I called my first patient and made a late-afternoon appointment to visit him after my shift; so far so good. I drove out to the home, and there were a lot of cars parked all around it. When I got out and opened my trunk to get my supplies, a group of people came out to meet me at the curb…. Read how a prediction made by an RN helped define my future as a hospice aide. You can buy…..
This story may seem like a miracle to some, a confirmation of faith to others, and maybe even a lie to others. Please know that this really happened, and take from it what you will. Read about the bath visit on Christmas eve that changed my thoughts about hospice care and Love itself. You can get my book from Balboa Press or your favorite on line bookseller. I wish everyone a happy holiday. Follow me on linked in and twitter and…..
The Christmas Ornament This is a story about Christmas and the special things about it that mean so much to people. I got a call to go out and help with a bath at a board-and-care facility, a home in a residential community that has converted into a small assisted living facility. There are usually three or four bedrooms and usually two residents per room. These places are much more homelike than nursing homes just because of the size and…..
Christmas is a bleak and often challenging time of the year for us home care folks. Walking into sickrooms and seeing a hospital bed and a Christmas tree can put a damper on any happy holiday feelings. One Christmas I was asked to give a couple of baths at a skilled nursing facility to two patients of one of the agencies I was signed up with. One patient was in for a five-day respite so that the caregiver could visit…..
I began to feel comfortable with my new role of home health aide and started to accept new cases when I had room for them after work or on weekends if I wanted to make some extra money. One of my patients was a man who had a terminal heart condition. He was living with his latest wife; they had been together for twelve years and were very happy. They both had a few children each, and the Mrs. had…..