Help Me! Somebody Please Help Me!

Today I want to introduce you to Alice. I am not sure how old Alice is, but she looks to be in her late sixties. I believe she has been in the home for years. She too apparently suffers from some form of Dementia. You rarely see Alice out of her room; I do not know why. When somebody/anybody walks past her room she yells, "Please help me! Somebody please help me!" She does this because she says she has to go to the bathroom. She thinks she has to go to the bathroom constantly, or has she learned that is the only way she gets any attention? A lot of us rule these people out as having "lost their minds"...get to know them, they are more intelligent than you think.



I stopped by her room one day while she was yelling and she did not even mention having to go to the bathroom. We had a sweet conversation and she quieted right down. It amazes me that the Silver Lining Nursing Home staff has not figured this out yet. Maybe they have, but who has time to stop and talk to a lonely old lady, right?

Everyone Deserves "Special" Treatment

Belinda is an 80 year old woman that is in the Silver Lining Nursing Home. She is only supposed to be in the home while she is being rehabilitated after having surgery; at which time she will be going back to her own home.

Darnella is her roommate. She is older than Belinda and gets, what seems to be, "special" treatment. You see, Darnella's family is with her at least ten hours every day so she is catered to by the nursing home staff, as well as her family. Belinda rarely has any visitors and is the last one to get up and out of bed, to get her call button answered, and to be fed.

I sadly wonder if Belinda is wondering, 'why does she get special treatment?' I also wonder if Darnella realizes how blessed she is compared to the majority of the residents in the home.

You know, if I were "the home" I would cater more to those that do not have loved ones visiting on a regular basis. I would want them to feel just as special as their neighbor!