Roberta's going on vacation already

It seems like vacation time gets here earlier every year. Our fearless leader here at the nursing home, whom I will call Roberta, is heading out to vacation tomorrow. When she goes on vacation, it's always a big production. This afternoon she said they were having ice cream for the residents. I didn't go to the festivities but I'm sure that Roberta explained to the residents she will be on vacation and that if they are good they will get pizza or some other treat when she returns. Roberta says this every time and despite how the residents might act while she's gone, there's usually a treat for the residents when she returns.

Roberta told me in the hallway she was going on vacation. I was surprised because I thought she said a couple weeks ago she was going on the 28th which is two weeks from now. But I guess I must've confused it with something else, or maybe she did.

The aides are also starting to request time off. But, they took time off in February and March as soon as they got there income tax refund checks. So it seems like everybody's on vacation but us residents who live here all the time and get out only occasionally.

Roberta doesn't give us two weeks notice of her vacation. I don't think she wants us to be able to pinpoint the date. Or, at least that seems like the way it is.

She told me to email her if I have any concerns. But I try very hard not to do that. She gave me her cell phone number several years ago and I have never used it. I just don't feel right about calling her.

I did tell her that one of the aides "J" got knocked in the head Sunday morning by my white cabinet door because the hinge let loose. I told her months ago someone wrote in the maintenance log that the middle hinge on the white cabinet needed tightened. I told Roberta it never was because MM (maintenance man) never came to me to get my key.

Roberta told me she'd make sure my cabinet got fixed. And what do you know, MM fixed it this afternoon. I don't even think it took him 15 minutes. So, I wonder why it could not have been done on Monday, or at least on Tuesday.

Sometimes I think these folks who work at nursing homes dream up scenarios where they can be "surefire" heroes. Yesterday it was Dr. M, my doctor here and the medical director of the nursing home. He said he would advocate for me to Roberta so that I could get the Hoyer lift discontinued. Then, today the two therapists who worked with me suggested I might be able to stand with the assistance of the aides starting tomorrow after using the Hoyer lift for two weeks.

I told the therapist Ms. L that I thought we would need to go at it slowly. I told her I know some aides will abide by that and probably others will not.

The only thing I'm ever sure of is that things will change. I may not like the change, but all things change.