you load 16 tons and what do you get?

One of the women I take care of fell and broke her hip, so she'll be in the hospital and getting care for several weeks IF she can survive all the stress. She's been in really bad health and she belonged in the hospital weeks ago, and it irks me when family ignores this sort of...you know....CRITICAL HEALTH INFORMATION. Sometimes I find dealing with family is like talking to a brick wall. You try to tell them what you're seeing from experience because the elderly, for the most part, go through the same stages as their journey comes to an end. Their bodies break down in much the same way, but for the family, it goes in one ear and out the other. For some, they're in denial. For others, they're afraid getting more help might cost them some money. The funny thing is that the people who can ill afford more help are the ones more willing to scrimp and save to get it, while the people who can well afford it are tightfisted and stingy about it.

I sincerely hope my client does get better because she was wonderful to take care of. I hated the smoking, I'll admit that, but personality wise, she was great. For eleven months, she shared with me her thoughts on her family, her travels and her life growing up. She introduced me to the Real Housewives and reality TV, and I'll miss the time I spent with her. One thing I will remember about her is that she ALWAYS thanked me for everything I did for her. Even if it was just helping her get into her pajamas at night. And I, in turn, am grateful that I had the chance to get to know her.

THANKFULLY, I had two jobs, so I still have one income, even though her family is threatening to put her in a home. Kids, when your parents get older, don't hold "putting them into a home" like the Sword of Damocles over their head. Just like it made us afraid to be threatened when we were little, it scares them, too, because suddenly they're dependent on you and afraid of what their world holds. I see this all too often, and quite frankly, it pisses me off.

Ok, getting off my soapbox....

It was almost one year ago that I started the job I lost today, and I was working seven nights a week. The upside is I'll have some evening time to myself, I won't have to make four trips a day and I won't have to be out at night in bad weather. The downside makes itself known on pay day...