Flu Shots

Most of you know by now that I work at a Retirement Home, so I would just like to go on record and let you know that Flu shots are not all they're cracked up to be. 

Lately I've been working alot of hours helping out in various areas where needed.  So as of last Wednesday we were informed that the flu (lower GI..., Yuck!) was going around and that they were going to close down the dinning room, and have all the residents (approx. 185) stay in their rooms (5 days) until we could get a handle on the situation.  HA! 

First off, that started at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, canceling Happy Hour, and went down hill from there.  Mind you they have their schedules set like a clock, and you better not mess around with them, as there will be hell to pay.  Some felt "Hey why cancel Happy Hour, the liquor will just kill the germs anyways!"  (good point).  Secondly, how can you possibly ask that many people to stay in their rooms for X amount of days?  That's like Lock down at San Quinton, CAN'T BE DONE!   Just imagine the movie "Dawn of the Dead", they just kept coming out, and we would have to round them up like cattle in a cattle drive (think of all those people with walkers, wheel chairs and cains, coming at you...)and send them back, all the while explaining over and over the reasons why.   Now this was like like "Night Mare on Elm Street".

While this was taking place, the staff was busily swabbing the decks with every disinfectant you could possibly find, with cloves and masks on.  Oh, yeah, the other nightmare,  ALL meals would have to be delivered to their rooms in Styrofoam, until further notice...  OMG, that was a whole other battle in itself, since every resident had to be called and asked what they wanted for the next 3 meals everyday.  (Do you know how hard it is to talk to a half deaf person, or better yet, Altzheimer person?) Again, can't do it, CRAZY, and Cold Food to boot.  You'd have to serve and run for your life for fear of the out come.  Were talking "Mutiny on the Bounty" here, and it's starting to get ugly.  Pretty soon they'll be like those teacher protestors in Wisconsin at the Capital.

Let's keep in minds that while all this is going on, staff is getting sick also (Yes, me too, got a flu shot...). 

So let's see, as of yesterday, we were at 42 (32 Residents, 10 staffers), and no one else sick since 5 AM Sunday morning.  Hopefully we will be in the clear, and back to normal (Happy Hour and Bingo are scheduled for tomorrow...) by Tuesday. 

I don't know how many "Hail Marries" have been said lately, but keep praying for the folks they really need them.  Stay healthy.