throwing herself on the floor not wanting to walk, so we got her a wheelchair. She walks when she feels like it, but that’s the only time.”
Heidi blinked a few times. “Why didn’t I know this?”
“Because she doesn’t usually feel like it.” Vicki shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with her legs or her balance. She tends to wander around a lot in the middle of the night.”
“Should we add working with her on walking to her care plan?”
“Absolutely not! She throws herself on the floor and has a fit worthy of any toddler. Nope. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. If she wants to walk, she can. If she doesn’t, we’ll let her ride around in her wheelchair.”
Heidi nodded. She understood completely. Once a patient was on the floor, it was hard to get them up, and Mrs. Nelson was one of the most stubborn women she knew! “All right. She really freaked me out for a minute there.”
“You might want to follow her. She gets tired of walking and sits down wherever she is, and then she needs a wheelchair to get back to where she’s supposed to be. She was dressed, I hope?”
Heidi nodded. “Yeah, she was dressed. I have no idea where she was going, but I’ll try to find her.”
Five minutes later, she was glad she’d taken Vicki’s advice. Mrs. Nelson was sitting on the floor in the lobby, complaining about someone pushing her out of her wheelchair loudly to anyone who would listen. Thankfully, no one was listening. “I’ll get your wheelchair for you, Mrs. Nelson.” She was on the floor beside a comfortable chair. “Let me help you into a chair while I go get one.”
Mrs. Nelson nodded, taking Heidi’s hand to be helped up. She sat in the chair and folded her hands on her lap, waiting for her chair. Instead of going to get one herself, Heidi had the receptionist page a CNA with a wheelchair for Mrs. Nelson.
Jenni was there a minute later, pushing a wheelchair. “I wondered where you’d wandered off to, Mrs. Nelson. You know you’re not supposed to just walk off.”
“You pushed me out of my wheelchair and left me,” Mrs. Nelson argued belligerently.
“Of course.” Jenni helped her into the chair and pushed her back down the hall. “It’s almost time for lunch. Do you want to sit with your friends today?”
The last thing Heidi heard as they disappeared around the corner was, “You know I don’t have any friends. Why do you always make up stories?”
Heidi shook her head. It was going to be a long day!
Chapter Eight
Miss Molly was waiting for her when Heidi drove up. “Are we going to use a wheelchair when we get there, or do you think you can handle it with your walker?”
“My knees are feeling young today. I can do it!”
Heidi smiled at that. “Good! If you change your mind, I can arrange for a chair, but it’s good for you to walk when you can.”
Once Miss Molly was settled in the car, Heidi headed toward the nursing home. “Do you have any questions before we get there?”
“Yes, are there other people who I can do things with there?”
“Absolutely! There are always people down in the lobby putting puzzles together and playing cards. There’s a big television and you’d have people to watch your stories with. I think you’ll really like it.”
“But I’ll have my own space?”
“Yes, you will. Your apartment will be a one-bedroom with a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. We’ll set up a schedule for people to check on you. You don’t have to be around people unless you want to, but if you want to, you can. It’s that simple. You’ll have a whole community of friends in no time.”
Miss Molly sighed. “I hoped it would never come to this.”
“I know you did, and if I could have stayed living in my little apartment above you forever, we’d have been able to hold off a lot longer. But you need more help than I can give when I’m not living that close to you. Here, you’ll always have help if you need it. There will be
Heidi blinked a few times. “Why didn’t I know this?”
“Because she doesn’t usually feel like it.” Vicki shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with her legs or her balance. She tends to wander around a lot in the middle of the night.”
“Should we add working with her on walking to her care plan?”
“Absolutely not! She throws herself on the floor and has a fit worthy of any toddler. Nope. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. If she wants to walk, she can. If she doesn’t, we’ll let her ride around in her wheelchair.”
Heidi nodded. She understood completely. Once a patient was on the floor, it was hard to get them up, and Mrs. Nelson was one of the most stubborn women she knew! “All right. She really freaked me out for a minute there.”
“You might want to follow her. She gets tired of walking and sits down wherever she is, and then she needs a wheelchair to get back to where she’s supposed to be. She was dressed, I hope?”
Heidi nodded. “Yeah, she was dressed. I have no idea where she was going, but I’ll try to find her.”
Five minutes later, she was glad she’d taken Vicki’s advice. Mrs. Nelson was sitting on the floor in the lobby, complaining about someone pushing her out of her wheelchair loudly to anyone who would listen. Thankfully, no one was listening. “I’ll get your wheelchair for you, Mrs. Nelson.” She was on the floor beside a comfortable chair. “Let me help you into a chair while I go get one.”
Mrs. Nelson nodded, taking Heidi’s hand to be helped up. She sat in the chair and folded her hands on her lap, waiting for her chair. Instead of going to get one herself, Heidi had the receptionist page a CNA with a wheelchair for Mrs. Nelson.
Jenni was there a minute later, pushing a wheelchair. “I wondered where you’d wandered off to, Mrs. Nelson. You know you’re not supposed to just walk off.”
“You pushed me out of my wheelchair and left me,” Mrs. Nelson argued belligerently.
“Of course.” Jenni helped her into the chair and pushed her back down the hall. “It’s almost time for lunch. Do you want to sit with your friends today?”
The last thing Heidi heard as they disappeared around the corner was, “You know I don’t have any friends. Why do you always make up stories?”
Heidi shook her head. It was going to be a long day!
Chapter Eight
Miss Molly was waiting for her when Heidi drove up. “Are we going to use a wheelchair when we get there, or do you think you can handle it with your walker?”
“My knees are feeling young today. I can do it!”
Heidi smiled at that. “Good! If you change your mind, I can arrange for a chair, but it’s good for you to walk when you can.”
Once Miss Molly was settled in the car, Heidi headed toward the nursing home. “Do you have any questions before we get there?”
“Yes, are there other people who I can do things with there?”
“Absolutely! There are always people down in the lobby putting puzzles together and playing cards. There’s a big television and you’d have people to watch your stories with. I think you’ll really like it.”
“But I’ll have my own space?”
“Yes, you will. Your apartment will be a one-bedroom with a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. We’ll set up a schedule for people to check on you. You don’t have to be around people unless you want to, but if you want to, you can. It’s that simple. You’ll have a whole community of friends in no time.”
Miss Molly sighed. “I hoped it would never come to this.”
“I know you did, and if I could have stayed living in my little apartment above you forever, we’d have been able to hold off a lot longer. But you need more help than I can give when I’m not living that close to you. Here, you’ll always have help if you need it. There will be
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