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
Friday, April 25, 2008
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
Friday, March 21, 2008
GETTING PERSONAL
I have really been a long time in writing in my blog. I must apologize again for being so slow!!
I was having trouble with my eyes and just had to find the answers—I am one of the impatient types. Last July my eye doctor told me I had macular degeneration. I had not heard of this before and he said it was nothing to worry about and gave me some vitamins to take. I asked if I needed new glasses and he said no it wouldn’t help right now.I told him I would do anything to keep my sight no matter what the cost. He said I was doing fine and not to worry. Than in August Dr. Pitkin told me I had Diabetes2. Now I am starting to worry because I do not have time for all of these things. I am not used to anything being wrong so I got really upset. I called my dear friend Dr. Hurt at the MAYO CLINIC in Rochester Minnesota and explained to him about being diagnosed with Diabetes2 and asked him what I should do. You will appreciate his answer, dear reader, because he does not mince words!!!! He said “Do you really want me to tell you?” I said “I most certainly do because I do not have time to worry about this”!! He replied very slowly saying, “Get the fat off, Ruth. You must walk more everyday for at least a half hour. I reply ” I can’t walk that long on my treadmill, because I can’t breathe good.” He said” Than walk for ten minutes, take a break and do ten more until you have walked thirty minutes a day.” If you do that you will notice your blood sugar will drop”. So I started doing what he said and very slowly I noticed a change. I even started breathing better!! Dr. Pitkin had also sent me to the Diabetic Center in Glens Falls to see Karen Hogan. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this made in my life. So I started doing what he said and very slowly I noticed a change. I even started breathing better!! Dr. Pitkin had also sent me to the Diabetic Center in Glens Falls to see Karen Hogan. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this made in my life. You never feel rushed or dumb about being a diabetic. This first visit took over an hour and it went fast. She explained everything to me and gave me such great foods to eat that I felt like a new person when I left. By now I am into October and feeling much better, lost 26 lbs. walking on the treadmill!!. Started writing blogs and thought everything was fine. In December I had my eye surgery for droopy eye lid and it helped so much to see.
Than in January I noticed I was having a little trouble seeing things on the computer clearly. This time I called the Mayo Clinic and found out they had a research program going for people with Macular Degeneration. If I qualified I would have regular exams and all my medicine would be paid for, for the next five years. I thought this would be great so I agreed to be tested. I flew out to the Mayo Clinic in February and was tested. When the Dr. finished he said ‘Your Macular Degeneration is to far advanced.” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I had absolutely no idea it was getting so bad. I asked him for a time frame and he said I would probably be blind in 5 years. I really thought I could handle anything but this just knocked me off my feet. I don’t remember leaving the Clinic and going back to the hotel but I remember how angry I was and crying and trying to explain this to Dave and all my friends. It was just devastating to me. How could I take care of my people if I was blind?? How could I see my daughter’s face again and so many things My friends all tried to cheer me up and I knew the Dr. was wrong. After I thought about it for a while I remembered that this was a Dr. and not God.
When God tells me than I will believe it, and He hadn’t told me yet!!
When I was talking to my attorney I told him about the trip. He said “You must go get a second opinion!” So I went to the Lions Eye Center in Slingerlands. There the Dr. did all the tests and also injected dye into my eye for a complete exam. When he finished he told me I have mild to moderate Macular Degeneration and as long as I continued to take Oculite with Lutein twice a day and eat a lot of green leafy vegetables and fish three times a week I should be fine. He said in his opinion I would have good vision for about 15 years. I told him what happened at the Mayo Clinic and he told me “When the Mayo Clinic runs a research program for Macular Degeneration they only take people who have been diagnosed within the last month. The Dr. probably meant I was too far advanced for his research and not that my macular degeneration was to far advanced!! He did not know why he gave me five years but in his opinion I was doing well and was not advanced. I tell you, folks, I felt like a million dollars.
Then I read about Governor Patterson and realize I have no business complaining! I still have a lot going for me so I guess I just needed a “wake-up” call and I sure got it. I have to remember to count my blessings because I sure have a lot and to all my many friends who helped prop me up I say, from my heart, Thank You and I love you folks, dearly.
I will get back to doing my blogs, so please dear readers hang in there with me because I still have a lot of stories. I remember………
Love RED
I was having trouble with my eyes and just had to find the answers—I am one of the impatient types. Last July my eye doctor told me I had macular degeneration. I had not heard of this before and he said it was nothing to worry about and gave me some vitamins to take. I asked if I needed new glasses and he said no it wouldn’t help right now.I told him I would do anything to keep my sight no matter what the cost. He said I was doing fine and not to worry. Than in August Dr. Pitkin told me I had Diabetes2. Now I am starting to worry because I do not have time for all of these things. I am not used to anything being wrong so I got really upset. I called my dear friend Dr. Hurt at the MAYO CLINIC in Rochester Minnesota and explained to him about being diagnosed with Diabetes2 and asked him what I should do. You will appreciate his answer, dear reader, because he does not mince words!!!! He said “Do you really want me to tell you?” I said “I most certainly do because I do not have time to worry about this”!! He replied very slowly saying, “Get the fat off, Ruth. You must walk more everyday for at least a half hour. I reply ” I can’t walk that long on my treadmill, because I can’t breathe good.” He said” Than walk for ten minutes, take a break and do ten more until you have walked thirty minutes a day.” If you do that you will notice your blood sugar will drop”. So I started doing what he said and very slowly I noticed a change. I even started breathing better!! Dr. Pitkin had also sent me to the Diabetic Center in Glens Falls to see Karen Hogan. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this made in my life. So I started doing what he said and very slowly I noticed a change. I even started breathing better!! Dr. Pitkin had also sent me to the Diabetic Center in Glens Falls to see Karen Hogan. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this made in my life. You never feel rushed or dumb about being a diabetic. This first visit took over an hour and it went fast. She explained everything to me and gave me such great foods to eat that I felt like a new person when I left. By now I am into October and feeling much better, lost 26 lbs. walking on the treadmill!!. Started writing blogs and thought everything was fine. In December I had my eye surgery for droopy eye lid and it helped so much to see.
Than in January I noticed I was having a little trouble seeing things on the computer clearly. This time I called the Mayo Clinic and found out they had a research program going for people with Macular Degeneration. If I qualified I would have regular exams and all my medicine would be paid for, for the next five years. I thought this would be great so I agreed to be tested. I flew out to the Mayo Clinic in February and was tested. When the Dr. finished he said ‘Your Macular Degeneration is to far advanced.” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I had absolutely no idea it was getting so bad. I asked him for a time frame and he said I would probably be blind in 5 years. I really thought I could handle anything but this just knocked me off my feet. I don’t remember leaving the Clinic and going back to the hotel but I remember how angry I was and crying and trying to explain this to Dave and all my friends. It was just devastating to me. How could I take care of my people if I was blind?? How could I see my daughter’s face again and so many things My friends all tried to cheer me up and I knew the Dr. was wrong. After I thought about it for a while I remembered that this was a Dr. and not God.
When God tells me than I will believe it, and He hadn’t told me yet!!
When I was talking to my attorney I told him about the trip. He said “You must go get a second opinion!” So I went to the Lions Eye Center in Slingerlands. There the Dr. did all the tests and also injected dye into my eye for a complete exam. When he finished he told me I have mild to moderate Macular Degeneration and as long as I continued to take Oculite with Lutein twice a day and eat a lot of green leafy vegetables and fish three times a week I should be fine. He said in his opinion I would have good vision for about 15 years. I told him what happened at the Mayo Clinic and he told me “When the Mayo Clinic runs a research program for Macular Degeneration they only take people who have been diagnosed within the last month. The Dr. probably meant I was too far advanced for his research and not that my macular degeneration was to far advanced!! He did not know why he gave me five years but in his opinion I was doing well and was not advanced. I tell you, folks, I felt like a million dollars.
Then I read about Governor Patterson and realize I have no business complaining! I still have a lot going for me so I guess I just needed a “wake-up” call and I sure got it. I have to remember to count my blessings because I sure have a lot and to all my many friends who helped prop me up I say, from my heart, Thank You and I love you folks, dearly.
I will get back to doing my blogs, so please dear readers hang in there with me because I still have a lot of stories. I remember………
Love RED
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
GENTLEMEN OF THE OLD SCHOOL
I received a call from Dr. Pitkin one day. It seems a lady had to go to the hospital and she needed a place for her husband to stay while she was gone. They were both in their late 80”s. The problem with Albert was, he was in a wheelchair because he had no legs. Doc( I always called Dr. Pitkin, Doc) said Albert was really very good at dressing & caring for himself, so I said sure. Albert was a gentleman from the “old school” Extremely good natured man with a twinkle in his eyes and excellent manners. He really tried to take care of his own needs with little or no help. He always wore a smile and loved to talk, mostly about his wife. His wife, Lulu, was a retired school teacher and she knew Gertrude,( from a previous story.) The had taught school together for several years. Albert told us that Lulu told him to mind his manners at our place. She was also very jealous of him. He said it used to be when he went out in his garden to pull weeds, if the neighbor lady came out Lulu made him come in the house. He was really proud of her. They had never been separated and he really missed her. Their 62nd anniversary was the next day so I arranged with the hospital for Albert to call Lulu. I remember most of the conversation was “Yes, Dear”!!!!”Yes Dear”!! Than he said “ There are no young women here!!” I really loved that part.!! I must have been elderly than and just didn't know it !!The next day for lunch I served soup and sandwiches. Albert watched Gertrude very carefully. When she was almost done she picked the bowl up and drank the broth. Albert sat there a few minutes and than did the same thing. When lunch was over Albert went to his room for a nap. Than he told me “ If Gertrude can drink from the bowl, so can I and Lulu can't complain”!!! (:>)!!
It was always a pleasure to care for men who had always been “gentlemen” but than of course there are the others. The ones who have no manners or respect for themselves and the rest of the world.
I had one of them, very early in the business. I received a call from a lady who needed a place for her father who was in his 80's. He was in the hospital and was due to be discharged but could not go home. You know the answer to that one—he came the next day. Homer was definitely not from the “old school”!! He used a wheel chair and got around very slowly. Never had very many nice things to say. He was the type who hated the world. Everyone just kind of stayed clear and he stayed in his room a lot. He was married to a woman in her late thirties who had a blind daughter , 7 years old. She thought by marrying him she would inherit his house and property. He never told her 20 years ago he put everything in his son's name and he had nothing except his social security check. When he was due to be discharged from the hospital she refused to take care of him. Homer had a terrible habit of always trying to look down someones blouse. Once he even grabbed one of the aides , you know where. I finally told him if he did anything like that again I would call Dr. Pitkin and see to it he was put in a nursing home. He behaved for a while but eventually he was back to his old tricks. He had a heart attack a few months later and went to the hospital. He treated the nursing staff the same way he treated me. When attempting to put a catheter in he had a lot of horrible comments to make about the way the nurse had to hold his penis to insert the catheter. Through it all she maintained her professionalism!!! I thought how professional she was and my admiration for nurses went way up. It just goes to show all the jobs are not easy ,by any means.. .He died about two weeks later. His daughter used to stop and visit him but she said he was always like that and the daughters just didn't like to visit him. I could understand why. I always tried to treat everyone the same but there were the ones like him you just could not even give a hug!!!After he died the daughter asked me to go with her to the house and see what was left. She said his wife had moved out a month before but she was afraid to go alone. So , of course, I went with her. This is one of the worst places I ever saw. The dirty dishes were all over the floor, it looked like when you finished a meal you just pushed everything on the floor. The clothing was a least a foot deep in every room. Some of the clothes still had price tags on them and the only thing I could think of was someone shop lifting. How a blind child lived here was beyond me. I could not figure out how a blind child walked around in this filthy mess nor how Homer got around in his wheelchair!!! In the mess was about 75 “taped stories” from the blind, which evidently was sent for the child to listen to. I did help gather all these up and took them to the post office. You could not see the floor anywhere. It made you think the one who got the worst end of the whole mess was the little 7 year old blind child......
Love Red
It was always a pleasure to care for men who had always been “gentlemen” but than of course there are the others. The ones who have no manners or respect for themselves and the rest of the world.
I had one of them, very early in the business. I received a call from a lady who needed a place for her father who was in his 80's. He was in the hospital and was due to be discharged but could not go home. You know the answer to that one—he came the next day. Homer was definitely not from the “old school”!! He used a wheel chair and got around very slowly. Never had very many nice things to say. He was the type who hated the world. Everyone just kind of stayed clear and he stayed in his room a lot. He was married to a woman in her late thirties who had a blind daughter , 7 years old. She thought by marrying him she would inherit his house and property. He never told her 20 years ago he put everything in his son's name and he had nothing except his social security check. When he was due to be discharged from the hospital she refused to take care of him. Homer had a terrible habit of always trying to look down someones blouse. Once he even grabbed one of the aides , you know where. I finally told him if he did anything like that again I would call Dr. Pitkin and see to it he was put in a nursing home. He behaved for a while but eventually he was back to his old tricks. He had a heart attack a few months later and went to the hospital. He treated the nursing staff the same way he treated me. When attempting to put a catheter in he had a lot of horrible comments to make about the way the nurse had to hold his penis to insert the catheter. Through it all she maintained her professionalism!!! I thought how professional she was and my admiration for nurses went way up. It just goes to show all the jobs are not easy ,by any means.. .He died about two weeks later. His daughter used to stop and visit him but she said he was always like that and the daughters just didn't like to visit him. I could understand why. I always tried to treat everyone the same but there were the ones like him you just could not even give a hug!!!After he died the daughter asked me to go with her to the house and see what was left. She said his wife had moved out a month before but she was afraid to go alone. So , of course, I went with her. This is one of the worst places I ever saw. The dirty dishes were all over the floor, it looked like when you finished a meal you just pushed everything on the floor. The clothing was a least a foot deep in every room. Some of the clothes still had price tags on them and the only thing I could think of was someone shop lifting. How a blind child lived here was beyond me. I could not figure out how a blind child walked around in this filthy mess nor how Homer got around in his wheelchair!!! In the mess was about 75 “taped stories” from the blind, which evidently was sent for the child to listen to. I did help gather all these up and took them to the post office. You could not see the floor anywhere. It made you think the one who got the worst end of the whole mess was the little 7 year old blind child......
Love Red
Friday, January 18, 2008
BEING A PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVER
I must say I am sorry to be so long in posting a blog. I have been so busy with my job that it just took all my time. I am caring for a lady who has been sent to the hospital to be prepared for dialysis. This is so hard to see. She made the choice and the family has always tried to respect their parents wishes. It is always so great to be involved with a family that cares for their parents.
This is what is so very very hard at being a caretaker. I love my “patients” dearly. I was told many times,over the years, to be “professional” about this but I never could figure out how you did that. No matter what you do for the people they are always so grateful and just to put a smile on their face makes my day. After all--- what do they have in life. They are not going out to dinner, shopping, to the movies, or visiting friends. They are dependent on their families and friends for everything. If they become a little “short” with the person trying to care for them so what???? they need someone to listen at times and this is part of our job. I gave many hugs to people over time. I never heard anyone complain and most of the time I got one back. When anyone got depressed and wanted to cry I had the answer-- I always said if we are going to cry I will get a box of Kleenex and next Tuesday we will sit at the table and just cry. This always worked and later someone would say thank you for being there and listening!!
When I was young---yes I was once----(:>) my Mother & my sister, Joy, worked in a Nursing Home. I guess this is where I got some of the education about old people. Way back in the 50's you put your folks in a nursing home and that was that. My Mother always felt sorry for them—like they were deserted or just left to die.
One of the saddest memories was of my sister, Susie. Susie got Multiple Sclerosis when she was 30. She had 5 small children at that time and it was so terrible . She was put in a nursing home because it was so bad she couldn't walk and very slowly the disease took over her whole body. Life in a nursing home was not easy. So many of her personal things were stolen or ” borrowed” by others. Her perfumes , clothing, any gifts we sent were gone and no one seemed to care or know what happened to them. I sent her a large floral arrangement one year at Christmas. I live in NY & she was in Indiana. I specified that there was to be a lot of miniature animals on this because she loved that. Christmas morning when my sister,Joy, called I asked how Sue liked her flowers. She said “ What Flowers”?? I called the nursing home and it got very interesting. First they said they had no idea what I was talking about. I won't go through all the conversations but the end result was I told the lady on the phone the flower arrangement better be back in her room by morning and if it wasn't back I would call the Police Department. Surprise!!!Surprise!! It was there by evening!! How can people steal from helpless people?? She couldn't even yell for help if necessary.
Sue was a very religious person and she developed a “friendship” with a “healer”. This healer had Sue believing she would be healed if she went to a revival meeting in Chicago. Some of the nurses got together and took her there. This was not easy because it was a four hour drive from the nursing home to get there. Sue would do anything to get better. When Sue finally got there and the “healer” placed her hands on her absolutely nothing happened!! This was just devastating to her. Sue had been so sure she would be cured. These people had done a terrible thing to her with their lies and promises. She thought God had deserted her and it was horrible. It took a long time but she finally found God again and she started to gain interest in things. To watch her over the years was so hard. She loved her kids but it was at the point where she could no longer even talk to them.
She developed pneumonia and went to the hospital. I flew home and she was hooked up to so many machines. We asked to have them stopped but it was unheard of. She just wanted to die. The only way to communicate was for her to blink her eyes. One blink was yes and two was no. Sometimes she blinked three times and would smile!! She was finally sent back to the nursing home and she died in her sleep. I said than no one in my family would ever be placed in a nursing home and since than no one has.
I know there are great nursing homes now but I prefer to take care of my family while I can.
No one knows how long they have. I am happy when I wake up on the right side of the grass---like the man said, “There is no sign hanging off your toe that reads “EXPIRES ON_______!!!!s So enjoy life ......until the next time........
Love Red
This is what is so very very hard at being a caretaker. I love my “patients” dearly. I was told many times,over the years, to be “professional” about this but I never could figure out how you did that. No matter what you do for the people they are always so grateful and just to put a smile on their face makes my day. After all--- what do they have in life. They are not going out to dinner, shopping, to the movies, or visiting friends. They are dependent on their families and friends for everything. If they become a little “short” with the person trying to care for them so what???? they need someone to listen at times and this is part of our job. I gave many hugs to people over time. I never heard anyone complain and most of the time I got one back. When anyone got depressed and wanted to cry I had the answer-- I always said if we are going to cry I will get a box of Kleenex and next Tuesday we will sit at the table and just cry. This always worked and later someone would say thank you for being there and listening!!
When I was young---yes I was once----(:>) my Mother & my sister, Joy, worked in a Nursing Home. I guess this is where I got some of the education about old people. Way back in the 50's you put your folks in a nursing home and that was that. My Mother always felt sorry for them—like they were deserted or just left to die.
One of the saddest memories was of my sister, Susie. Susie got Multiple Sclerosis when she was 30. She had 5 small children at that time and it was so terrible . She was put in a nursing home because it was so bad she couldn't walk and very slowly the disease took over her whole body. Life in a nursing home was not easy. So many of her personal things were stolen or ” borrowed” by others. Her perfumes , clothing, any gifts we sent were gone and no one seemed to care or know what happened to them. I sent her a large floral arrangement one year at Christmas. I live in NY & she was in Indiana. I specified that there was to be a lot of miniature animals on this because she loved that. Christmas morning when my sister,Joy, called I asked how Sue liked her flowers. She said “ What Flowers”?? I called the nursing home and it got very interesting. First they said they had no idea what I was talking about. I won't go through all the conversations but the end result was I told the lady on the phone the flower arrangement better be back in her room by morning and if it wasn't back I would call the Police Department. Surprise!!!Surprise!! It was there by evening!! How can people steal from helpless people?? She couldn't even yell for help if necessary.
Sue was a very religious person and she developed a “friendship” with a “healer”. This healer had Sue believing she would be healed if she went to a revival meeting in Chicago. Some of the nurses got together and took her there. This was not easy because it was a four hour drive from the nursing home to get there. Sue would do anything to get better. When Sue finally got there and the “healer” placed her hands on her absolutely nothing happened!! This was just devastating to her. Sue had been so sure she would be cured. These people had done a terrible thing to her with their lies and promises. She thought God had deserted her and it was horrible. It took a long time but she finally found God again and she started to gain interest in things. To watch her over the years was so hard. She loved her kids but it was at the point where she could no longer even talk to them.
She developed pneumonia and went to the hospital. I flew home and she was hooked up to so many machines. We asked to have them stopped but it was unheard of. She just wanted to die. The only way to communicate was for her to blink her eyes. One blink was yes and two was no. Sometimes she blinked three times and would smile!! She was finally sent back to the nursing home and she died in her sleep. I said than no one in my family would ever be placed in a nursing home and since than no one has.
I know there are great nursing homes now but I prefer to take care of my family while I can.
No one knows how long they have. I am happy when I wake up on the right side of the grass---like the man said, “There is no sign hanging off your toe that reads “EXPIRES ON_______!!!!s So enjoy life ......until the next time........
Love Red
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
GETTING STARTED
I am going to be talking about how I got started taking care of the elderly. It was really something I had not planned on or even thought about. My husband was a truck driver and I only had one daughter so I was bored.
I had the nicest neighbors in the world. They were both school teachers and we visited back and forth a lot. Many times when I knew they would be getting out of school I made fresh coffee and took it over and we would have coffee and discuss things. One day Phyllis told me of the hard time they were having with her Grandmother who was 93. It seemed her Grandmother lived with her daughter. The Grandmother, Gertrude, was supposed to go to Syracuse and stay with her other daughter for six months. Well, she couldn't go this year because she was having trouble going up and down stairs and the bathroom was on the second floor. Phyllis's Mother needed a break from caring for her and they didn't know what to do. Back than there was no facilities, only Nursing Homes and she sure didn't qualify for that. I volunteered to take care of her. I said I had a bedroom downstairs and she could stay with us for six months and my husband and I would move upstairs!! After all she was in good health and her mind was very good . Everybody thought this was just great. So we moved Gertrude in for six months.
I did not know this would change my world than. This lady was remarkable. She had been a school teacher and taught in a one room school house. I learned so much from her it was remarkable. She was a member of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Association) and very proud of it. There was no drinking in our house so this was not a problem. One time she got sick and I called her Dr. He came ( we were lucky in this town because they made house calls). He recommended she have a glass of wine before dinner to help her digestive system!! She was so upset she informed him she didn't drink and he should be ashamed of himself for encouraging the use of alcohol! Than she refused to pay him for the visit. It was never mentioned again. She belonged to the Eastern Star and had a secret sister. This was a very proud thing for her. Gertrude spent a lot of time knitting. She would sit by the window looking out and just knit away. She never knit on Sunday. Never!! I asked her why she was so quiet on Sunday and she said she spent the day just counting her blessings and it always took all day. She said she had so many blessings she just had to spend the day thanking God for what she had. I asked her how she kept her mind so sharp and she said she never missed the 6:00 news on TV. She wanted to know what was going on in the world. One time we were watching the news and there was an advertisement for birth control pills. She listened very intently and when it was over she said , with a twinkle in her eyes,” I am not sure what he was talking about but I don't think I need to worry at my age!!!” Than there was the time she had a headache and I offered her a Tylenol. She informed me she didn't need medicine she would just concentrate for a while and it would go away and it did. Gertrude had came to my home in June and was to go back to her daughter's in December. I was sure going to miss her she was just so interesting.
Than in November my daughter was in a car accident. She was hit head on by another driver, who died. My daughter was in the ER when we saw her. She had broken ribs , broken a couple of fingers, large cut on her face, broken wrist , torn kneecap. The Dr. said she would be fine we just had to wait for everything to heal.
He thought there were no major problems and we could go home and when they had the cast on he would call us. Of course we were so relieved to know it wasn't to bad. It was about 5:30 am and we headed home because I had to get Gertrude up for breakfast.
About 10:00 am the phone rang and the Dr. said we needed to come right back to the hospital something was very wrong. We left immediately and went there. The Doctor said they had discovered her lungs had collapsed and the steering wheel had hit her chest with a glancing blow and her aorta vessel could rupture at any time. They could not fly her to Albany Med because even the jolt of the elevator could kill her. The only thing they could do was operate immediately. This operation had never been done before in the Glens Falls hospital but it was the only chance she had. I remember walking down the hallway and telling her she had to go upstairs but she better remember her Mother was waiting for her. Her Father talked to her for a few minutes and we walked out towards the waiting room. Beside the waiting room was the ladies room. I went in the ladies room, got on my knees and told God if he would give me back my daughter I would devote my life to taking care of people. I got her back and I have , since that day, devoted my life to taking care of people.
It is amazing how fast your life can change. My life, as I knew it, was over and I had made a turn in another direction. It was going to be a long road but very interesting.
I will close, dear friend, and continue with this story next time.
Love to all Red
I had the nicest neighbors in the world. They were both school teachers and we visited back and forth a lot. Many times when I knew they would be getting out of school I made fresh coffee and took it over and we would have coffee and discuss things. One day Phyllis told me of the hard time they were having with her Grandmother who was 93. It seemed her Grandmother lived with her daughter. The Grandmother, Gertrude, was supposed to go to Syracuse and stay with her other daughter for six months. Well, she couldn't go this year because she was having trouble going up and down stairs and the bathroom was on the second floor. Phyllis's Mother needed a break from caring for her and they didn't know what to do. Back than there was no facilities, only Nursing Homes and she sure didn't qualify for that. I volunteered to take care of her. I said I had a bedroom downstairs and she could stay with us for six months and my husband and I would move upstairs!! After all she was in good health and her mind was very good . Everybody thought this was just great. So we moved Gertrude in for six months.
I did not know this would change my world than. This lady was remarkable. She had been a school teacher and taught in a one room school house. I learned so much from her it was remarkable. She was a member of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Association) and very proud of it. There was no drinking in our house so this was not a problem. One time she got sick and I called her Dr. He came ( we were lucky in this town because they made house calls). He recommended she have a glass of wine before dinner to help her digestive system!! She was so upset she informed him she didn't drink and he should be ashamed of himself for encouraging the use of alcohol! Than she refused to pay him for the visit. It was never mentioned again. She belonged to the Eastern Star and had a secret sister. This was a very proud thing for her. Gertrude spent a lot of time knitting. She would sit by the window looking out and just knit away. She never knit on Sunday. Never!! I asked her why she was so quiet on Sunday and she said she spent the day just counting her blessings and it always took all day. She said she had so many blessings she just had to spend the day thanking God for what she had. I asked her how she kept her mind so sharp and she said she never missed the 6:00 news on TV. She wanted to know what was going on in the world. One time we were watching the news and there was an advertisement for birth control pills. She listened very intently and when it was over she said , with a twinkle in her eyes,” I am not sure what he was talking about but I don't think I need to worry at my age!!!” Than there was the time she had a headache and I offered her a Tylenol. She informed me she didn't need medicine she would just concentrate for a while and it would go away and it did. Gertrude had came to my home in June and was to go back to her daughter's in December. I was sure going to miss her she was just so interesting.
Than in November my daughter was in a car accident. She was hit head on by another driver, who died. My daughter was in the ER when we saw her. She had broken ribs , broken a couple of fingers, large cut on her face, broken wrist , torn kneecap. The Dr. said she would be fine we just had to wait for everything to heal.
He thought there were no major problems and we could go home and when they had the cast on he would call us. Of course we were so relieved to know it wasn't to bad. It was about 5:30 am and we headed home because I had to get Gertrude up for breakfast.
About 10:00 am the phone rang and the Dr. said we needed to come right back to the hospital something was very wrong. We left immediately and went there. The Doctor said they had discovered her lungs had collapsed and the steering wheel had hit her chest with a glancing blow and her aorta vessel could rupture at any time. They could not fly her to Albany Med because even the jolt of the elevator could kill her. The only thing they could do was operate immediately. This operation had never been done before in the Glens Falls hospital but it was the only chance she had. I remember walking down the hallway and telling her she had to go upstairs but she better remember her Mother was waiting for her. Her Father talked to her for a few minutes and we walked out towards the waiting room. Beside the waiting room was the ladies room. I went in the ladies room, got on my knees and told God if he would give me back my daughter I would devote my life to taking care of people. I got her back and I have , since that day, devoted my life to taking care of people.
It is amazing how fast your life can change. My life, as I knew it, was over and I had made a turn in another direction. It was going to be a long road but very interesting.
I will close, dear friend, and continue with this story next time.
Love to all Red
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