Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[flyingdumbo127]

Good morning everyone. Dear Lynn, this place really does need to be shut down. I honestly don't know how it stays open. I may have shared previously that this facility has changed ownership several times in recent years. Dad and I think this has to be part of the reason the doors are still opened here because citations or warnings may just transfer between owners. Dear Snowysmom, this place really is the worst in how it's run! Just awful.

Dear Lynn please indeed don't overdo. Dad and I would love to move but we can't afford to do so. You just take care!

Dear Snowysmom, I am sorry about all the work upheaval. I am glad you had the meeting. Enjoy the nice weather and for me.

K, the 3pm to 11pm charge nurse last night in my section, told me she would do her best to get new A moved. 9:15pm was the last time I spoke with her. She had no update other than she was waiting for another person (perhaps a supervisor, I don't know) to come.

K did ask if I wanted to move in with D into room 133. As I said D seemed friendly. Her room is more compact than this one and/or its layout makes it seeem smaller. I would have been bed A closest to the door. I much prefer being bed B by the window. It's loud enough here as it is that I don't want to be nearer to outside in the hallway noise by being bed A! The bathroom in that room 133 is a few feet from the end of D's bed. It's compact and in a tight space. There would be little room for me to manuever the wheelchair in and out. The bathroom in this room 108 is in the middle of the room with more than enough space on either side.I easily navigate in and out.

The latest update is from almost 2 hours ago. Yes I was up at 5:30am because new A was screaming in reaction to having been changed. The nurse at my station desk apologized and just said that is new A. Social Services won't be here until 9am, I don't think. Something needs to be done. I don't want old A back as my roommate. We know that= huge sleep issues for me. At this point she might be the best option because she's known :/ God willing, I will have a positive update later. I am truly grateful to God for some sleep and this blessed new day.

Love to all. I will check back later.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good late afternoon and evening my dear friends. Dad just left. He's exhausted physically and, of course, from all this. New A has been almost continuously manic talking including to imaginery people, crying, cursing, etc. Dad said (and he was so right) that we really weren't able to have a normal conversation over lunch :'(

Anything sets A off from being changed to people trying to get her to eat regular food to of course her tube feeding to seeing me wheel into the bathroom or dad and I go out the door to this room. No rhyme or reason it's so very sad.

I just talked with K, the charge nurse once again at my station. She really has/is trying. Not up to her. She told us there just aren't empty rooms. The only beds are middle ones (three person room) for people with Medicare. It doesn't sound like new A uses Medicare to pay to be here. The morning charge nurse, I, feels badly for me, too but again it's not up to her.

C, the director of this terrible place, no surprise never did come by this morning as he said yesterday he would. Dad and I went by his office a few times either the door was closed or that it was empty (we were told he was here somewhere. No idea when he would be back. Helpful, huh)? We reminded the lady at the front desk to please ask C to come talk to me before he goes home this evening. She already had let him know I was waiting to talk to him.

J, my charge nurse friend, whose birthday was yesterday is here today. She promised to come by my room later.

Dad did measure our very narrow bathroom doorway. It's a good 13 inches less than the bathroom doorway in this room. So that won't work for me right now.

I know, of course, God has this and us. I pray to be of good kind courage. I am just tired and of course of this situation. Thank you all always for your love, prayers, and listening.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

As a not positive update to my above post. I spent 15 minutes waiting by C's office for him to return. When he finally did it was a few minutes to 5pm. He ackowledged my comment that he came back (before 5pm). He promptly goes into his office and shuts the door. 5 minutes later he comes out ready to ignore me and go home.

I reminded C I had been waiting for him all day. His response was he didn't have an answer. He tried to pass me off to J the admissions lady. I just said I am here to talk to you. After all that, both C and J said they have no answer other than there are no rooms. I asked who can be switched. I told them why. They don't care. There will supposedly be discharges over the weekend. Maybe next week something can be done. I also had to explain about the bathroom in here and that if I did move, which I don't want to, a new room would have to have the same configuration.

PLEASE take extra care of yourselves dear Quacker family. Don't ever find yourself in a similar situation!

 

[lynxstch]

Good cloudy morning. Rained lightly overnight, it was nice to fall asleep to the sound. Starting to clear up and will be 70. I may plant my herb box later if I feel like it.

Mona, it sounds like you're at the mercy of the horrible people in that place. More incentive to get yourself out of there soon!

Summer stopped here yesterday on her way from Mary's. When Mary moved into her house almost 2 years ago, there was a riding mower and a snowblower in the garage. She finally decided to get rid of them so she could put her car in there. Summer rented a trailer to go and get them. She was taking the mower and I was interested in the snowblower, if the price was right. Both were almost new. Mary said she wanted $1600 for the snowblower, she's out of her mind since I could buy a brand new one for less than $1000. Then she tells Summer if I don't want it, for Summer to just sell it for whatever she can get? Summer stopped to show me the snowblower, and 1- it was nowhere near brand new, 2- it was way too big for me, and 3- it wasn't worth $600, never mind $1600, lol
Summer was going to put it in her garage until it gets closer to winter and then put it at the end of her driveway and see what she can sell it for.

Off to strip the bed and remake it and then see if I feel like getting into any chores.

Have a good day

 

[Snowysmom]

Mona I am truly sorry for all the issues you are having in the nursing home. It sounds like a horrible place, worse than others. I know patients like both of your A roommates really have little control over their outbursts. It is sad. And the nursing home is probably full and has little room for any changes. But the director does seem like he just doesn't care about much. Are you able to get around with the use of a walker? At home could you could transfer from wheelchair to walker to use the bathroom if shown the proper way by the PT?

Lynn $1600 for a used snowblower is a bit of a stretch. You can get a good one for around $1000 or a bit less. Hope you have a relaxing day after housework.

It is a rainy day here with temps around 60. I treated myself to breakfast out. There is a little restaurant in Kenny's town with good food and a kind friendly staff. I try to go every 4-5 weeks for a treat. I love their scrambled eggs which seems easy but they way they make them is so yummy! Not seeing anyone this weekend so trying to keep busy. I went to Hannafords after breakfast, came back to the condo and cleaned the bathrooms. Next up is changing the bed and cleaning the master shower complete with the walls etc. Then I may go check out a coffee store in the next town. Kenny has gotten me coffee from them for gifts and the breakfast places used their coffee and it is so good. They also have a little shop with wine and other goodies. May be a good day to just go browse. I may hit the gym this afternoon after all the classes are done and it is a bit quieter.

Have a good Saturday.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Waving good early morning my friends. Prayers that each of you slept warm and well. Grace of God I enjoyed 5 hours of sleep! I used the restroom at 4am and had hoped to go back to sleep since new A was quiet. That didn't quite happen and the sad and ridiculous share to come is why.

I was resting just before 4:30am when a nurse came in and like it was the light of day and the two of them were the only people in here, loudly greeted A a few times waking her up. The nurse had come to do A's tube feeding. She was last fed this way yesterday at lunchtime. A must have refused because the nurse told her, "You don't want it? You will be hungry." She left the room and A's overhead light on. I had to go track down a CNA to turn it off. I shouldn't have bothered.

About twenty minutes later, the CNA to this room came in, again waking A up, loudly saying, "A diaper change!" At first I thought she had said, "dinner time," as in she was going to try and feed A again. A minimally objected to the diaper change.

I was trying to once again rest again but hallway noise prevented that. I got up (going on 2 hours after the first time) to use the restroom. Immediately I noticed that, and I apologize for the tmi visual (it looked like throw up) there were a few pieces of something orange on the left side of the toilet seat! I told this to the station nurse who did come clean it after first telling me housekeeping would come in ten minutes. I don't think the very kind housekeepers come until 7am. Ultimately the nurse did come clean it when I told her that yes I had intended to use the restroom. I believe she used an alcohol (odor) wipe to clean. I attached a picture of a medicine cup in the bathroom garbage. As a p.s. I did ask this nurse if what I saw was what A was going to be fed. She denied it. I attached a picture of a medicine cup in the bathroom garbage.

This early morning gets worse or colder anyway! I noticed later last night that suddenly it was colder in here. It felt like cool air was coming in. I checked the door near my bed that goes outside. It was closed. The air conditioning was on! I verified this when I went around a hallway on the other side at station 3 to get away from noisy A. A nurse over there thought it was cool there too. It was warmer than by me. Remember the horrible night when the AC was blasting all night? I thought that was happening again and to a lesser degree it did.

Anyway the nurse at my station (the same lady above who cleaned the toilet) told me when I commented it was very cold in my room and that I could feel cold air coming into the room from the doorway (the station area was much warmer) that, "the air conditioning is on in rooms to keep patients from getting sick. If air is more humid people get sick." I wish this were all a BAD Hollywood movie but it's not!

It's 6:35am now. Change of shift is at 7am. I will definitely let the new station nurse know I'm cold. God willing that person will either be I from yesterday or another very nice lady, T.

Thank you all so deeply for being with me through all this. I am truly blessed God made us a Quacker family. I will check in later.

P.S. Dear Snowysmom and dear Lynn. I saw your posts after hitting reply. Extra hugs to you both. Right now, it would be a challenge to get up from the chair onto the walker to go to the toilet. Plus, the walker has to enter my home bathroom on an angle to fit. I would need help sitting down and getting up. Working toward that for sure! Thanks, friends.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Dad, extra, extra prayers for peace and faith appreciated more than ever. My beloved dad left here a little while ago absolutely spent
J the morning charge nurse at my station, K the current charge nurse over here, and my friend J at station 3, are all trying so hard to help me. E, a lovely CNA is doing the same. That is truly kind of all of them.

Bottom line as L, the nursing supervisor this shift, said is any room changes have to go through J, the admissions lady. Let me just say my friend J and this J are two very different people. Administrator J was who C, the director tried to pass me off to yesterday. All J says is that I have to wait until Monday. MAYBE something can be done then. Maybe. As I told L, J doesn't have to room with A!,

I checked out one room K and E thought of. Like the room a couple nights ago, the bathroom wouldn't have worked for me. I was told the older lady I would have roomed with in there couldn't be moved due to her memory issues. But if that bathroom had worked I could have moved. So I don't quite follow why J HAS to be involved.

Right now, I take some appreciative comfort to know people are trying. Sadly my situation has gotten worse today. This morning A tried to bite her male nurse who was changing her. Dad was here shortly after 3 when a usually overnight only CNA was trying to change her. A went ballastic. So sad! She was lost in dementia and possibly other issue as well related rage. A will also take off her diaper completely which is a reason she needs to be checked more.

I don't remember whether I shared last night that my old roommate A is back in one of the rooms she and I shared. The very noisy one that her family insisted she be moved from. I wish that were true. The reality is old A has no family. Anyway, I heard her last night as I went by her room, yelling for help. No one was at her station for me to tell. Poor A. Her roommate is a screamer, too.

Dad and I, on our way to my friend J's area, went by a woman lying on the floor in her room! I think her head was on a pillow. I told her station nurse (by then dad said there were four workers in the room) who ultimately said that lady just does that. Maybe so but yikes. She ought to have a sitter! It is a crime in a way that this place is still open.

Pray I get out of here sooner than asap! I reminded dad no matter what there is a positive in all. God long has this and us. I definitely as a human am tired literally and of being tossed aside by adminstration and ownership. As I always say, please all of dear you, stay FAR from here!

Hugs to all

 

[Judique]

Good cloudy morning. Rained lightly overnight, it was nice to fall asleep to the sound. Starting to clear up and will be 70. I may plant my herb box later if I feel like it.

Mona, it sounds like you're at the mercy of the horrible people in that place. More incentive to get yourself out of there soon!

Summer stopped here yesterday on her way from Mary's. When Mary moved into her house almost 2 years ago, there was a riding mower and a snowblower in the garage. She finally decided to get rid of them so she could put her car in there. Summer rented a trailer to go and get them. She was taking the mower and I was interested in the snowblower, if the price was right. Both were almost new. Mary said she wanted $1600 for the snowblower, she's out of her mind since I could buy a brand new one for less than $1000. Then she tells Summer if I don't want it, for Summer to just sell it for whatever she can get? Summer stopped to show me the snowblower, and 1- it was nowhere near brand new, 2- it was way too big for me, and 3- it wasn't worth $600, never mind $1600, lol
Summer was going to put it in her garage until it gets closer to winter and then put it at the end of her driveway and see what she can sell it for.

Off to strip the bed and remake it and then see if I feel like getting into any chores.

Have a good day

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Yikes! Sounds like Mary didn't want you to have it for any price! Maybe this little attitude is why the boys are careful to see less of you. Animosity, resentment and jealousy are deep seated and have maybe found their way to surface. Summer is a different story. Her ongoing needs means she needs you and her mother and maybe 2 or 3 more to support her. It's not you. It's them. But meanwhile it probably makes you feel a bit left behind. Sometimes that's a blessing in disguise. Your late husband left that situation while maintaining contact for a reason.

It may be difficult to focus on your positives this early, but you have the ability to adjust and be the best as well as to continue to enjoy life. Sometimes it's lonely.

Sorry. Being a bit introspective today. Thinking of you @flyingdumbo127. Life is fluid.

Got to go out and finish my gardening but it feels so cool this morning! Still, my tomato plants popped back with a bit of water. The pots are almost ready. Need to use the leaf blower on the patio and deck but it's too early. (Yesterday was too wet!)

Son is still fighting for a house! These prices are ridiculous. Another offer is in and they are waiting for an acceptance or counter. This morning the inspector is going by.

Meanwhile someone bought the house next to the 4 barking dogs. Houses are barely lasting a week on the market.

 

[lynxstch]

Good morning. Sunny, but only 44 and breezy right now. Going to be 65 later. I may pass the riding mower over the back yard just to trim down the dandelions and keep the lawn looking neat. The front looks great, except for the hundreds of maple tree 'helicopters' that decided to fall overnight, lol.

I cleaned inside yesterday. Did the kitchen and both bathrooms, washed the rugs and the floors. Then dusted the living room and dining room.

If the winds die down, I may start planting the flowers in their pots, and put the tomato plants in the big pots. Not sure yet.

Thanks for the perspective @Judique . I've never had a problem with Mary per se, it's just the boys, and this is a recent thing with them. Mary is actually the one who asked Summer if she thought I would be interested in the snowblower, but it's fine. It is what it is.

Have a good day everyone.

 

[Snowysmom]

Flyingdumbo127 That place just gets worse. I get concerned that places like that are remaining open and the patients are getting marginal care. I believe that the elderly and people who need continual care should have nice surroundings, dignity, and be treated well with care and respect. These places should be held to a higher standard than they are. People tell me it would be too expensive to do that, the govt and ins companies would not want to spend any more money than they do, but I feel that it would be money well spent for a change.

Judique Great perspective on things. I do agree it does get lonely. I have been very introspective lately too.

Lynn Wow! You are busy. Hope you can take a break today.

Good morning. It is 46 here with a real feel temp of 36. It is cloudy, potentially rain coming in. I want to walk at the lake so I may so go and see how it is when I get there. So far today I have been to Wegman's, washed 2/3 of my wood floors. Waiting for the second third to dry so I can continue. Lake may come first. I want to clean the stainless steel in the kitchen, work a bit, and make my pasta and bean soup for the week. I am thinking about the Disney trip again for my birthday but December is too expensive right now. I looked at September and can get a good deal but I feel guilty about adding a trip to the year. It is a major birthday year so I feel like treating myself but still feel guilty. I am also rethinking working 25 hours a week and may go back to 30 hours which is what I was working when I went back after Chris passed. 6:30 to 12:30 would work. That worked out well when I did it before and I can keep my dental ins. The one less hour a day gives me the same opportunity to go to the senior center as well as look into other activities. It will keep me busy yet still cut down on the stress. I am not a great decision maker since Chris passed and ruminate and rethink things all the time.

Have a nice Sunday.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Good morning friends. Praise extra to God, I have a most welcome update. New A is no longer my roommate. The situation escalated last night. K, the charge nurse at my station, stepped up for me bigtime and got approval from her on site supervisor to make a change. My new roommate is a quiet lady who like me has a first name that starts with an M. A HUGE relief! I, of course, keep A in prayer.

Thanks dear Judique and for your thoughtful and wise words for our friend Lynn. House prayers for your son. You please take care to not overdo it with yardwork.

Dear Lynn, see my last sentence to Judique! Please do remember you are valued and loved. I'm so sorry some folks in your family aren't treating you as they should. Be kind to yourself and know always we all care.

Dear Snowysmom, sending an extra hug and peace your way. I do think checking out a volunteer option or two could be a great thing. Cheering for you always.

Dad extra prayers for PollyannaMom's and Taz's dads. Extra comfort and health prayers for Bobbi and Tom, Dazed, Dazed's daughter, Pea and all in need.

I will update later. Love to all.

 

[bobbiwoz]

@flyingdumbo127, so happy to hear your good news.

It’s very windy here. The temperatures do not indicate we could do garden work, other than perhaps fertilize. Our oldest son, Matt, is here for a couple of days. We are very appreciative of the work he is doing! He’s cutting back some of the very healthy bushes that need constant trimming!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you dear Bobbi. Always health prayers to you and Tom. God Bless Matt, I'm so glad he is spending time with you!