By Jynaki
Copyright © 2006 Jynaki
All Rights Reserved
when dealing with the effects of aging and Alzheimer's Disease, and Long Term Care. But they are truly all my own. This tale came
from the depths of my own bizarre imagination. The only real character in this entire work of fiction is Thumper. She is real. She is
my baby. She signed her rights to me for a rawhide.
Violence/Language Disclaimer: This story does have scenes of mild violence and/or their aftermath. It does contain bad language
and the characters refuse to wash their mouths out with soap.
Hurt/Comfort Disclaimer: This story has some parts that may be deemed as such.
Love/Sex Disclaimer: This story depicts a loving relationship between consenting adult women and may contain scenes of explicit
intimacy (tastefully done I hope). If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which
you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, use your back button and choose something else.
Acknowledgement: A whole lot of gratitude and thanks to Pam, my beta-reader. Thank you for your time, effort, expertise and
wonderful insight on this project to make it happen.
Feedback: Comments can be sent to the bard at Jynaki@aol.com
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Chapter 1
Teela Pheamster leaned back in her chair stretching the knots that seemed to have knitted into a ball between her shoulder blades. She
had been bent over the chart for the past hour reading medication orders and nursing notes. That was the easy part. It was
deciphering the physician's progress notes that gave her the most trouble and caused the headache. Hmm, after being here so long
you'd think I'd have this down pat by now she marveled.
"Why have you suddenly changed Duane Rikker? Why are you alternating between lethargy and fully awake and combative. Let's
see."
Teela flipped through the large notebook chart studying the information on the pages. She loved this part of the job; the detecting,
finding out why someone was changing. Next to actually getting a chance to talk to her resident, the social worker loved solving
these sorts of mysteries.
Teela immersed herself in the chart that told who Duane Rikker was from a medical point of view. She did not hear the initial knock
upon her office door. The louder banging got her attention. She looked up to see a CENA standing in her doorway.
"Teela, Marcia Hallorian is refusing to have her bath and take her afternoon medications. She keeps repeating that she does not need
medications that she is allergic to them. She is not herself today."
"Oh really. Why is that?"
"She is swearing at everybody. She says that she just returned from Hawaii and did not take them while she was gone. So why take
them now?"
"I see. Did she have a good time?" the CENA looks at her confused. "In Hawaii, did she have a good time?"
"Teela, I don't think she has been anywhere."
"Did you ask her?"
"Why? She never left."
"And did you tell Marcia that fact?"
"Yes."
"And how did she react?" Grinning knowing full well how a demented person would react when their reality was challenged. You
people will never learn.
"She hit me and called me a stupid fat ass."
"I am sorry to hear that. Now what do you think would have happened if you talked to her about her trip to Hawaii? Ask her what
she did while she was there?"
"Why? She confused today. Yesterday she was clear and could remember everything. She is just being mean."
"Aaahhhh. Not true. Listen. Marcia has what's called Lewy Body Dementia. It stems from her Parkinson's Disease and her
underlying demented the difference is, is that the person generally alternates between being clear and being confused. They also have
very clear and vivid hallucinations. So ya see. Marcia is not being difficult or mean. She truly believes she came back from Hawaii."
"I think I see."
"Okay. Try this. Go back to her room. Start up a casual conversation with her not about what you want her to do. Don't mention
that at all. Let her turn the subject around to her vacation. Ask her questions like you would one of your friends. After she starts
feeling comfortable with you sneak in and ask her to help you to do whatever. As far as the medications you can try and say the
doctor wants to make sure she is okay since she has returned from her trip and would like her to take the medications for a few days
to make sure."
"But that's lying."
"Not really. That's preventing the resident from getting sicker if she doesn't take her medications. If I remember correctly, she has a
lot of cardiac ones she needs, not to mention her Parkinson's meds. She truly needs those or she will start freezing up again. Besides,
this population puts a lot of stock in what the doctors say. We just use it from time to time."
"If she hits me again...."
"Either A - leave her alone and have someone else re-approach later. Or B - move out of the way quicker."
Teela snickered at the look on the CENAs face. "Come on I'll help ya." She stood an tapped the CENA on her shoulder. "But I can't
go in the room. She calls me The Gestapo."
Teela followed the CENA out into the hall. She had worked at Appleway Rehab and Convalescent Center for the past ten years as a
Social Worker. The ARCC as it became known to everyone was a 160 bed Long Term Skilled Care Facility. It boasted a high family
satisfaction rate of nearly 94% and has had fewer than 3 citations on their annual state inspection for the past 6 years running. Two
of those years, the ARCC received a Citation Free Survey. This helped to boost marketing and revenue.
But Teela called it home. Sure she had offers to work in other facilities, but there was nothing like the camaraderie that she found
among the staff of the ARCC and the patients that lived there. It was a rare thing indeed for this industry to have a truly open line of
communication among the major departments that provided direct care and interaction with the families and the patients. That would
include the Nursing and Dietary Department along with Social Services and Therapy. It was a rare thing that everyone was working
towards the same goal for the residents and could cross departmental lines easily. So long as the other department knew what was
happening. Things generally ran smoothly.
Moving towards Marcia's room, Teela greeted several of the residents she passed by name. No one should be ignored. Even if she
couldn't recall their names or if they were a fairly new admission to the ARCC, Teela said hello to them with a smile or a wave.
She stopped outside of Marcia's room and listened to the interaction between the CENA and Marcia.
"I told you I am not taking no pills!" the graggy voice drifted into the hall. "So you can just get the hell out!"
"I am not here to make you take any pills, Marcia. I just wanted to come back in and make sure you were not mad at me."
"Well I am."
"I'm sorry. What can I do to get out of the dog house?"
Teela nodded in agreement with the CENA’s response. It's not the line of conversation I was thinking of, but it might work for her.
She turned and headed back down the hall to her office when the page overheard called her name to call extension 190. What do you
want Kat? I know I don't want another admission today. I have had two already.
"Hey Teela."
"Hi Charles. How's things going today?"
"Hopefully better in a little bit. I get my new leg brace from therapy today."
"Hey that is good news. You have been waiting for that thing for a long time now."
"Yeah I know. Once I get used to it, my kids say that I can go back home."
"I hope you do Charles. I'll be pulling for you."
"Me too Teela, See you." He wheeled himself up the hall from where Teela just came.
Watching him, Teela hoped that he achieved his goal. So far Charles had been through three braces and none had been effective in
making his mobility sufficient enough to consider independent living. Making it back to her office and into her blue office chair, Teela
lifted the receiver and noticed that in that short span of time that she was gone, her message light was blinking.
Teela sighed heavily and dialed the number to retrieve her voicemail.
"Hello Teela, this is Shelton Parmer, Great Nephew and guardian to Barbara Mulder. I will be leaving town in an hour and then will
not return for a week or so. I wanted to touch base with you before I left. I believe you are more familiar with my Dad. When He
passed away, care and custody was handed to me. I have the documents from Probate. So I wanted to speak with you. I will be at
home for the next hour. I hope that you will call before then."
Then there was a call from Kathryn Faullman, the Admissions or intake Coordinator. She deleted both messages as Kathryn Faullman
walked through her office door, grin plastered across her face. Teela sighed. She recognized that grin.
"What do you want Kat?"
"You have an admission."
"Awww come on! It's after four now and I leave at five. I have a tee time at six Kat."
"Well I would do it but my son Sean has a ball game at 5:30 and I have to take him."
"Well what about Eerie Warden. Why can't she do it?"
Kat snickers at one of the many nicknames that Teela and Nica gave to their immediate supervisor. Eerie Warden was a play on her
real name. Erin Barden. But she often acted like a warden with Teela and Nica as unintelligent prisoners of her Social Services
Department at the ARCC. In fact, Teela had more knowledge than she let on. Kat often wondered why Teela did not apply for the
Director position when it was open a year ago.
"Eerie' s husband has a dinner planned with his bosses this evening and she is cooking."
"Her husband really likes her huh?"
"Guess so. At least twice anyway. They have 2 sons."
"Must have been a power outage both times." she scoffed and found Kat giggling along with her. "Is Frank going to allow overtime?
Of course he's not. Silly question."
"Maybe you can off-set your hours later in the week. He'll go for that."
Walking through the door came Clarabelle "Bell" Vleiken. She was being her usual pleasantly demented self and mumbling
nonsensically. She was a woman in her late seventies, with ever slipping knowledge of who she used to be. She found the strings on
her shirt more fascinating as she lightly tugged on her shirt.
"And there she is. Hi honey." Belle briefly forgot stretching her shirt and made her way over to Teela for a hug.
"Hi Belle. You're looking swell."
"Thank you honey. You like me?"
"Yes Belle. I like you very much."
"Okay." She then carefully took a seat next to Kat and mumbled to herself.
"Look Kat. It's not that I'm complaining about staying late and doing this, because am. But I already have six hours of overtime this
week. At this rate, I will not even have to show up on Friday to work."
"And that would be a bad thing?"
"You want to contend with Eerie?"
"Good point. Listen, just do the necessary signature pages. Tell the family that they will be able to finish tomorrow. They have been
waiting at the hospital for this to happen since 10am this morning. So they are tired and probably will be grateful for less paperwork."
"I could do that." Teela cringed as her telephone beeped. "This is Teela."
"Teela. Elizabeth "Liz" Lipps is pestering Andrea Butts again and Liz won't leave Andrea's room."
"What have you tried?"
"We told her to leave and she won't."
Teela sighed loudly, "I'll will be right there." She turned to Kat. "I don't believe it. It has been non-stop today. Is there a full moon or
something?"
"Could be."
Belle suddenly stood. She looked down at Teela's desk and decided to grab a handful of the business cards sitting in the black holder.
Teela smiled watching Belle exchange her used Kleenexes, by putting them on the desk and then walks out.
"Fair trade huh?
"She thinks so."
In quickly walked a CENA carrying a small item wrapped in paper towels. Without a word she handed Teela the package and the
white Broken Report From along with it, giving her a sheepish smile and leaving.
"Great!" At the denture in 3 pieced. Quickly dialing the dietician, "Hey Dawn, FYI, I just got Denise Julier's broken dentures. You
might want to check her for a change in food consistency." She returned the receiver. "Can you place her on the dental list?" Kat
nods. "Good, okay give me the info on my new person. What's the name anyway?"
"Lee Riddell, 85 year old........" Kat told her the brief history.
It wasn't long before Teela found herself walking down the hallway again heading this time to Andrea Butts' room. As she passed by
one particular room, she noticed an unfamiliar woman sitting at the bedside of Maureen Baldwin. I know recognize generally
everyone who visits. The majority by name. But I don't recognize her. I can't really see her very well, but still, I wonder who she is.
That's alright. After Liz and Andrea, I'll stop back by and see. Feeling that her plan was a good one, she continued on to her
destination.
Teela got to Andrea's room. There was Liz still insisting that her husband quit being lazy and to get out of bed. Poor Andrea Teela
thought sadly. She is just smiling, not even phased that she is being referred to as a man. She heard the CENA’s frustration and that
she was arguing. Big mistake.
Knocking on the door, "Excuse me. But you can't argue with someone who does not possess reasoning skills."
After what seemed liked eternity, Teela was finally able to coax Liz into going to another room with the CENA. Following behind
them, Teela literally ran into one of the physical therapist, Marcia Konclin.
"Here you go Teela. Saves me a trip to your office." Marcia handed her a piece of paper and kept walking down the hall.
"Wait. Is this was for real. Marcia?" Marcia nodded not fully understanding.
"Will Finger is adamant he wants to leave tomorrow."
"There is no way we can get things prepared for tomorrow. It's unrealistic. It's so late in the afternoon already. We have to contact
the physician for approval and scripts. Does Cassandra know about this?"
"No. She's gone for the day."
"Oh great." She threw her hands in the air in disbelief. "Then you break it to her in the morning. I can't start anything on this right
now. I have a new admission waiting for me." She ground her teeth this has got to be the worst cotton picking day ever.
On her way back to her office, she stopped and knocked on the door to Maureen Baldwin's room. Maureen was asleep and the
strange woman was gone. On the over bed table in a clear vase stood a fresh rose and a card. Being nosy, Teela moved to read the
card. It was signed Love P. Whose P?
Curious, Teela stopped a passing CENA who was working the hall and ask if she knew who the stranger in Maureen's room was.
The CENA replied she thought it was her daughter. That she had seen her there before the past couple weeks but usually at night
after supper.
She returned to her office full of inquisitiveness. Pouring a small cup of coffee from her steel thermos Teela checked her watch
again. She quickly dialed Shelton Parmer. While it was ringing, she reached behind her to grab the three-ringed binder labeled
Admissions. Opening it and flipping to the B tab, she easily found the face sheet for Maureen Baldwin's Admission, including her
Initial Social History and the Privacy Disclosure Form. Each listed only three names. Two sons, and a daughter-in-law. Hmmm, no
daughter listed. I wonder why? She is probably on the outs with the family. That's not too uncommon.
"Hello?"
" Shelton, this is Teela Pheamster, your Aunt's Social Worker at the ARCC."
"Yes Teela."
"So you are heading off for a holiday I see."
"I wish it were. My wife's mother fell ill in Pennsylvania, and we are going there to see her."
"I am sorry to hear that. I hope things will be alright for her."
"So do we Teela. Thank you. I have just taken over the care of my Great Aunt within the past two weeks.
"Sometimes, we get busy doing things Shelton, and time gets away from us. I do recall your Letter of Authority coming across my
desk recently."
"I am feeling guilty for not maintaining contact with her over the years until now. So I want to do the right thing. But when I visited
last night, she seemed quite agitated. Like something was wrong. Now I question if I should leave town now or stay and find out
what is going on with her."
"That's what we are trying to find out as well Shelton. This self abuse started about a week ago really. So did her profanity. Up until
then she was very mild, pleasant, cooperative not difficult at all. So she has us a little baffled as well."
"Why is she doing this? I really am concerned."
"It could be a number of things actually."
Teela took the time to explain to Shelton basic concepts concerning his great aunt's dementia. She loved teaching newly diagnosed
families about the disease. Sometimes she had to subtly sugar coat the more devastating characteristics or changes in personality and
behavior. But for the most part, she loved getting them to understand that their loved one was not doing things on purpose or out of
spite for them or the staff.
"Well I heard they put people on strong medications to keep them drugged."
"Shelton, sometimes using medications can be effective. But it is not my first choice. I prefer to rule out any medical changes that
may be happening and possibly causing the changes in Barbara. If her lab work or cultures and stuff come back negative, then we
can talk about using those types of medications. I don't want to start her on something she may not need in the first place. Alright? I
think I may even put her on the list to see the dentist and to get her ears checked.
"Really? I never thought about that?"
"Well, let us work on her and see what we come up with. You and your wife focus on your mother in-law and having a safe trip. We
can call you at the emergency numbers he gave her if anything drastic were to happen with Barbara."
"Are you sure."
"Pretty much. We'll call you if we need to."
"Okay then. Thank you."
Sighing she shook her head to clear her focus. I did start out with an agenda to finish today. I should have known that was a
mistake. She grumbled and returned to the Rikker chart. The telephone buzzed again. It was Kat. She told her that the ambulance
with Lee Riddell pulled into the parking lot. Teela glances at her watch and then to the ceiling as if praying for strength. She closes
the chart and begins to clear some working space on her desk so that she can do the Admissions contract.
year old wounds reopened and pierced through her heart once more. She clutched frantically at her heart as her wails filled the cab of
the truck. Not since Jen, had she allowed herself to feel this deeply and experience the agonizing pain that ripped beyond the soul.
She wept for her mother, a mother she had no other choice but to walk away from more than 20 years ago. A mother so intolerant
and narrow-minded that she told her only daughter she regretted giving birth to her. The person she loved looked upon her as a
stranger 20 years ago; she had a selective vacant stare then. Now she had that stare, but it was not her choice.
"She didn't know me the n; she does not know me now." she sobbed.
Pax Baldwin finally calmed and her composure slowly returned. She merged into the traffic. It's going to be okay. I never really
stopped loving mom. It was the other way around, but we can work with that now. I hope.
"Thanks to Damian I at least know where you were and what happened, mom. He was loyal. All those letters over the years, I knew
what was going on in the family even if I wasn't apart of it. I may not have answered, but he kept writing. I love him for that." Then
her mind switched to her older brother, Zander. Prick! She snarled.
She finally pulled into the drive of her rental home. I have to stop letting him get to me. He's not worth it. She chastised herself. She
didn't want him to bother her anymore now than he had for the past 20 years.
Pax kicked her shoes off at the door. She walked into the sparsely furnished living room and pushed the button on the answering
machine and before continuing on to the kitchen. Listening to the messages mostly from telemarketers wanting to get her opinion on
a poll for this or that issue.
"I've got to get my name on that list." she grumbled.
The next messenger was a female. She would recognize the voice of Celeste across a crowded room. That was not a good thing.
"Hi, lover. It's me, Celeste. We are set for dinner with Mona and Jenny tonight. They are just so excited to meet you. I have told
them all about you. Anyway, I will be at your place at six to pick you up. I miss you. Oh I almost forgot. Wear your blue polo shirt;
it goes fabulously with those sexy eyes you have and the khakis. Don't forget those cute loafers too. Bye love."
"Ooh great" Pax said, looking at her watch while growling and grinding her teeth. "Two dates and she thinks she owns me."
