Nursing Home Challenges
Just when I thought that it was safe to visit a nursing home, things have gotten a little challenging. After several months of visiting D at her nursing home here, I had become accustomed to the social conditions of the institution. When I walk into the building, I say hello to each of the residents who sit in their wheelchairs in the hallway. Usually they are stationed at the same location in the hallway each day. Although about half of them are unresponsive, I do say hello to them. The nurses and attendants are greeted by me as well. I had finally become comfortable in a rather uncomfortable atmosphere.
Then one day after church, I walked in with my shirt and tie. A relatively younger woman with blond hair asked ” Are you here to help me ?” As I strolled along, I said, ” I’ll help you in spirit but not in person.” Immediately she shouted in a stern voice, ” Are you here to help me !” It occurred to me that the woman had not been making a joke when she first asked the question. One of the nurses then said, ” Yes ma’m, he’s here to help you.” It then occurred to me that the new resident was schizophrenic and was unable to be housed in a mental hospital. It is true, I do look like a psychologist with my beard, bald head, shirt and tie. So, the next day, I walked in and the new resident asked, ” are you coming in ?” I simply said yes and quickly walked around the corner to D’s room. Although I did work in a mental hospital for a short time, I have absolutely no training in how to help a person who is suffering delusions and hallucinations. I don’t even know what the appropriate response is to her off the wall questions. I am grateful that she is not always sitting there every time I walk in the door. She needs to be under the care of a psychiatrist who can appropriately dose her with an anti-psychotic medication and give her therapy. Several times a week there is a bingo game in the lobby of the facility. Most of the residents wheel up and quietly play the game. The residents have complained to the nurses about the presence of the new resident. She has this tendency to start psychobabbling while the other residents want to have a reserved and subdued bingo game. The nurses say, ” she has as much right to be here as anybody!” Several other residents have threatened to boycott the game… I had another bizzare experience with another resident yesterday that I will save for later.
God help them all,
I.C.