Shady Grove

For those of you whom I do not encounter on a weekly basis ( and if you do, i guess you can read this as well...) I wanted to keep you updated on my life here in Provo!

Sorry I can't post any amazing photos, because well...I don't even have a camera, so all of the photos of me are already on FB anyhow via Haley and Freyja and Maranda etc.

BUT I will tell you about my adventures living here in Provo, and working up in Orem at the nursing home which Maranda and I have dubbed "Shady Grove" even though it's not the least bit shady, nor is it in a grove....actually it's right by an orchard (hence it's real name).

So I've been working at this nursing home since the very end of October and I am very much in love with the people (residents and coworkers). I just started out working about 5.5 hours a day; 5 days a week, but just recently I began full-time. The building just came under new administration, and the new head-honcho likes things to be spotless (I'm a housekeeper). We all received full-time hours after they fired the 60 year-old laundry lady whom they discovered had been stealing toothpaste bulk. With her hours gone we all got to divvy them up amongst ourselves.

This past week in particular was the state survey, during which state officials come for four days and make sure that everything in our facility is under regulation. Which means that I get to clean with, what my coworker JJ refers to as, "the devils" breathing down my neck. It was really stressful the first day because they come unannounced, but by day three we all gave up the idea of being perfect. Our facility has been rated as a 5-star nursing home, and we wanted to keep up our rating from last year. So this meant I had to make sure all of my chemicals were labeled properly, that my mop water was changed out every 2-3 rooms, I couldn't clean the dining room until EVERY resident was finished eating, and a billion of other tiny things.

The reason cleaning the dining room after EVERY resident is done eating is so annoying, is because this is about sixty people all over the age of 70yrs, who take their sweet shaky-hands time trying to get those peas onto their spoon. Not that those peas make it into their mouths, because I can say first-hand that about 50% end up under their wheelchairs, smashed by their wheels as they're wheeled away. This is a very common occurrence, most especially with our resident who will be 107 this coming summer. Eat your cheerios every morning like this woman, and you too may be able to live to be 106.

Just yesterday I was sweeping said dining room when I overheard one of the social workers interviewing one of the residents who just came back from the hospital.
"If we find you unconscious and not breathing, would you like us to resuscitate you?"
She promptly told her "No", which seems depressing, but at the same time I would have to say the same thing in her situation. I give all of you reading this blog permission to take a can of Raid to my face if I am ever unable to use the bathroom unassisted, and/or find my most pleasurable entertainment to be staring at a parking lot. Don't hesitate.

Wheeling my cart around the building, hurrying to do my cleaning, I often hear bits and pieces of conversations throughout the building. My most favorite one so far was about a week ago, wheeling past one younger resident (probably only 60) who had just struck up a conversation with one of our dementia residents approaching maybe 75 or so. All I heard was
"Did you have a bowel movement today D?"
*nods head happily
"That's great! Because I know it's been a few days."

I know he's trying to be supportive, but I don't want my conversations to ever revolve around bowel movements. Ever.

Because of various reasons, a lot of the residents can't really talk. I need to take these pictures, but there are a few hand-written signs throughout the building that the CNA's/ Nurses leave to each other to remind them of routine things with each resident. For instance in one room, next to a resident's bed, it says really large " Did you remember to take out Mary's teeth?"
It's always there so I assume it's a daily thing to take out Mary's teeth. I don't know what will happen if they don't remember.
And my favorite sign is also by a resident's bed. This one says " My name is Helmut. Please put MY clothes on me. Thanks."