Aged Care
“Pleasantly Confused” – The Residents In Aged Care Who Make You Smile
Sometimes we have interactions with patients and residents that are really quite something. Here’s one from Tess, a nurse who had a particularly lively gentleman resident…
Pleasantly Confused
“Oh my darling. Oh my darling. Oh my DARLING valentine…” belts out every five minutes from room 603. It’s a joyful, and thankfully harmonious, sound and Mr Green is delightfully happy.
I’m opposite in 611 helping a dour Mr Brown sit up for dinner.
“Well, someone’s very happy,” I offer, almost by way of apology.
“Yes. I only wish they’d teach him another song” suggests Mr Brown resignedly.
Around midnight Mr Green has been quiet for about an hour when he suddenly pops out into the corridor ready for action. He is wearing his pyjamas, a tie carefully knotted at his neck, his tweed jacket buttoned and his cap firmly on his head. The piece de resistance is the back to front pull up pants on the outside of his pyjama trousers.
“Ah! There you are!” he announces, waving his walking stick in the air, “Am I in time for the matinee performance?”
Towards morning, Mr Green finally throws in the towel and announces he is ready for bed. He insists room 604 is his room and is outraged that there is a woman, who not only is sleeping peacefully in his bed, but has also rearranged the room and thrown out his possessions. He is not impressed with my attempts at explanation and, as he is becoming quite upset, a colleague steps in to help. As I walk away I hear him say in a loud voice whilst looking defiantly after me:
“Hmph. She would have been a good looking woman once”.
Do you have a positive story similar to Tess’ ‘Pleasantly Confused’? Let us know so we can share the joy nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au