Caregiving for All:   October 4, 2022    Del Larson Certified Lay Minister

It has been a little longer time since my last share. I hope to get to the next topic on Planning Ahead this week. My last post on caregiving was about the strange phone call from an elderly woman looking for a moving company. It was a hectic week last week with my 95-year-old friend. She has no family in the tri-state area. Her boys don’t seem to be involved much in her care. She had to go to the Hospital because of internal bleeding. Doctors were able to get it contained, but she wasn’t happy about not having her clothes, and the chair alarm kept going off every time she stood up to look for her clothes.

The first lesson here is not being able to understand the staff in the ER. The nurse was asking her about the bathroom and was giving her all kinds of options. Finally, I asked her 1 question. Would she like a bedpan to use? Yes, she thought that was best. I didn’t say anything to the nurse but hoped she picked up on what I did. Then the intern came in and was loud and asked numerous questions about DNR Healthcare directives. I whispered to him to be softer and have fewer choices. Again, I asked if she would like someone beating on her chest if she stopped breathing. I then asked if she would like a tube down her throat to help her breathe and again, she said no. She already had directives on file, but they needed to check again. Hospital staff is very busy, but when you are dealing with seniors you need to break it down into smaller pieces so it is easier to understand. I did chat with the ER manager later and made those suggestions. I wasn’t complaining, but rather sharing what I have learned. I told her I appreciated their efforts. You need to know. Always, show praise and appreciation for those who are caring for your loved one. You will find more support and care when you make those efforts. Please remember you are an important part of the care team.

I appreciate hearing from you. Positive or negative. Remember what I said above. Positive is always better. I think we need more positives in this angry world. My email is attached, or you can call the church and they will give you my number. God bless you and keep you. His face will shine down on you.

Feel free to respond, ask questions, or tell me what you think.
I hope that you can find one thing that will be helpful to you. Email: larsondel@gmail.com