Interview

Eloise should have had her interview yesterday with the aides who dropped my sister so I will contact her today to learn what she learned. Then I will call my brother-in-law and talk to him about it. He can contact his daughters and talk to them. We are only interested in getting to the truth of the matter.

I have watered my flowers this morning and am about ready to go to work. I looked out this morning and lo and behold, there was Inky, the cat I raised from a small kitten. He deserted me months ago for a neighbor who fed him and several other cats on a regular basis but he was pretty skinny this morning so I fed him and set out fresh water for him.

More later....

I finally got to talk to the director of the Winston Area of the nursing home after her investigation. I called her at 9:30 and she was in a meeting. I called again at 10:40 and she was interviewing an aide. She said she would call me back in ten minutes. She did return my call. She said she had put each aide and staff member through a test. They divided into twos and transported one another from a wheelchair to a bed via the sling. It was a fearful experience for each of them as they reached the point of being transferred from the wheelchair to the sling. Then she interviewed the two aides that dropped my sister. The new one who had the coughing spell that ended up startling my sister (who they say jerked and that's what caused the fall) had cried all during the interview. The other aide had been there twelve years and was well trained.

I have watched them transport my sister that way several times. They always move the sling completely over the center of the bed and lower her before they release the sling. I still am not sure why it happened or even how it happened but it did happen. They have to report it to the state and the state will do their own investigation. They are among the number one nursing homes in the state. I guess I will just have to accept that "accidents happen". Although the majority of accidents happen because of someone's carelessness.

I talked to a nurse friend of mine who has been a nurse for 35 years. She says those slings can be a problem.