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susandennisMom just called this morning and ripped my heart right out of my chest. She was very business like and said she had a problem and couldn't get a hold of Polly (who was really sick last week). She said she had a rash on her face and the nurse - someone she didn't know from another area of the home - came and looked at it and was going to make her go to the hospital. When she got to the word hospital, her voice cracked into tears. Mom is not a cryer.
The home has had some staffing problems and they have always always had staffing problems on the weekend. And, of course, Mom rarely had a problem during the week. I have no clue what the sitter was up to.
I asked Mom a bunch of rash questions - does it hurt (no)? is it twice as bad as it was yesterday (no, it's worse but not twice as bad)?
Mainly I asked her these questions so she would not cry and be focused on helping a fix. Then I told her to tell anyone and everyone who came near her that she was not to be moved one inch without contacting me. 'Tell them I am the family member in charge and they must have my permission before you leave the building.' That seemed to help her. I told her I'd make some calls, find someone to do something and call her back.
I had NO Clue who to call. I have no qualms calling the head guy at home but what's he going to do? He's going to take her to the hospital. So I figured I'd see if I could get Polly and if I could maybe she could tell me who to call. I got her and she said that she was feeling much better and but she was filthy and had to have a shower before she went anywhere but she would be at Mom's in 45 minutes. She also said that Mom has an appointment with her doctor at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow anyway.
I called Mom back and told her that Polly was on her way. She was a mess. She could barely come out of it enough to be glad to hear that Polly was coming. I told her that I was going to call the nurse and tell her NO hospital. She said thank you and hung up.
It took a couple of calls but I found the nurse, Karen, who explained the rash thing and sounded really reasonable. She said that it started with her eye yesterday and today the eye was swollen and it had spread. She told me that Mom told her that it hurt. And so Karen thought going to the hospital for an evaluation was the right thing to do. And I think, in her position, that was the exact right call.
Except that Mom just hates that hospital with a passion. I said it probably bothered her enough to have someone look at it but it doesn't hurt enough for the hospital and told her that Mom does know what hospital hurt is and will tell them (and she will). I told her that Polly was on the way and they would all look at the situation and if together they decided Mom needed to go to the hospital, she would talk Mom into it. Karen sounded cool about this.
Karen mentioned shingles and crusty.... Better than leprosy and flesh eating bacteria, I guess. Crap. If it's not one thing it's another. I do not have one single clue what keeps Mom going. I would have tossed in the towel years ago.
And what in the world would I do without Polly. I mean, seriously, if something were to happen to Polly or to Mom while Polly was gone or unavailable, I'd be hosed. I need to think about this. And at least make sure I have the phone number of someone to call.
The home has had some staffing problems and they have always always had staffing problems on the weekend. And, of course, Mom rarely had a problem during the week. I have no clue what the sitter was up to.
I asked Mom a bunch of rash questions - does it hurt (no)? is it twice as bad as it was yesterday (no, it's worse but not twice as bad)?
Mainly I asked her these questions so she would not cry and be focused on helping a fix. Then I told her to tell anyone and everyone who came near her that she was not to be moved one inch without contacting me. 'Tell them I am the family member in charge and they must have my permission before you leave the building.' That seemed to help her. I told her I'd make some calls, find someone to do something and call her back.
I had NO Clue who to call. I have no qualms calling the head guy at home but what's he going to do? He's going to take her to the hospital. So I figured I'd see if I could get Polly and if I could maybe she could tell me who to call. I got her and she said that she was feeling much better and but she was filthy and had to have a shower before she went anywhere but she would be at Mom's in 45 minutes. She also said that Mom has an appointment with her doctor at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow anyway.
I called Mom back and told her that Polly was on her way. She was a mess. She could barely come out of it enough to be glad to hear that Polly was coming. I told her that I was going to call the nurse and tell her NO hospital. She said thank you and hung up.
It took a couple of calls but I found the nurse, Karen, who explained the rash thing and sounded really reasonable. She said that it started with her eye yesterday and today the eye was swollen and it had spread. She told me that Mom told her that it hurt. And so Karen thought going to the hospital for an evaluation was the right thing to do. And I think, in her position, that was the exact right call.
Except that Mom just hates that hospital with a passion. I said it probably bothered her enough to have someone look at it but it doesn't hurt enough for the hospital and told her that Mom does know what hospital hurt is and will tell them (and she will). I told her that Polly was on the way and they would all look at the situation and if together they decided Mom needed to go to the hospital, she would talk Mom into it. Karen sounded cool about this.
Karen mentioned shingles and crusty.... Better than leprosy and flesh eating bacteria, I guess. Crap. If it's not one thing it's another. I do not have one single clue what keeps Mom going. I would have tossed in the towel years ago.
And what in the world would I do without Polly. I mean, seriously, if something were to happen to Polly or to Mom while Polly was gone or unavailable, I'd be hosed. I need to think about this. And at least make sure I have the phone number of someone to call.
