Lakeview Seniors Pet Therapy

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, March 02, 2015; 6:00-8:00 pm

I was on the wait list for both, this as well as the Bingo project, and finally around 4 pm there was an opening and I was able to sign up.  I arrived early since I wanted to meet with Pearl, but despite visiting her room twice, I wasn’t able to see her.  I came down to the main room and saw Elmer.  I inquired on his activities and he said that he was doing some consulting work for his agency.  It was nice to see that he was keeping himself sharp by staying busy.  The same perhaps could not be said about Jack, who seemed a bit distracted today.  Larry came down to join the group, but it was strange to see all of them without Jim, who has moved away to his own place.

I saw Emma being brought in and went over to chat with her. She was color coordinated in a blue jacket on a green shirt and a blue ribbon to tie her ponytail.  I asked if I could take a picture with her and she rambled about something.  But then I showed her my phone’s camera and she understood.  I asked if she was feeling lucky since Bingo was coming up, and she mentioned something about winning a table and chair, and how food tastes better on a table.  I am sure that these were just random collection of events.  I mentioned that I was there with the dogs and she mentioned a dog that her daughter has.

Before the project could start, I made one more visit to see Pearl.  She wasn't there and so I asked the nurse. She said that Pearl was visiting with another resident and so I went over to the other room.  I saw that Pearl was on her way back and I walked with her.  She said that other than a nose bleed she was doing okay.  Pearl makes jewelry and I asked if I could buy one.  She said certainly and asked me about the person it was for, the hair color, eyes color etc.  She suggested earrings, but I said that I wanted a bracelet.  She said there was one that wasn't complete since it required a hook.  I said if she could finish in 90 minutes, I would get it tonight.  She said that she would have it ready and there was also something that she wanted to read to me.  I said once I finished my project, I'll come back, take the bracelet and listen.

Reed

I went downstairs and saw that we had 3 dogs though Veronica, our Volunteer leader, told me that several had signed up.  I was paired with a beautiful black Scottish terrier named Reed and his owner Doyle.  Reed is 2 years old and Doyle told me that he had just had a haircut, where they also gave him a lovely orange bow to wear.  We started with David on the 2^nd floor, who was lying down, but got up as soon as he saw us and then proceeded to give Reed a thorough massage as usual.  Reed seemed to enjoy that and I mentioned that all dogs leave happy after visiting David.  We then stopped to see Polly and her roommate Dena since they always love to see dogs.  Reed though was ready to lie down after his massage and was on the floor staring out of the room.

Next stop was Loritta and she was in top form tonight.  Reed wouldn’t get up on the bed and when she heard that he had a haircut, she said that dogs should not have haircuts.  She said that her dogs never had one.  She talked about her house in ‘Hyde Park’, which she said had a trapezoid end, whatever that meant.  She said that she has always lived in the South or East in the city, never North or West.  In terms of travelling, she said that she had visited NYC and Boston when she was younger, saying that NYC people have no grass outside their houses since everything is so congested.  I said yeah, the houses don’t have a lawn, but that’s why they have ‘Central Park’.  She told us about a trip she had taken long time ago on ‘Lake Erie’ to Buffalo.  She said that she had never been to Wisconsin and never west of Oklahoma.  She went down south once, for her son’s graduation in Alabama, though she could never stay there because of the heat and humidity, preferring the cold of Chicago.  I asked where her son was nowadays and she said that he followed a woman to Georgia.  Can’t say that I blame him for that!

As much as we were enjoying this travelogue, Reed was now pulling us out and so we said bye to Loritta and moved to the 3^rd floor.  We stopped over at Jerry’s room, where all dogs love to go.  Jerry offered him bacon treats, but despite that Reed refused to get on the bed, though he did eat some that had fallen on the floor.  We left Jerry and then went to Hannah’s room where Fran and Veronica were chatting with her.  She said that she didn’t like dogs much since one had bitten her.  She then showed us Johnny B’s picture and told us that he had passed.  She once again told us the story about his kidnapping and how she had to pay $300 to free him.  I asked about her book and she said that it was with a publisher in NY.  I said that we would have a book signing one day and I would definitely get it.  It is called “Nine Lives of Johnny B”, and Veronica who works in publicity said that she would publicize it.  I said we could say that it’s not 1, not 2, not 3 but 9 lives.  Looks like we already have our tagline!

Pearl's artwork

I said goodbye to Doyle and Reed and went over to Pearl to collect my bracelet, which was lovely.  She also had matching earrings, which I wanted to get, but did not.  I looked at the other jewelry and it was outstanding.  She gets her supplies from ‘Ebay’ and assembles them.  She then read an article that she had written, depicting her journey through all Nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and how people are treated there.  It was hard hitting and she is quite eloquent.  She mentioned that she has sent it to some blogger for publication. She called herself a troublemaker and said that the folks here at Lakeview Nursing would be glad to see her go.  It seems that she has been championing the cause of a blind lady down the hallway, who she claims is being mistreated.  She said that she would leave this place someday, though she had no family nearby and no possessions besides what was in this room.  I said now that she had my email, she better stay in touch.  I left and she wished me a good day, a good week, a good month, good year and a good life.  I said that I would be back soon and thanked her for the bracelet.  She said that it was a beautiful piece and I better give it to someone equally beautiful.  “You don’t have to tell me that”, I muttered.

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Totally Trivia At The Imperial

Location: The Imperial Nursing Home

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2015; 2:30-3:30 pm

I often wonder why I do not come for this project more often.  Wilson mentioned that today we would be doing “Oscars” and I remembered a similar quiz from 2 years ago.  I arrived on the 5^th floor and noticed that the residents had already assembled, and as usual had their wheelchairs arranged in a semicircle.  There were a few volunteers there as well and all of them were first timers.  I told them about the project as we waited for Wilson to arrive.  I took the whiteboard that we use for scoring and placed it in the middle of the room.  I made 3 columns for the 3 teams – the format that we have used in the past – when one lady spoke up and said that there should be just 2 teams and that I should change the board.  She was very firm in her response, telling me that she was in charge!  She also kept asking when Wilson would arrive and her guess was as good as mine.

"Oscars" time

Wilson did arrive soon and said that all of us should introduce ourselves, including the residents.  Some of the residents required coaxing to tell their names.  In fact one guy thought that I was asking him something extremely personal and seemed alarmed.  A few of the residents gave us the names of others who seemed incapable.  The lady who had scolded me earlier regarding the board was Jackie, and she was ready to go as were a couple of other ladies.  Wilson asked the volunteers to spread out amongst the 2 groups and mingle with the residents.  He would be the “Quiz Master” while I would keep the score.  We began questions with “Team A” and Ethel, one of the regulars at Bingo was in that team, while Jackie was in “Team B”.

Wilson started by asking when the “Oscars” began.  Ethel first said 1890s – which was before cinema as we know it even existed.  Some of the other answers were a bit later than the actual year, which was 1927.  The teams got 1 point for the right answer, either for the question posed to them, or if it was passed over from other team.  When “Team A” got a point and “Team B” missed on theirs, I wrote 1 under A and 0 under B.  Jackie immediately scolded me, saying that we should not write 0, but rather wait for the team to score.  Man, she was tough to please!

Wilson asked which was the first “Animated Film” to be nominated for ‘Best Picture’ and “Snow White” was a popular answer, as well as “Toy Story”.  I gave a hint that it was in 1991 and that there was a musical which would be playing in Chicago soon.  But alas, no one got the right answer, “Beauty and the Beast”.  Another question was the first movie to win the ‘Best Picture’ award.  I said that since there were 2 movies that won that year, we would take any of the answers.  Amazingly Ethel knew the answer, which was “Wings”.  The next question was, “Which was the first movie with sound to win the ‘Best Picture’ award?”  The answer of course was “Broadway Melody” and when Wilson presented the choices, someone said that the movie with “Melody” in it should have sound.  Well, the answer was right, but logic was wrong since it was dialogue not necessarily sound, which “Wings” also had.  I asked as a follow-up, which was the only other “silent movie” to win ‘Best Picture’, and they got the answer – “The Artist”. 

Wilson asked some highly technical questions such as the height and weight of the “Oscars” statue and for some reason expected the residents to know that information, which of course no one did.  Other questions were on multiple nominations and multiple winners.  “Team A” was way ahead of “Team B”, which I am sure was irritating Jackie, though in her defense, the other team had some enthusiastic volunteers who were answering for the seniors.  I posed to “Team B” a question saying that it was tough and if they get it, we could possibly give them more points - so that they catch up.  I said that only once has the last award of the evening not been given for ‘Best Picture’, and was rather given as a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.  Wilson asked if it was an American or British actor and I said British, the greatest of them all.  “Team B” did not get it, but “Team A” after some hints correctly answered Chaplin. 

During the game, one of the ladies started saying that she wanted another lady to “get away" from her.  The nurses came and put her away on the other side.  The lady she was referring to was sharp and at one stage she rolled her wheelchair towards me and said, “Watch how they will yell at me”.  Sure enough, the nurse came and took her away.  She looked at me as they did that.  Boy, these folks sure are feisty.  Our hour was up, though the residents were in a mood to continue for a long time.  “Team A” had won handily, but as is the custom here, volunteers distributed cookies and treats to everyone.  Wilson asked recommendations for next month’s theme.  I said that since Jackie likes music maybe we could do “Broadway Musicals”.  I will definitely try and come for that.

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy