My Dad’s #journal recounts the daily trials and tribulations in Rm 207. #residentialcare. PART 3

Found journal.

Roar Thorsen recounts the daily trials and tribulations in Room 207 and the halls of a residential care facility.

2007-2008

Roar had a debilitating stroke on September 2005.

On February 14, 2007, he moved into room 207.

See

PART 1

PART 2

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PART 3:

My life has changed completely since it took a few weeks to get used to the care persons and daily routine. My room 207-2 has become my office and art studio with pictures on the wall. I now recognize all the nurses as my friends and daughters. It is like a UN the way the nurses represent a number of nations- a total of approx. 20 countries. All very nice and friendly.

Staff: all very nice. Nurses from all countries- Philippines, Slovakia, Romania, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Croatia, Jamaica, Hawaii, Salvador, Peru, Ireland, England, Scotland, India, Fiji, Hong King, Korea (South), Serbia, China, Russia, Uganda, Ghana, 20 countries!

There are a lot of “thieves” around, especially old white-haired ladies. One stole the small table pushing it ahead of her out the door. I found the table down the hallway later.

One guy, R., steals towels and facecloths carrying a big pile on his lap in his wheelchair as he goes from cupboard to the next. The nurses tell me (they are used to this), they take all of it from his wheelchair and put it back. The “thief” does not notice this. He is sleeping.

A. steals everything- chairs, bedcover, cups, plates, glasses, framed pictures, Kleenex boxes.

K. runs around in his wheelchair all day shouting messages to everyone “Bingo at 2”. “movie at 4 pm”. “Church at 12 o’clock.” He continues around the unit and repeats the same message to everyone. K. comes into my room, “Have you seen A.?” 2 min later , K. comes in again, “Have you seen A.?”

Cleo, the housecat, sleeps on the sofa in the suite adjacent to the dining room.

Entertainment:

2 large screen TVs, always on

Telling stories

Playing cards

Bus tours

Reading

Church

Bingo

Singing

Music (piano, violin etc)

Showing DVDs

New ideas for entertainment:

Standup comedians, magicians

Group tap dancing

Painting, drawing, new art techniques

Reading from humor book

Overhead projector with slides

Roar donate equipment

World map with stickers to let each one point out where they are from.

Standard Codes (Alarm):

Movie idea:

With a proposed title as “The Greenhouse Growers” and the underline would be “we are nursing plants back to life by constantly watering all ~~plant~~ and feeding to cut them down for gifts and ornaments for funerals, birthday etc.” As an opening, it is suggested that the movie “Murderball,” with old people running the wheelchairs, could be the opening or the finale showing the cured, graduated patients.