What's UP?
It's been a few weeks since last I wrote and things here have changed. I'm still enjoying riding my bicycle and playing golf as often as possible, but my work as a Medical Advocate has changed. #1.) My biggest client 'fired' me. (Jon, my downstairs neighbor fell and broke his hip back a month ago, on February 11th. Since then his journey has been bizarre and unexpected.) #2.) My other downstairs neighbor Anna has solved her problem with her dog. She: put-Fred-down. Now she is very angry with the facility and is looking to move to another senior living center. Anna feels slighted and mistreated and is unhappy here. #3.) In addition I had opportunity to help my next-door neighbor Dale and his girl friend Jerri get some new glasses. Lastly, #4.) I have been nominated to join the Association Board for residence here. I feel like a social butterfly!
Let's cover these in order.
#1.) Jon fired me. When I moved here, in late November, I met my downstairs neighbor Jon and volunteered to help him "with stuff" if he needed it. (i was thinking lift a box, or move a chair. Normal stuff.) It turned out that John was having eye surgery the next week and he needed help with transportation: to the surgery, to the follow-up, to the doctor, to the pharmacy. Then Jon asked me to help him with his phone. (yikes!) That damn PHONE required multiple trips to the T-mobile phone store, to Best Buy to purchase a Jitterbug phone and then 24hrs later to return it. Another trip to T-mobile to reactivate his smart phone. A special trip to Valentina's apartment across town, his 85 yoa girlfriend from the Ukraine, to get her jitterbug for the exchange. (Jon bought Val's phone, so every swap and trip required also taking her with us.) *note: Valentina speaks Ukrainian and such poor English that a conversation turns into a game of Charades. I am never clear if she understands me, and I KNOW that I cant understand her. After 5 phone switches and weeks of ME giving them lessons on their constantly changing different models, they (read Jon) decided on a model. But daily Jon still needed to be re-shown how to dial and answer calls.
THEN Jon fell getting out of the shower Friday Feb. 11th and broke his hip and fractured his shoulder. I was having dinner and got a phone call from Jon, "help, I've fallen and cant get up." I ran over and helped get him into an ambulance. (Val was with him when he fell, so she got him the phone) Thus begins Jon's hospital story....
THE HOSTPITAL SAGA: Morgan Plant Hospital ER, then the next day surgery and into a very nice private room on the 4th floor. (he is loud, aggressive and disruptive to that wing, so they move him to the 6th flr where they have cameras watching patients.) He is moved to 6th floor. This room is a shared room and very small. Jon continues to 'be a pain' to the staff both Sun and Mon. Tuesday 2.15th Jon gets transferred to the Oaks 2nd floor Rehab facility. Wed 2.16th Jon works with the Physical Therapist and walks with a walker about 12 feet into the hallway. He laughs, jokes, and seems to be on the mend. Thur 2.17th Jon calls 911 and asks to be moved to the VA hospital because he does not like "the lack of attention he is getting in rehab." (the VA does not allow visitors) Fri 2.18th Jon is brought back to The Oaks rehab, "because there is nothing wrong with him and he needs the rehab and the VA needs the beds."
Saturday 2.19th * I got a call on my cell phone. It was, "hey Mr. Williams, I'm the ambulance driver out front. I'm calling you because neither of his nieces (his medical surrogates) are answering their phones and your number is in our file. I am not taking Jon anywhere because there's nothing wrong with him. He just keeps calling 911." (i walked over and met the driver. Jon had called 911 four times that morning to complain he "was not getting enough attention." He spoke with the police to complain "they wont bring me milk for my coffee.") On my daily visit to Jon I took away his cell phone and put his house phone in his cabinet, out of his reach. I also told Jon to stop calling 911. That night, Saturday 2.19th "Jon crawled out of bed and was found on the floor with all his chords wrapped around his neck, banging his head on the floor repeating - Im going to die." Sunday 2.20th I found a voice message on MY cell from a Dr Jacobson in the Morton Plant ER at 10:38pm regarding Jon. I returned the call to learn that Jon had been admitted under the Baker Act for observation and No Visitors allowed. --"The Baker Act, also known as the Florida Mental Health Act, states that if an individual is acting in an irrational way and could be harmful to themselves or others, they could be involuntarily taken to a facility and and placed there, for up to 72 hours." He stayed there till Mon 2.28th when he was transferred to Meese Hospital in Dunedin. I rode my bicycle up to Dunedin to visit and Jon told me he didnt want to see me, he wanted to see Valentina. The next day, on March 1st I drove over and got Valentina at her home and drove her to Dunedin to visit Jon a half hour each way. (only 1 visitor allowed at a time) We agreed that at 2pm I would drive her home. 2pm rolls around and Im outside waiting on Val... I call and she does not answer. I call the nurses station and beg the nurse to get Val. The nurse returns to inform me, "Val is not ready to go yet." Finally after numerous calls Valentina answers and says that "Jon will arrange a limo for my return home." (all this after i've been waiting since 10am) So I drive home, to MY home and leave Val there. At 7pm Val calls crying because Jon refuses to call her transportation. Instead he wants her to sit bedside in a chair while he sleeps. I drove back and got her and drove her back across town home and then back to my home at 8pm. (im tired of both of them at this point) Finally the last straw, on March 3rd they bring Jon back to the Oaks for his rehab. Valentine showed up that evening and asked me to walk her over from the Villa where Jon and I live to the big building 2nd floor where rehab is. OK, I'll help. I walk her over and Jon yells at both Valentina and I to "Get Out. Leave or I'll call the Police. I dont want you here." Val is in tears as we leave and walk back over to Jon's apartment - where Val has her own room - and her own key that Jon has given her. About this time the niece from New Jersey, Geraldine, calls me. She informs me that both Val and I are put onto a Do Not Visit list. That's the last I've seen of Val or Jon.
#2.) Anna is looking at other Senior Living Spots, in the past few weeks. Anna asked me to drive her to view a new location, and then another one. Now we have viewed four and she is more than ever certain that she has to move, "because nobody likes her and she cant be happy here." My fear is that any new apartment she moves to will insist she be assisted living and she is very independent and headstrong. But she is also very forgetful so it's a wait and see situation.
#3.) Jerri fell and broke her glasses. I have given Dale and Jerri a ride to the hospital about 'what follow-up is needed' and to get her new glasses repaired.
#4.) The Oaks has a Board of Directors and some of the residents are asking me to help out by being on the board. *I'm guessing this topic could come up again in a future blog post....
It's Sunday and I've been invited to an informal gathering up on the 15th floor for some guitar playing, so I've got to close now and run. More later. -Skip
