I called Susie at 2:45 to let her know it is me that is coming. I’m just leaving the office. She is surprised but says “I’ll meet you over there to introduce you to Floyd” (that felt good and right, for both the sake of Floyd and me). I am the owner of an assisted living services company. I’m not normally a caregiver. But, because we have a caregiver on leave, I have agreed to provide in-home services for 94 year old Floyd.
So, I head out to the address I am given and end up in the driveway of Dave’s home (what the heck! -not Floyd’s?). Stay with me here, I’m as confused as you are, – Dave (who is Susie’s husband and Floyd’s nephew) is extremely gracious and doesn’t look at me like “what are you doing here, are you an idiot?!”. He calmly gives me directions to Floyd’s home. (Susie had already told me to go just past Walker Road, so I wasn’t really surprised that I wasn’t at the right address. I had not crossed Walker Road when I pulled into Dave’s driveway…). Yup – I am an idiot!
No one told me about the dogs….
Upon entering the driveway, three big dogs circle the car. For the entire drive up to the house they bark and Bark and BARK. Of course, I hadn’t been there before, so I don’t even know if I am in the right place (surely they would have prepared me for the dogs).
I pull up to the garage and look at the house. Nothing… I sit a minute and then I see Susie in the window on the phone. At least I hope it is Susie. She seemed calm enough – so I opened my car door. I was not eaten by the dogs!
Susie welcomed me into the home. I just need to mention this major unanticipated factor, Floyd wasn’t there!
So, thank goodness Susie was or I would have been in a total panic and not had any clue how to approach the situation!!! I just arrived at a client’s home to provide in-home services and, did I mention, the client, Floyd wasn’t there?!
No worries… Or at least Susie wasn’t worried. Susie and I took advantage of the private moment to catch up on what services had been provided to Floyd up to this point. And where improvements could be made. Mostly it boils down to communication and becoming a team. We can do this!
As to Floyd being absent – it turns out that there was a mechanical problem of some sort on his farm and 94 year old Floyd was out overseeing the repair. I’m cool with that! He shows up at the kitchen door, all on his own, and bewildered about why I was with Susie in his kitchen…
Actually, I am as bewildered as Floyd. Our company sends someone to help Floyd each weekday for the hours between 3 and 5 pm. I had a cheat sheet prepared by the awesome caregiver that provides care for Floyd the majority of the time. She is on vacation. So, my cheat sheet says that on Mondays (yup, here I am and it’s Monday) my tasks are simple. I clean the bathrooms and I prepare dinner for Floyd, served about 4:15 then wash the dishes and be out the door by 5.
There are no instructions about what Floyd does during this time. So I tell him I am going to clean the bathrooms. He shows me where the two bathrooms are. I ask him if he wants to watch the television. He lets me know he doesn’t fill his time with the TV (oh my, I am starting to totally connect with this man).
He goes to the living room with his newspaper. I start cleaning the bathrooms. Shortly he comes looking for me and wonders if I have seen his glasses. I can’t remember if he came in from the outdoors with his glasses on. He thinks that when he left the house he took them off and brought them inside because the sun made the glasses annoying. I wear glasses. I know how they magnify the sun. And, I know how hard it is to find glasses when you don’t have them on. He finds a drawer with three pair of old glasses. I have no idea, but I suspect these aren’t the ones. He doesn’t think so either…
I look everywhere. He looks everywhere. He’s worried. I’m worried. And then, I enter the living room where he was reading the newspaper. Aha, I’m a hero! The glasses are laying, right there, on the floor, next to his reading chair! We celebrate. He goes back to reading. I go back to cleaning bathrooms.
Being a fantastic multi-tasker, I let the bathroom floors dry and start microwaving the beautiful leftovers that Susie has in the refrigerator for Floyd’s dinner (have I mentioned my tasks are simple)? I set the table following my cheat sheet (include bread, butter, grape jelly). I ask Floyd what he wants to drink with dinner (not on the cheat sheet). He says lemonade or water. I ask whether he wants his drink in glass or plastic. He says he will adjust to whatever I come up with. And I am thinking I have questions about placemats, ice cubes, silverware, salt, pepper, by the way will he notice I threw out that baggie on the counter with a bread crust and moldy cheese ….
The cheat sheet says dinner is at 4:15. I know I am late, cause it is 4:19, when Floyd asks if I said something. And I, having been talking to myself, improvise and say “Dinner is Ready”. He comes to the table. I go off to finish the cleaning of the bathrooms. I check in. He says all is good.
While cleaning the bathroom, I can’t stop looking out the window. The sheep are peacefully grazing on the south side of Floyd’s home. On the north side, at the kitchen table, Floyd is looking out the window watching cows graze. It is approaching 5 o’clock. Nearing the end of this visit. I am feeling blessed and join Floyd at the kitchen table.
We talk about his farm. About the woods. About the chickens and the roosters. About the cows who need fattening at this time of year. And about the grass that the cows like now but will pass up in a month when it isn’t young. About wood furnaces. And how hard it is to make a living on a family farm. And tax consequences. And how he is 94. And his knees really only hurt if he is moving. And if he were younger he might consider surgery. And how if the pain gets bad enough maybe it doesn’t factor in how old you are. He mentions that he didn’t expect someone like me to stop by to help out. But I know the real story. How on earth did I get lucky enough to spend some time with Floyd?!!!
JanNow 