Friends, New and Old

I am very lucky to have many good friends. Since I have been single for many years, and without children, my friends have sustained me.

One of the good things to come out of my Mother's illness is meeting new people. In the last 2 1/2 years there have been lots of various health care types in and out of the house. With some you make a special connection.

Our current home health aide is one of them. I think she enjoys visiting us, as much as we enjoy her visits.

On her last visit, 3 days ago, she was bemoaning the state of her love life. I gave her some unsolicited advice.

"Honey, you need to learn to be happy on your own. Don't go thinking that if only your boyfriend would commit, then you would be happy. You need to make a life plan. Figure out your short term goals, your longer term goals, and make a plan to achieve them."

Much to my surprise she arrived today all full of news. She has decided she wants to become an RN. She has already found a program in the area, which will allow a lot of the course work to be done on-line. She is absolutely psyched, and says that once she decides to do something, she sticks with it.

I swear, I had tears in my eyes as she was telling me this.

She is a 25 year old single mother of 4. I so want her to have a good life.

I am quite certain we will stay in touch over the years.

Even after Mom is gone.

Drama at the Home Health Agency

People who come to your house every week tend to become like family.

We have now had 3 hospice nurses, but only 1 home health aide.

The home health aide is a dear. She is a single Mom with 4 children, and does a wonderful job.

I presume they are told part of their job is to talk to the caregiver (me) because often the caregiver is more of a problem than the patient.

It's also a give and take. I enjoy hearing about what is going on in someone else's life.

I blogged some time ago about the social worker.

Well, she was let go, and then had a nervous breakdown. She went a little (or a lot) crazy, harassing the office workers at the agency from which she was fired.

There are other problems at the agency, specifically with the office manager.

I got an ear full last week from the health aide, and apparently the owner is calling her to find out what's really going on in the office. They fired a nurse (who said she didn't know why she was fired), and a home health aide quit.

I tried to give our home health aide some advice on how to handle the situation.
First or all, don't go in the office and talk to the owner - call him on his cell after hours to give her take on the situation.

I am anxious to know what happened.
Like I said, they become like family.
Although now it's feeling more like a soap opera.