dear reader, for me to bake 10 or 15 pies for the folks to enjoy. I would spend the day just baking. When Kate came to work at 4:00 PM the kitchen was a mess!! She took over cleaning everything while we set the pies out to cool. One day, in the middle of all this, one of my people became ill. I had about 6 apple pies done and was just starting the rhubarb pies, so I stopped and called Dr. Vinicor. He said he would be there shortly. He arrived and was amazed at all the pies sitting on the table. He went ahead and took care of the person and started to put his coat on. He was telling me how Alice, his wife, liked homemade pie and so as he passed by the table, heading for the door, he picked up an apple pie and said” Thanks so much for the pie and I will tell Alice who made it.” I had to laugh but believe me it made me happy to know Alice would like that pie!!
I also remember when I had another lady named Mary. She was in the Saratoga hospital with a very bad bed sore. She came to live with us in April. She really brightened the place up because she loved to sing. She enjoyed songs from the 40’s and what a beautiful voice. During her earlier years she was a senior editor of Collier’s magazine. She had broken her hip and had to have surgery. For some reason she developed a sore that would not heal. If you sang a sentence of a song she would finish it for you. I was never able to get the best of her with any song. Dr. Pitkin came to see her a lot and he called in Dr. Maningas once to help. When Dr. Maningus arrived Mary was singing a Glenn Miller song and he was so surprised. He remarked he wouldn’t mind listening to her at all. This was another Doctor who never refused anyone because of Medicare. He just treated all people equal. I also dealt a lot with Dr. Herzlinger and Dr. Soifer who are dentists. They never refused services either. I also had Dr. Sinniapkin and he never refused services because of Medicare.
I realize we have a small community here but I dealt with many many doctors over the years and not one ever refused any of my people service because of Medicare. I wonder, dear reader, what will happen in the future to the elderly who have to use Medicare. When I was denied service I almost cried to think that a doctor would refuse to treat me. I am so glad I do not have this to deal with now. Heaven only knows what I would have said if this was when I just started in my business. To me you are putting down the elderly and the only thing important to those doctors is the money. If they are complaining about their cost than maybe they don’t need the fancy offices and all the personnel. Dr. Pitkin has worked as a MD for over 50 years in the same office without the fancy furniture and he still did well. This is one of the things you really appreciate in the world today. I always loved the elderly people and now I have joined the ranks of being one of them. Come to think of it, dear reader, most of the Doctors I know are almost there to……………
Love Red
I remember when the great Dr. Pitkin made calls at my house for a lot of my people. The many times he said” This is just a social call” or else “I was passing by” I never heard of him refusing anyone medical attention. If they had Medicare or Medicaid he treated everyone alike. I also remember Dr. Vinicor doing the same thing with any of my residents. There was one thing that Dr. Vinicor did and I remember this with a smile.
When there was a holiday, Thanksgiving or Christmas, I baked a lot. It was nothing, dear reader, for me to bake 10 or 15 pies for the folks to enjoy. I would spend the day just baking. When Kate came to work at 4:00 PM the kitchen was a mess!! She took over cleaning everything while we set the pies out to cool. One day, in the middle of all this, one of my people became ill. I had about 6 apple pies done and was just starting the rhubarb pies, so I stopped and called Dr. Vinicor. He said he would be there shortly. He arrived and was amazed at all the pies sitting on the table. He went ahead and took care of the person and started to put his coat on. He was telling me how Alice, his wife, liked homemade pie and so as he passed by the table, heading for the door, he picked up an apple pie and said” Thanks so much for the pie and I will tell Alice who made it.” I had to laugh but believe me it made me happy to know Alice would like that pie!!
I also remember when I had another lady named Mary. She was in the Saratoga hospital with a very bad bed sore. She came to live with us in April. She really brightened the place up because she loved to sing. She enjoyed songs from the 40’s and what a beautiful voice. During her earlier years she was a senior editor of Collier’s magazine. She had broken her hip and had to have surgery. For some reason she developed a sore that would not heal. If you sang a sentence of a song she would finish it for you. I was never able to get the best of her with any song. Dr. Pitkin came to see her a lot and he called in Dr. Maningas once to help. When Dr. Maningus arrived Mary was singing a Glenn Miller song and he was so surprised. He remarked he wouldn’t mind listening to her at all. This was another Doctor who never refused anyone because of Medicare. He just treated all people equal. I also dealt a lot with Dr. Herzlinger and Dr. Soifer who are dentists. They never refused services either. I also had Dr. Sinniapkin and he never refused services because of Medicare.
I realize we have a small community here but I dealt with many many doctors over the years and not one ever refused any of my people service because of Medicare. I wonder, dear reader, what will happen in the future to the elderly who have to use Medicare. When I was denied service I almost cried to think that a doctor would refuse to treat me. I am so glad I do not have this to deal with now. Heaven only knows what I would have said if this was when I just started in my business. To me you are putting down the elderly and the only thing important to those doctors is the money. If they are complaining about their cost than maybe they don’t need the fancy offices and all the personnel. Dr. Pitkin has worked as a MD for over 50 years in the same office without the fancy furniture and he still did well. This is one of the things you really appreciate in the world today. I always loved the elderly people and now I have joined the ranks of being one of them. Come to think of it, dear reader, most of the Doctors I know are almost there to……………
Love Red
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
ALCOHOL AND THE ELDERLY
I heard a news report today on the elderly & drinking. I am always interested when someone says elderly, of course. I just wish they would tell me when you get elderly because I can’t figure this out.
One of my people was an alcoholic and I did not even realize this until she had been there for several months. I had received a call from the hospital in Ballston Spa looking for an empty bed for a lady. You know me, dear reader, I never say no. It just happened one of my people had died a few days earlier so I had room This lady, Annie, was in her early 80’s, a little thin and not too friendly at first. She had a home but could not go back and live alone. I was not told why but of course I took her home with me. When we arrived home she said hello to everyone and then wanted to know where her room was. I showed her and then sat down to have a talk and find out what she liked and didn't like. This was always very important to folks so they would feel like it was their home also.
It was important to know what they liked to eat and what TV programs they preferred which sometimes was a little touchy. What time they preferred to go to bed and get up. We always tried to make the person feel like they could do anything and sometimes it got very interesting. This was not always easy but we always managed. The times we ran into problems was when some wanted to watch “soaps” on one channel and of course others wanted to watch on a different channel. I solved this by taping one program so eventually they all watched all the soaps. If I never hear another“soap” program I will be happy!!!
I got Annie settled in her room and started getting dinner together. She came out to the kitchen and wanted to help but I told her the kitchen was “off limits” when we were cooking. I got her a cup of coffee so she could sit at the table and talk while I worked. She wanted me to take her to her house the next day to get her clothes. I said “I don’t have a problem with that but you must remember you cannot stay there”. She replied” I just want my clothes, nothing else and it won’t take me very long”. She told me her husband had died a couple of years ago and he was a pharmacist. She had been living alone and just could not do it anymore. The next day I took her to her home down by Albany. It was a beautiful home in a very nice neighborhood. We proceeded to go inside and get her things together. I let her pack all she wanted and then she went in the bathroom to get her own towels and lotions. I loaded everything and we headed home. She wanted lunch and so we stopped at a diner and got a sandwich. She mentioned she would like a drink but I said no because of your medicines. She wasn't too happy but that seemed fine. We got home and unloaded everything and I left her in her room putting everything away. When she came to the table she was in a very good mood and I figured it was because she had her own things. After dinner I sat at the table and she came over and sat down and stared talking about her money!!!She said there was several hundred dollars in a jar in the closet at her house in loose change her husband had saved. I asked her why she did’t tell me when we were there and she said she forgot about it. She thought maybe I could go get it the next day! I asked her who her lawyer was and she said she didn't have one. I told her I knew a person she could call because I was not going to her house again without a person with me. She hired the lawyer and he took care of everything. She had no idea she had so much money. Her husband’s car was still in the garage (new) . She had no relatives and neither did he. I could write a book on this lady… She was always very happy to go see the lawyer. I would take her to the office but never go inside with her. I figured the less I knew the better I was. I had been making plans to go to Indiana and visit my family and she begged me to take her. I finally gave in and she went with me. It was nice but I never tried something like that again. She would have one of my workers take her for rides and I thought everything was fine. Than one morning she acted so strange. Not any one thing just a lot of small things. She was so grouchy and irritable. Food didn't taste right, and then I noticed she was kind of shaky. I took her to the ER at Saratoga Hospital and the Dr. recognized her immediately. She was having withdrawal symptoms from drinking. When we moved her stuff to my home she had managed to put a lot of small liquor bottles in with her clothes!!!! That was when I found out the background and I was amazed. It seems her and her husband both drank a lot, starting when he retired. He died and she had been in and out of the hospital many times over drinking and falling. She got admitted to the Mental Health and then into a rehabilitation center. She used to call me once in a while and say hello but she died from cancer in rehabilitation center a few months later. It was so sad because she really was a very nice person who was just very very lonely.
I wonder how many elderly people there are who are just lonely and need someone to care. I know how nice it is around here to have Dr. Pitkin to make house calls because at least they have someone who cares. Come to think of it I think I better call him myself……
Love Red
One of my people was an alcoholic and I did not even realize this until she had been there for several months. I had received a call from the hospital in Ballston Spa looking for an empty bed for a lady. You know me, dear reader, I never say no. It just happened one of my people had died a few days earlier so I had room This lady, Annie, was in her early 80’s, a little thin and not too friendly at first. She had a home but could not go back and live alone. I was not told why but of course I took her home with me. When we arrived home she said hello to everyone and then wanted to know where her room was. I showed her and then sat down to have a talk and find out what she liked and didn't like. This was always very important to folks so they would feel like it was their home also.
It was important to know what they liked to eat and what TV programs they preferred which sometimes was a little touchy. What time they preferred to go to bed and get up. We always tried to make the person feel like they could do anything and sometimes it got very interesting. This was not always easy but we always managed. The times we ran into problems was when some wanted to watch “soaps” on one channel and of course others wanted to watch on a different channel. I solved this by taping one program so eventually they all watched all the soaps. If I never hear another“soap” program I will be happy!!!
I got Annie settled in her room and started getting dinner together. She came out to the kitchen and wanted to help but I told her the kitchen was “off limits” when we were cooking. I got her a cup of coffee so she could sit at the table and talk while I worked. She wanted me to take her to her house the next day to get her clothes. I said “I don’t have a problem with that but you must remember you cannot stay there”. She replied” I just want my clothes, nothing else and it won’t take me very long”. She told me her husband had died a couple of years ago and he was a pharmacist. She had been living alone and just could not do it anymore. The next day I took her to her home down by Albany. It was a beautiful home in a very nice neighborhood. We proceeded to go inside and get her things together. I let her pack all she wanted and then she went in the bathroom to get her own towels and lotions. I loaded everything and we headed home. She wanted lunch and so we stopped at a diner and got a sandwich. She mentioned she would like a drink but I said no because of your medicines. She wasn't too happy but that seemed fine. We got home and unloaded everything and I left her in her room putting everything away. When she came to the table she was in a very good mood and I figured it was because she had her own things. After dinner I sat at the table and she came over and sat down and stared talking about her money!!!She said there was several hundred dollars in a jar in the closet at her house in loose change her husband had saved. I asked her why she did’t tell me when we were there and she said she forgot about it. She thought maybe I could go get it the next day! I asked her who her lawyer was and she said she didn't have one. I told her I knew a person she could call because I was not going to her house again without a person with me. She hired the lawyer and he took care of everything. She had no idea she had so much money. Her husband’s car was still in the garage (new) . She had no relatives and neither did he. I could write a book on this lady… She was always very happy to go see the lawyer. I would take her to the office but never go inside with her. I figured the less I knew the better I was. I had been making plans to go to Indiana and visit my family and she begged me to take her. I finally gave in and she went with me. It was nice but I never tried something like that again. She would have one of my workers take her for rides and I thought everything was fine. Than one morning she acted so strange. Not any one thing just a lot of small things. She was so grouchy and irritable. Food didn't taste right, and then I noticed she was kind of shaky. I took her to the ER at Saratoga Hospital and the Dr. recognized her immediately. She was having withdrawal symptoms from drinking. When we moved her stuff to my home she had managed to put a lot of small liquor bottles in with her clothes!!!! That was when I found out the background and I was amazed. It seems her and her husband both drank a lot, starting when he retired. He died and she had been in and out of the hospital many times over drinking and falling. She got admitted to the Mental Health and then into a rehabilitation center. She used to call me once in a while and say hello but she died from cancer in rehabilitation center a few months later. It was so sad because she really was a very nice person who was just very very lonely.
I wonder how many elderly people there are who are just lonely and need someone to care. I know how nice it is around here to have Dr. Pitkin to make house calls because at least they have someone who cares. Come to think of it I think I better call him myself……
Love Red
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