WHAT SHE NEEDS

 

“Anita”, eighty-seven, suffers from Parkinson’s Disease.  Anita is very weak and needs assistance with all of her daily activities.  Anita is married to her husband, “Paul”.  They have three daughters, who all live nearby and visit often.  Anita has been in a recent decline and needing more help.  Paul, who himself is eighty-nine, could no longer take care of her.  Paul is in excellent health, but decided to place Anita into a Nursing Facility so that her increasing needs could be met. 

Anita has been in the facility for about two weeks.  Today, when the hospice nurse made a visit, Anita told her, “I am done.”  The nurse had some concerns that Anita may try to kill herself, so asked that I go out to do an assessment.  

I first spoke with the Nurse Manager at the facility who said that there is nothing in Anita’s room that is dangerous.  She then added, that Anita is so weak, she could not pick up any item if there were one there.  

Anita was sitting alone in the dining room.  She had her dinner before who, although had not yet taken a bite.  I sat down next to her and started to engage with an easy conversation.  I wanted to make a connection with her so that hopefully she would open up about her emotions.  I quietly told her that she was royalty here at the facility.  I then called her Queen Anita.  She easily smiled upon hearing that. 

After assessing her sadness, I asked what makes her happy.  It was then she lit up so brightly while talking about her two granddaughters.  I got another smile out of her when I said her role as Grandma is to spoil her grandchildren.  She had no photos of her granddaughters in her room so I told her that I would talk with Paul about having him bring some pictures down of her granddaughters.

The entire time we were talking about her granddaughters, she just beamed.  She may have some confusion, but she so strongly and dearly knows what is important to her; her two granddaughters.

WHAT SHE NEEDS

 

She’s been ill for so many years;

slowly needing more and more help.

She is wheelchair bound and so weak.

Every action is slow and laborious. 

 

She has some confusion, but hard to tell

as her conversation is difficult and a challenge.

She speaks using only one to two words

            while her voice is shaky and slow.

 

She had been living with her husband,

until this recent move into the Nursing Home.

As expected, she is a bit sad and unhappy,

missing her familiar environment called “Home.”

 

I did a visit to see how she is coping

as she told the nurse today, ‘I am done”.

Somehow to me, her sadness may be normal,

as it can take an adjustment period of not being at home.

 

I asked her, “Do you want to harm yourself?”

She shook her head slowly and simply said, “No”.

I then asked her, “What makes you happy?”

She lit up while slowly saying, “My two Granddaughters”.

 

The moment the conversation was about grandchildren,

her face lit up so beautifully; her body language so engaged.

As I got up to leave, she turned to me and so beautifully said,

               “Will you come back and see me again?”

 

Her level of confusion did not impact her awareness

of what supported her each and every day.

She was able to clearly, although slowly,

tell me that it was simply her two granddaughters;

is all that she will ever truly need.