Faith Shaker

When Kelly Met Mike

This is a reworking of the interactive by the same title. I feel it will work better here. Enjoy.





On July 7, 2000, The Lillian Collier Center For Alzheimer Care held it’s Annual Summer Festival . Kelly was dressed as a clown, and standing at the hot-dog kiosk. Her business was not exactly flourishing. If Kelly was less introverted, she might have been calling out to the crowd of residents, staff, family members and visitors, rather than patiently waiting for hunger to strike.





Her supervisor came by and told me she was set to hire a man to work with them. "He starts Monday”, she said. "So, you'll have to show him the ropes. He's an excellent team player whom I had the pleasure of working with some years ago. I think you're going to be happy having him on our team." She smiled, “ You know, Kel, next year I think I’ll assign you to the dunking machine.” She left to help them, there.





Kelly drifted off in thought for a minute or two, and when she looked up, there were a dozen hungry people all clamoring for a hot dog.





Monday morning came with a clap of thunder, and the sky above opening up to loose a brief torrent of rain upon the unsuspecting town. It let up just long enough for Kelly to walk to work. As she entered the nursing center, it began to rain hard.





"Whew!" she exclaimed. "Another minute and I'd have been a drowned rat!"





Kelly heard the sound of laughter behind me. It was the Activity Director, Irene Garner. She was clocking into work at the same time . "Looks like you just missed getting rained on, Lady!", said Irene.





The Director of Environmental Services, Rob Thompson, who had just entered the building, was not so lucky, and was soaked to the skin. "Man, is it brutal!" he said, shaking the water off his head.





The two women laughed loudly. "Where's your raingear, Rob?" Kelly asked teasingly.





"In the truck." was he reply.





Kelly looked over at her boss. Both women rolled their eyes, and mumbled something comparing men to small children. Just then, there was a page.





“Irene Garner, please call extension 100. Irene, call 100 please.”








Irene picked up the phone at the time clock, and dialed. "This is Irene. Oh, he is? Ask him to wait in the reception area. I will meet him there in five. "





She turned to Kelly as she hung up. "Your new partner has arrived. I will bring him upstairs after he fills out his paperwork."





"OK, I'll be helping with room trays in the north hall until 9:30."





Kelly was bringing the last room tray into the dish room for the dietary side to scrape before leaving the unit to take the breakfast dishes to the kitchen for washing, when Irene came in with Mike.





"We're all set, for now,” she said. He'll spend this week here with you, then, I'll have him train on the other units. After that, he's all yours. Any questions?" There were none. "OK, then, I will be in Care Conference until lunchtime. I'll cover yours, too, while you orient Mike. See you both at 12:30?"





We both said "Yes", and Rene left the room.





"Ok, Mike," I said as we began to work. "The first thing I want you aware of is the chair alarm. There will be one attached to anyone who is at risk for falls. I make a list of names for us. I'll give you a copy"





"Gotcha." he answered.





Mike asked, “what’s our program for this morning?”





“We are doing the Sensory Awareness Group in the solarium. We’ll take a geri-chair each and head down the west hall.” answered Kelly.





The pair was met in the hall by two CNAs, Barbara, and Nancy. “We’ll get the residents. You can just set up the room.” said Nancy.





“Great! Ok, Mike, let’s get going!”





“You’re the boss! ”said Mike.





Kelly laughed. “In my dreams, maybe.”





As it was Summer, Kelly and Mike did a beach theme with the group. For the sense of smell, they used a honeysuckle lotion. This was rubbed onto the skin of those who wished it. This was followed by five minutes of a beach ball toss.





For visual stimulation, they focused the group on the colors on the ball. Next, the pair helped the residents in the group feel seashells to tactile stimulation. Finally, Kelly and Mike offered the group a taste of vanilla ice cream .





When the program finished, Kelly and Mike returned the residents to the common room. Kathy, the other activity assistant, helped them bring the residents to the dining room. The nursing assistants brought their residents into the dining room. Each nursing assistant helped their residents wash their hands, then, offered them a clothing protector.





Kelly and Mike took a group of residents to the downstairs multi-purpose room for a quiet lunch, while lunch was served upstairs. “Some of our residents eat better in a quiet environment,” explained Kelly.





At 12:30, Kelly, Mike and Irene had lunch together in the employee break room, located across from the time clock . The lunch that was served was the same as the residents ate, with fewer consistencies.





Kelly asked Irene, “So, how are you? I really haven’t seen much of you since your surgery.”





“ I’m doing fine, thanks. They got the entire mass, so, no more ovarian cancer. Thank God. And, how is everything with your hubby?”





Kelly felt her face blush. She sighed deeply. “I wish I could say things were different. The truth is, if he doesn’t stop drinking, he’ll probably die.” As she sighed, once more, she leaned on her folded hands.





“I used to drink.” volunteered Mike. “Drank a lot. These days, I might have a brew now and again. Gave up the nightly beers, when my wife got pregnant. Got religion, too.”





Irene gave him a quizzical look. “Didn’t tell me you got religion”, she said with a smirk.





Mike laughed and replied, “Well, I’m not a Christian. I’m Catholic.”





“What does that mean? “ Irene wanted to know. “I’m Catholic, and I’m a Christian.”





“I mean, I’m not a born again.”





“Ok, Kel, the ball’s in your court”, said Irene.





“Well, without the theological discussion, let me ask you this- What do you believe about Jesus?” asked Kelly.





Mike replied, “ Just the usual stuff. He’s God’s son. He died on the cross, and raised on Easter Sunday. Did I pass?”





“I’m not worried,” said Kelly.





“OK, guys, time to get back to work, said Irene. “Tomorrow’s lunch table discussion will be politics.” She smiled. They cleaned up their table, and left the room.





Kelly soon found that Mike had a natural insight for the needs of the geriatric population, and ability to grasp the activity programs. She showed him, step by step the policies and procedures to be followed, and by day three, he was ready to do his first activity program without guidance.





Mike thoroughly enjoyed doing active programs with the residents, like exercise groups ,and bowling. The residents also responded well to his puzzle working groups, and trivia games. He became well respected for his work with those with behavior issues, while Kelly’s work with the lower functioning, sicker population continued to flourish. Her specialty was in the area of sensory stimulation and reminisce groups. Mike took over the art groups, while Kelly visited 1:1 in rooms of the bed bound.


Friday morning, the weather was clear and bright. Perfect for a trip out to the zoo.Kelly gathered the senior who were going out, along with a sweater or light jacket for each. She signed them off the unit, and escorted them to the lobby to wait for the bus. Mike went to the kichen to receive the sandwiches and drinks that had been prepared for the group. This he loaded onto the bus, and prepared to received the group.


The driver came inside the building, smiling. "Thank God we got good weather. It'll be a nice day to walk around. Not like the last one. We got rained out, the day the Day Center was supposed to go. Never did get them back out there."


"Hi, Jack, how are you?"


"Great, Kelly. You?"


"Doing well, thanks. Okay, we have three wheelchairs we're bring with us, two staff, two resident who will walk unassisted, and two volunteers meeting us there." reminded Kelly.


Jack translated that information into seats on the bus as Mike stepped back inside. "Okay," said Jack, "If Mrs. Johnson wants to stay in her chair for the ride, we can transfer two others to a seat." Mrs Johnson stated that she preferred it, and Jack continued, That'll be the wheelchairs. Mike and I should get them onboard, first, then you bring the others out to us."


After everyone was seated and buckled in, Kelly suggested that the group sing a few songs as they travelled. They loved the idea, and began right away with a chorus of "Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here." Then, Roy Abrams remembered his harmonica, and pulled it out of it's silver case. "How about this one?" and he began to play "Silent Night".





" Kelly whispered to Mike, "It's the song that never ends. Christmas in July."


Mike asked the group, "Hey, gang how about we request some good old songs from your day?"


A woman on the back of the bus wanted to hear "Down By The Old Mill Steam." A man requested "In The Good Old Summertime."


"I want to hear some good singing, now." said Mike loudly. "All the way to the zoo." It was a suggestion the group couldn't refuse, and so they sang their favorite songs on the way there, and later sang all the way home.


Arriving at the zoo, Jack easily found bus parking next to the public restrooms. This was good, for nearly all needed to use the facilities. The volunteers met the group at the picnic table, and helped serve up the lunch. Afterwards, the group walked together down the pathway to the animals.


"Oh, no! I forgot to get the camera." said Kelly.


"Don't worry, Kelly," said Mike, :I have mine."


"My hero." was her answer.