Free Blackout by Jan Christensen Page A

stood ramrod straight in her high heels at the foot of the bed while a young woman slouched in the visitor’s chair and a man perched on the foot of the bed. Surely they were too young to be the woman’s children.
    While Alice repositioned the other resident, she listened to Brenda.
    “I have a list of home health agencies here and what they can do to help you. This yellow sheet outlines the care Mrs. Baggett will need and the medicines she should be taking, and when. The doctor wants to see her weekly for a while. I’ve set up tentative appointments. You can change them if necessary, but you did say Thursday afternoons were good, right?”
    The woman in the chair nodded. She had an utterly defeated expression on her face, and Alice wondered if she’d be able to cope.
    “You understand the diet?” Brenda asked. “It’s very important. There are lots of books about diabetes, and recipe books, too. I’ve made a list here for you to take home. You can give the insulin shots and do the testing?” She raised her eyebrows. They both nodded.
    “I’ve included my card in your packet. Please call me if you have any questions or concerns. Merry Hills and I will be here if you need us again. Do you have any questions now?”
    “No.” The man stood up and shook Brenda’s hand. “Thank you for everything.” Slowly, the young woman rose from the chair, shook hands, and murmured thanks.
    “Let’s get you dressed now, Nana,” the woman said. Alice jerked with surprise. Something stirred in her memory. She shook her head—she couldn’t remember.
    At break, she asked Joyce to describe exactly what Brenda’s job was.
    “Gee, I’m not completely sure. Something called discharge planning. You know the ultimate goal is to get everyone to go home. And lots of residents are here short-term. Brenda counsels them and their families. She also has contacts with lots of agencies and organizations for, like, the blind, or the deaf. Diabetes, Heart Association, things like that. She gets special adaptive equipment and info for residents from different groups. She meets with the other department heads for care planning.”
    “What’s care planning?”
    “Each resident has a plan of care so they can get better, or at least stay at the highest level possible for them. Let’s see. Nursing, Dietary, Activities, and Social Services meet, I think every ninety days, and discuss each resident. They talk about what should be done to help. You’ve seen those big folded cardboard things in the charts?”
    “Yeah,” Alice said. “It has goals listed at the top, and I remember seeing the signatures of Betty and Margaret, Brenda and Yolanda.”
    “That’s it. And I think Brenda has to make notes in each chart every so often about the resident’s social service needs. Yolanda does the same for activities, and Margaret for dietary. Hey,” Joyce said, “I know more than I thought I did!”
    “Yes.” Alice smiled. “I didn’t realize how much there was to caring for each resident. So Brenda does nonmedical stuff?” She thought about Nancy yelling at that resident. If she could tell Brenda instead of Betty, she’d feel better about it. Brenda should be sensitive to resident abuse.
    As Joyce and Alice went back toward their hall after lunch, Rita met them at the rotunda.
    “Alice, there’s a fire-safety class you need to attend this afternoon. Joyce, can you manage by yourself for about an hour?”
    “Of course,” Joyce said.
    Rita told Alice to go to the conference room. “Be sure to sign the attendance sheet. Sally, the staff development coordinator, will conduct the class. You’ve probably seen her around.”
    Alice shrugged. She didn’t remember if she had or not.
    “Anyway,” Rita said, “when it’s over, come back and help Joyce.”
    Alice nodded and went to the front of the building.
    About ten other people were in the room when Alice arrived. Sally bustled in and began the class by showing a film. It explained the