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Show Nursing home/8 "Hi, Rachel. You look pretty today. How about a smile?" Groans. "Can you say, 'okay'?" Inaudible words. "That's coming, Rachel. I can t e l l you're trying. Now, 'okay'." Sounds but no words. "How about a smile, then?" Struggle, then a faint smile. "Oh, Rachel. I'm so proud of you. I know you're trying. I've got a big hug for you today. I love you." Our emotions were up and down all day in the nursing home. For each positive experience there were many negatives. The staff and the families are subject to drains on their psychological resources. In mid-December I overheard one employee as she railed at having been assigned the Christmas afternoon shift. "They can manage with less staff," she complained. "Why do 1^ have to be the one who comes in?" Knowing that my mother could not leave the home that day, I wished for compassionate care at a time that would be hard for us all. The reassurance came when Nurse Susie told me, "I get to work on Christmas morning. I love my friends here and I want to be with them when they wake up that day." Carolers came to the nursing home several times during the holiday week. Youngsters were prodded along the halls by their advisers as they sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." The residents smiled to see the children's faces, but the words of the songs brought tears the carolers did not understand. The patients longed for a merry Christmas but realistically knew that happy seasons were likely in the past. People who don't know the inside of a rest home beyond a quick holiday visit are missing an important part of human experience, even sublime achievement. |