We Interrupt This Broadcast to Bring You....

My latest whine, my newest GRRRRR!

Today I received a phone call from the assisted living facility where my mother is living. They have recently made several changes in management, government involvement blah blah blah. When we were first notified it was with a very vague letter stating some billing changes would happen but we were assured that her level of care would not change. OK, fine.

My sister and I both read the letter, it did not set off any red flags with either of us.

A couple of weeks ago Ed and I noticed that the wing momma is on is getting a nurses station, they had been using a little room with a desk, now they have a full-blown nurses station. Furniture started to be moved out of the "Family Room". The seasonal door decoration I had hanging on momma's door to cheer her up had been taken down, since my mother doesn't talk she could not tell me why.

Little things are changing, thus far nothing we can't live with, nothing too horrible...but it is obvious that someone has changed a few "rules" and they are being enforced one after another.

Today I get a call, "Pam, I wanted to tell you that since we are now a long term care facility we can no longer wash your mom's clothing separately." OK, now that doesn't seem like it should have thrown me, but have you seen what clothes look like when they are washed in HOT HOT HOT water time and time again? Large loads of laundry thrown in large tubs to be washed with who knows what and then tossed into a HOT HOT HOT dryer? We have been paying extra each month to have her laundry done separately - - her nice clothing, the pretty flowered sheets we provide, etc.

So...here are my choices..."go with the flow" and her laundry (all of it) will be sent down to the fire hot washer and its fiber killing dryer friend or bring her clothes home and wash them myself, I needed to make a decision while I was on the phone with this lady because they had already taken the wash machines and dryers off her wing and as of that day all laundry was to be sent to the basement. GRRRRR. After an already emotional situation surrounding my mother I was at wits end. "DO NOT, DO NOT wash her quilts. I will bring her quilts home to wash them. I can do nothing about her clothing on a daily basis, but I DO NOT want her quilts washed."

There, I aired my whine, I've spoken my mind....now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.