Phone Tag

Chapter Six
Scene [2]

Phone Tag

MI (Renee)
1998/11/14 Saturday Morning [Don]
         Last night, Renee’s temporary guardian, Maura Caffrey-Smith, suggested we visit Mary Immaculate Nursing Home in Lawrence immediately as Renee needs a place to go after discharge from Mass General.

         I wonder if we actually have a choice?  It sounds to me like Maura has already decided.  She has the authority... and evidentially the strings.

         I called the MI Admissions Director, Marie Garceau, Saturday morning.1  I said, “Maura Caffrey-Smith asked us to visit your facility in anticipation of our daughter moving there next week.”

         Garceau said, “Oh, yes.  Mrs. Caffrey-Smith has requested your daughter... ah...”

         “Renee,” I said.

         “Renee?  I thought she said Bridget.”

         “Bridget is her assumed name for now.  It has to do with the police and the media.  Her real name is Renee.”

         “Oh?  Humm, I’ll have to note that.  Mrs. Caffrey-Smith did ask for ‘Bridget’ to be admitted....  It is customary to have loved ones tour our facility beforehand.”

         “It would be convenient if we could come tomorrow.  Are you open Sundays?” I asked.

         “The facility is of course open every day, but the normal staff is not all here on weekends.  I can come in and show you around myself.”

         “Good.  How about around noon tomorrow.”

         “We have a service in the main dining hall at noon.  Maybe 1:30 would be better.”

MI (Renee)
1998/11/15 Sunday 13:30-14:15 [Ferne and Don]
         Ferne and I toured Mary Immaculate Nursing Home at 172 Lawrence Street, Lawrence, MA.  The place is only three blocks from Town Manor, but ten times larger, six stories high, and appeared to have a large staff, even for a Sunday.

         The lobby was protected from unauthorized access with a ciphered/call-box locked entryway.  We had to buzz the desk to get in.  A Hell of a lot better than Town Manor.

         Mrs. Garceau met us at the lobby desk.  She showed us around the first floor common areas; dining room, kitchen and offices.

         As we stepped onto the elevator, she said, “There are no residents’ rooms on the first floor.  Your daughter will be on the second.”

         I said, “Renee is twenty-three.  Are there any other residents her age?”

         “We do occasionally have younger rehab patients.  But, currently no.  Our residents are usually older.”

         “Why did you accept Renee?”

         “A board member, Mr. Caffrey, asked us to.”

         Oh... the connection... Daddy.  “And the other younger patients?”

         “Neurological injuries, not just Alzheimer’s disorder, can strike younger people too.”

         Oh brother, more men wandering around in their underwear.  Is this going to lead to another assault?  I said, “Do the residents have access to all the rooms?”

         “Well, we keep the doors open all the time.  But the male and female residents are on separate floors.  Most social activities are organized on the first floor.  The sixth floor is reserved for residents with Alzheimer’s and other related dementias.”

         Thank God for that.

         The elevator doors opened right in front of the second floor nurses’ desk.  Mrs. Garceau said, “The staff does a good job of monitoring the traffic between floors.”

         She showed us a typical room.  They were a little larger in size but similar to Town Manor’s layout.  I noticed there were two TVs in the room.  I asked, “You provide separate TVs?”

         “No, we supply the cable hookup.  But the TV is the resident’s and the cable subscription has to be paid for by the resident.”

         “A separate bill?”

         “Usually it is deducted from their Personal Needs Account.  You can set that up through the social worker’s office.”

         “Well, Maura will.  She has control of all of Renee’s assets.  As well as all the stuff from her room back at Town Manor.”

         MI seemed to be head and shoulders above Town Manor.  I asked, “How is the facility funded?  Medicare isn’t this profitable.  Does the Church have to carry a lot?”

         “We were originally established by the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, "Grey Nuns," over a hundred years ago.  Several nuns are still part of our staff.  I’d estimate only 40% of our residents are full Medicare recipients.  The rest have additional private funds.  We have an endowment that also helps out.”

         “What kind of medical support do you have?”

         “We have a large assisted living facility next door.  So, we have two consulting doctors and several full-time Medical Practitioners on staff.”

         When we were about to leave, I said, “You have a nice place here.  Maybe Renee can finally get refuge from the courts, the police and the press.”

* * *

Courts (Renee)
1998/11/15 Sunday 21:45  [Don]
         That evening I called Maura about Renee’s move.2  I said, “Mary Immaculate is a very impressive place.  Big, clean, lots of staff and better security.  I don’t see any problems with moving her there.”

         Maura said, “Good.  I have a meeting with them in the morning.  We have to work out a few details, but she may be moved as soon as tomorrow.”

         “Details?  What do they need?”

         “Don’t worry about it.  I’ll take care of it.”

* * *

NEMC (Kimee)
1998/11/16 Monday 19:12  [Don]
         After work, I called NEMC and talked to Kimee’s nurse Ann about her progress.3  Ann said, “They started the feeding Saturday but we had to stop this morning.”

         “Why?”

         “She reared her head back and pulled the vent tube out.  Just in case she might upchuck into her airway, we stopped the feeding.”

         “Gee, she’s moving that much?...  Did it do any damage?”

         “No, don’t think so, but we put her back on CPAP.  She’s doing fine now.”

         “Anything else?”

         “They did an ultrasound this morning, too.  But no results yet.  Her latest MRI showed some brain swelling still.”

         “After more than three weeks?”

         “It takes time.  We’re having some success working on it with drugs.”

* * *

         Ever since the Juvenile Court hearing, we have been preparing the house for inspection by the DSS to determine our ability to care for the baby.

         We put all the normal under-the-sink chemicals in a box out in the garage.  I installed a child-proof gate at the top of the stairs to the front door and put a large padlock on my gun cabinet in the den.  Ferne bought plastic covers for all the electrical sockets.

         We prepared the spare bedroom to look like a nursery.  I went up in the attic and retrieved the crib and a changing table retired 15 years ago after Neil graduated from diapers.

         What the Hell.  Kimee isn’t coming home for months, maybe years.  It’s a waste of time.

         But the advice from our guardianship attorney, Michelle, was stern.  “You have to work to the court’s directives.  They have their rules, schedules and procedures.  Follow the rules, no matter how premature, or you will not be granted guardianship.  It’s their ball game.”

         Yeah, their ball game.  But it’s all for show.

Courts (Kimee)
1998/11/17 Tuesday 08:52  [Ferne and Don]
         Erin Morrell from the Juvenile court came to the house for the home inspection.  She asked many questions about our ability to care for Kimee.

         “We raised three kids,” I said.

         She looked around the house, upstairs and down, and wanted to know who would actually be caring for Kimee.

         Ferne said, “I only work part-time.  Not for the money, just to get out of the house some.  I’d love to be caring for a baby again.”

         Boy, what a fib.  I’m only consulting part-time.  We’re barely making it.  We need her income....  But don’t say that!

         Morrell asked, “How would you rearrange your schedules to care for her?”

         I said, “I consult on a very flexible schedule.  About half of it done right here on my own computer.  I can always be here if Ferne has to go out.”

         What a load of crap.  I’d go anywhere, any time, to work a contract.  Besides, Kimee is going to need an RN for months.  How we are going to pay for that, I don’t know.

         “Do you have the equipment for a baby?”

         We showed her the ‘nursery’ with the dated equipment.  I said, “We intend to replace that old wooden crib with one of those mesh kind.”

         She said, “Good.  That’s an antique.  They aren’t allowed to be sold anymore.”

         I smiled at her and said, “We bought that 28 years ago.  Time to go.”

         Should I even mention the ‘special’ equipment Kimee’s going to need?

         No, stupid.  She may not know just how impaired Kimee is.  Don’t raise new questions we have no answers for.

         She left after an hour or so.  She didn’t say one way or another if we met child care requirements.

* * *

MI
1998/11/17 Tuesday 16:33  [Don]
         I called Maura’s office but she wasn’t in.4  I left a brief message on her answering machine.  “When is Renee moving to MI?”

         I called Marie Garceau directly at MI... “Renee will be transferred tomorrow after 11:00.  She will be in room 221 in the 2B unit, right next to the one I showed you.”

         “Good,” I said.  “We would like to be there when she arrives.  Help get her settled.”

         Garceau said, “That might not be advisable.  We really don’t know when she will arrive, and there is a requirement to have the Guardian Ad Litem with you for each visit.”

         “Huh?”  The GAL?  Oh no, not another guard.

         “You should probably talk to Mrs. Caffrey-Smith about it,” she added.

         Damn Maura.  Is this her doing?....  Be polite, hold your tongue.  You need this place....  “Sure, I’ll do that.”

* * *

         Of course I stewed all night about having another guard while we visit Renee.  Whose bright idea is this?  There’s so many staff in MI, no perp would ever get a chance at her.  And I’m her father.

         In the morning I took Ferne to work.  On the way home I stopped at a new Dunkin-Donuts shop that had just opened.  I had breakfast.

         The delay made me miss a phone call by two minutes.

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 09:40  [VM]
         Maura’s message, “Renee will be moved today at 10:00.  You will have to have one of our lawyers present when you visit.  Any questions, call me.”

         So, she knows about our intention to visit right away.  She must have talked to Garceau this morning.  And it’s not a GAL requirement, it’s really Maura inserting her firm into the situation.  Humm, I wonder if there’s money involved?

         I went to my consulting job in Woburn, MA and missed several more Voice Messages.

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 11:14  [VM]
         Jane Ellis left a message, “Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

         Jane Ellis is Renee’s Guardian Ad Litem appointed by the District court in Lawrence.  She is a lawyer now, but she is also an RN.  She works some of the medical cases that come before that court.  Ferne and I met her briefly the day before Maura’s big meeting at Lawrence General.

         Now that is the kind of Temporary Guardian Renee needs.  Caring and concerned.  She seems nice, not miss ‘connected’ trying to take charge of everything.  She really understands Renee’s condition.  One look at Renee, with a glance at her chart and Jane ‘knew’ Renee’s prognosis.  No need to send her to Boston for evaluation.

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 11:59  [VM]
         Maura called and left a message, “Renee's move has to be delayed because of some problems with Medicaid.  I’ll straighten it out and call you when she gets there.  We can set a date for a visit then.”

         Set a date?  Hell, how about every day.  Take a look at our logbooks.  We were there five, six and seven days a week.  Who else is going to give her PT and OT?

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 19:45  [Don]
         After reviewing the [VMs] I called Maura.  She was still in her office.

         I asked, “Is she there yet?  Did you get the Medicaid straightened out?”

         “Renee was moved to MI around six PM.  She’s in room 227.”

         “That’s not the room we were told she would go to.”

         Maura said, “Well, that was one of the things that changed, too.  Logistics.”

         Logistics?  Bull.  But why switch rooms?  They’re all the same aren’t they?  “And the Medicaid problem?”

         “It was her name.  She was discharged from LGH as Bridget Williams, the covert name they used to throw off the press.  She was transported to Mass General, admitted and discharged from Mass General, and transported to MI as Bridget Williams.  All those records, and charges, are recorded under that name.  But now that she is in MI, and being covered by Mass Health, we had to use her real name.”

         “So, she’s now back to her real name.  We can forget about Bridget Williams?”

         “No, not entirely.  The billing will be Renee, but the charts and records at MI will be Bridget.  They are still worried about the press.”

         Mickey Mouse bull shit.  Just tell the press to screw and start calling her Renee!
         Don’t give an opinion.  Let this clown run things.  Remember, one word out of her and you can be in the clink.

         “I wonder what Renee will think, being called Bridget, if she ever regains her understanding.”  You stupid idiot!  Keep your mouth shut.

         Maura said, “They didn’t mention that as a problem.  It’s only temporary anyway.”

         I asked, “Why is a GAL required to be present for visits?”

         Maura said, “Renee’s visitations will be highly restricted.  The lawyers for MI insisted my firm be present during all visits.”

         We set next Friday, 1998/11/20 at 18:30, to visit Renee for an hour.


Pages:      13
Words:    2,293

For RWX - Where this dialogue comes from.

Footnotes
1  Here is an examples of what I’m playing with from my first logbook entry:

MI (Renee)
1998/11/14 Saturday Morning  [Don]
         After much phone tag I finally got to talk to Marie Garceau, Admissions Director at Mary Immaculate Nursing Home.  We will tour the facility at 13:30 Sunday.

         These two lines did not record much of the conversation.  That phone call did forebode a lot of problems, that will occur later, and could have been avoided right here.  I didn’t realize it at the time, so I didn’t note it.  My memory of the conversation was that Garceau was confused about my daughter’s name.

         I did not record an entry about the tour itself.  But, she did give us some background of the facility and I was concerned about males having access to Renee’s room.  At the time we still thought the attacker was probably a patient or an outsider.

2  Using a bit of literary license, I expanded from my next logbook entry. 

Courts (Renee)
1998/11/15 Sunday 21:45  [Don]
         Called Maura about Renee's move.  We were impressed with Mary Immaculate and see no problem with moving her there.  She has a meeting in the morning and Renee may be moved tomorrow if it is possible.

3  The next two logbook entries illustrate the multi-paths of problems we were working at once.

NEMC (Kimee)
1998/11/16 Monday 19:12  [Don]
         Called NEMC and talked to Ann about Kimee.  She reared her head back and pulled the vent tube out this morning.  They put her on a CPAP and she is doing fine.  They started the feeding Sat but stopped when she pulled the vent tube just in case she might upchuck into her airway.  Otherwise, she is fine.  They did an ultrasound this morning but no results yet.  Her latest MRI showed some brain swelling still.

And:

Courts (Kimee)
1998/11/17 Tuesday 08:52  [Ferne and Don]
         Erin Morrell from the Juvenile court came here for a home inspection.  Asked many questions about our ability to care for Kimee.  She looked around the house, upstairs and down, and wanted to know who would actually be caring for Kimee.  How would we rearrange our schedules to care for her?  Do we have the equipment for a baby?

4  And back to following Renee.  Her move to a permanent home ran into a snag.  As the paucity of my notes indicate, I was not told of many of the facts.  And our fear of the press started to have longer term consequences.

MI
1998/11/17 Tuesday 16:33  [Don]
         Talked to Marie Garceau... Renee will be transferred tomorrow at 11:00.  We will need a GAL to visit her with us.  She will be in room 221 in 2B unit.

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 09:40  [VM]
         Maura called & said that Renee will be moved today at 10:00.  We will have to have one of their lawyers present when we visit.

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 11:14  [VM]
         Jane Ellis called to see how we were doing.

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 11:59  [VM]
         Maura called & said Renee's move was delayed because of Medicaid problems (what name to use).

Courts
1998/11/18 Wednesday 19:45  [Don]
         Called Maura and she said Renee was moved around 18:00 to MI room 227.  We have set 1998/11/20 18:30 to visit Renee.  The lawyers for MI insisted her firm be present during visits.