"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" Psalm 150:6
Today Mom was tired and sleepy earlier in the day and afternoon but by 5:00, she was more alert than sleepy---and more alert too at 10:20 p.m. when Lenny I and I came to see her again.
Today, Dad, Maureen and Flo Aubin were with mom in the early afternoon. Lenny came by in the mid afternoon too. We did her physical therapy (2 or 3 times over the course of the afternoon and evening), and aromatherapy (she was partial to vanilla the most, lemon second and frankincense third). We played Household and Outdoor Sounds CDs for her and she responded to all the sounds with a look of concentration on her face (a crinkle between her eyes on her forehead). She responded to the doorbell, telephone, lawnmower, children's voices playing, and pig sounds. She moved her left and right arms, hands, fingers, toes, feet, and ankles---not as much as typically but she moved all. During music (sound track from CHICAGO), she moved her head side to side in a slow motion Stevie Wonder type of way! and she moved her feet and ankles on both feet so much that I lost count!! She doesn't always start out strong in response to anything -- even music -- so sometimes she has to warm up first. She responded well tonight when Lenny and I prayed with her...she always responds to prayer...she likes to pray, you can tell by her response when you ask her, "Do you want to pray with me Mom?"
The speech therapist came to find me and dad today to tell us that she had already discharged mom from speech services. You may wonder how she or anyone would do speech with a person in the state that mom is in... easy. Speech, at this level, is the same as with an infant. You work on receptive language--or your ability to understand language---and so, you give commands for mom to follow, "Open your eyes" "Squeeze my hand" "Let go of my hand" "Wipe your chin" "Touch your face" or you work on receptive language through the senses---play sounds and tell mom what the sound is or touch mom with different textures and label the textures...this is receptive language skill work---this is speech therapy at this level. Expressively, we can get mom to try to communicate---in gestures, or saying, "ow" or trying to get her to say "no"... but this is all speech. When the speech therapist told us that she had discharged mom from speech...she said that she and the nurses, and the social worker and staff would be continually checking mom for "change" and that it is very typical to discharge a patient from a service one week and then reinstate them another week... an on/off type of cycle. So I asked her what "changes" she was hoping to see in order to give mom therapy again. She told me "Well, open her eyes just on command with no shaking or other stimulation than a voice or a nudge." "Like for 5 minutes at a time straight" (Mom has done 3 minutes twice in the last week) and that mom would "Follow voices with her eyes and track people with her eyes" I became frustrated. I asked how she thought this would happen? By magic? Would mom just go from eyes closed to eyes opened in a snap with no help, therapy or stimulation??? She replied that "could happen." I told her some research says it could but most says that the person needs stimulation and where would mom get that??? How was mom to improve or get better without the stimulation and therapy??? I became frustrated in the heat of the moment and told her I hoped nothing like this ever happens to her or her loved ones where they don't get any therapy or help. Though I knew she was going to say all this, I left the room in tears. Then I went outside and had a good cry with dad and Lenny, then with Flo and Maureen. I plan to call Medicare and Empire to see what they are billing mom for and to also see what she is entitled to and under what conditions. We need to be informed before we speak again. How sad the healthcare system is. How apathetic most of the staff is... not all for sure...but most. Where's the passion in what they do???
The biggest blessing today was Joyce, her roommate. Joyce was on a vent but is now off. She had pneumonia and her body is sort of curled up...she can't move well and often seemed to look confused when I'd say hello to her upon arriving at mom's room. I never heard or hear her speak. She has no children, husband, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters...only 1 cousin. This cousin visits her several times a week (2 or so). She watches TV all day---channel 7. Anyway, the biggest blessing today was Joyce. For the first time today, Joyce said hi when I said hi...then she called me over to her bed and began to tell me all the things going on with mom today---things like, "She opened her eyes twice" and "She moved her feet" or "The speech person said she isn't doing speech with her anymore." She told me who came in the room and what they did and said too!! After the meeting with the speech person, Joyce spoke to Lenny too and told him that mom gets better therapy and treatment from us then she (Joyce) does from them and that she thinks mom is getting better. What a blessing...Joyce is doing the job the staff won't do!! She touched my heart.
Where's the pride and concern and passion in their work??? In touching lives?? It's up to us alone.
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" Ecclesiastes 9:10
No comments:
Post a Comment