Ms F is a shy, very
slightly statured lady, who was once a ball room dancer. In fact she
told me she had a ball-room in her large house. Her state of worry
is her greatest problem but as she relaxes with everything through
the phenomenal help of the residence staff, she has embraced her days and
takes each day at a time.
Each time she sees me
standing at the door or driving to and fro she wants to make sure she
says “hi”. She comments that when I talk to her I look her in
the eye. We have a developed a relationship around her love of
dancing and I will do a cha-cha step whenever I see her to her great
happiness by her immediate smile or even a tear in her eye.
I had taken a vacation
day in November 2013 on a Friday. I thought this would be a good day
to visit the residence and show my sons my place of
employment. After a fun tour of the building, its suites, golf
centre, movie theatre, library, and dining room, we looked at a
fourth floor suite just up from Ms F’s suite. Her care-worker
heard my voice with my boys in the hallway and opened the door of Ms
F’s suite and much to her surprise she was greeted by the three
of us. Her eyes welled up with tears as we all said hello and she
was obviously moved that we would take the time to visit her.
Loneliness turned to
happiness and what a wonderful visit that was for all of us. Ms F took a turn for the worse in early 2015 and had to be moved from
independent to the 3rd floor extended care floor. This
has taken a severe chunk from her enthusiasm and added more worry. Early in the Fall of 2015 she was moved to a Dartmouth residence to be closer to her family. I hate to think how she worried about that during and now after the move.
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