by Ronnie Reese

Created on: August 04, 2009

A Socialite on the Alzheimer's Ward?

"Ooohhh...ooohhh!" came a noise from down the hallway. I'll be honest. It sounded spooky and I was definitely spooked. I had just started a new shift, so I would be working from 3-11 at our nursing home. And wouldn't you know it, the only opening for 3-11 was on the Alzheimer's Ward! I'd never been there before and really hadn't wanted to go, but I needed my days free for some classes I was taking. I had heard this sound before from outside of the glass doors that separated this special care unit from the rest of our nursing home facility. Though I realized the sound's origin was probably from some person with dementia, it sounded sort of like something from one of those spooky old black and white movies.

"Ooohhh...ooohhh!" came the sound again.

"What is making that sound?" I asked Francis, the aide training me in on the dementia ward.

"Oh that's just Lily Staunton," she responded. "She won't hurt you. Most people are afraid of her because she hollers all the time, but she's as harmless as a kitten. Come here I'll introduce you."

My new partner led the way as we walked through the melee of 'walkers' on a mission to get to the end of the hallway.

"LILY!" called my partner.

"Ooohh...ooohhh!" answered a voice from somewhere down the hall.

"Like most of the people back here on the other side of the glass doors, Lily wanders throughout everybody else's room," Francis informed me. "So when I need to check up on her, I just call her name."

"LILY!" she called again.

"Ooo...hhh!" came the reply.

"Well, how about that! She's in her own room," smiled Francis.

"Lily, how are you doing?" she called out to a stately looking lady from across the room.

"Oh, I'm doing wonderful darling, just wonderful. How are you?" came Lily's reply.

"Lily, this is Ron," my partner made the introductions. "Ron's going to be helping me take care of you."

"Oh, hi Ron," greeted the lady with dark brown eyes in front of me.

As she stared at me, I wasn't quite sure what to do. Running the other way came to my mind, but instead, I stood my ground. But then Lily really worried me. She reached down and took my hand and pulled it towards her mouth. As she did so, I was wondering just when she had been fed last. But my mind was soon put at ease, well sort of.

"Umm-Ah! Umm-Ah! Umm-Ah!" came smacking sounds as she kissed the back of my hand.

"That's how she greets everyone," Francis told me.

As we both left the room my mind was somewhat at ease

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