Our new aide, so far
Entry posted by 1967stingray
1,222 views
We had the new nurse come by with the aide for the first time Tuesday, they were here for the two allotted hours just doing paperwork. First the aide had showed up at 9AM but I sent her away; originally we were given 10AM to 2PM although they promised to look for something later, Ray doesn't even start to get up until after 10. But then they tried to move it up to 9 to 1 and I said absolutely not, way too early, for him and for me (I'm up but I like my time in the morning to myself). They forgot to tell the aide unfortunately, I felt bad but off she went to kill the two hours elsewhere. Then when we all got together, we discussed that 11 is really the earliest I'd like, noon even better; but now we only get 2 hours rather than the 4 we are allowed. 11 to 1, because she has to be somewhere else at 1:30. For some reason nobody seems to want the morning, I've found. Surprising really, but I'm not getting him up early for their convenience, or to pad their hours! The nurse said she would try to find another aide with afternoons open but didn't know how long that would take. We've been with this new agency three and a half months already, so let's figure another three and a half months at the least? Oh well, there goes luncheons with my friends this summer. It was a nice dream anyway.
The aide is very nice, a younger woman who lost her husband and has no kids. A little chatty, but most of them tend to be. As soon as she saw what an easy job this would be, she called her agency herself right in front of the nurse and asked them to change her schedule so she can come in the afternoon instead. She mentioned 1 to 5 to them which takes us right up to dinnertime but still better than the morning. I though it was all set up but there she was at 11AM again yesterday, knocking on my door. I wasn't expecting her until 1 and wasn't even dressed. Apparently the manager went on a long vacation so I'm stuck with 11 to 1 for now, not much I can do in that period of time unless I bolt out the door on her arrival. Bummer.
Since Ray wasn't even up yet I went upstairs to get him and she washed the dishes in the sink, then spent the rest of the time talking to her friends on her phone and making me put on the news so she could see the explosion in Harlem. Oh and telling me her life story, of course. I forgot that this is how it usually is. I gave her some of my fresh baked Irish soda bread and coffee, and we just hung out. Ray really just needs a companion anyway, at least she said she loves to play dominoes and Bingo so if she can get him engaged with that it wouldn't be too bad. The nurse told her she wants Ray up and walking, he's a little congested (although I think it's just his allergies). I've pretty much given up on bugging him about that, he does walk up and down the stairs but otherwise prefers his wheelchair. Maybe she'll have better luck than me.
The people from the various agencies always tell me our house and neighborhood are like heaven compared to most they see, people have dog poop on the floor and hoarded possessions to the point of scariness. Most people they see are older people living on their own, many with dementia, so you can imagine. Also most of their clients forbid the aides to use their bathroom, or if they do they have to leave the door open. I don't like it either but I can't see refusing them a little privacy in that situation. My downstairs bathroom has nothing worth stealing, except the latex gloves of course, but I hid them as advised! But while we were upstairs the first day because Ray refused to get up, she asked to use the guest bathroom up there. She seemed to take sort of a long time, but again nothing of value in there. Just old cosmetics, shampoo and over the counter stuff. Still didn't get to the spy cam, it's very complicated and I have to look it up on the web because the directions that came with it don't make any sense.
Poor Ray, I know I couldn't stand sitting with a stranger for four hours myself. He's pretty good with her so far, but I have to get bloodwork done Friday and it's during the time the aide will be here, so we'll see how that goes. I'm going to pick up a couple of McDonalds Filet O' Fish next door to the doctor, (on sale during Lent! two for the price of one) and a Shamrock shake, that might cheer him up a little.
When the nurse said Ray is very congested (the old nurse said the same last visit, a couple of weeks ago), she told him he could come down with pneumonia if he doesn't move around and cough it up. Of course because he refused to get up until after they came, they think he lies in bed all day, which isn't true. But she said it to him several times, then when we went out later to the library, and CVS, and grocery shopping, he insisted on coming into all of them with me, which he hasn't been doing lately. He's been happy all winter just waiting in the car and checking out the parking lot action. I always think of him as such a rebel but he does listen when the doctor or nurse tells him something. I also couldn't get him to take the new Vitamin D pills I got because they turned out to be really big, but then a couple of weeks ago the doctor told him his D level had dropped by half, and the consequences of low Vit D, and the next day the nurse said the same, and lo and behold he started taking them on his own. I have to do so much myself, but I can't say I don't have a little backup out there!
12 Comments
Recommended Comments