Memories awakened

LETTERS IINDWELLING N D W E L L I N G CATHETERS CATHETERS article on long-term long-term indwelling Your article catheters in the September-October September-October catheters "Managing Indwelling Indwelling Catheissue, "Managing Home," was very interestinterestters in the Home," however, one area was not coving; however, of cleaning and ered. What type of storage procedures procedures do you find find to be storage cost effective and appropriate, appropriate, as reinfection control? control? These are lated to infection areas of interest interest to me as a always areas development/infection-control staff development/infection-control nurse. nurse. CANDICE K. AUEL, RN, Lancaster Lancaster CANDICE WI Living Center, Lancaster, Lancaster, W1 Living Authors' Reply: advise that that indwellAuthors' Reply:We advise used only only once and and dising catheters be used particularly in a home home setting. setting. carded, particularly

ENSURING E N S U R I N G SAFETY SAFETY found your your article article in the M Marchi We found arch/ Falls," April issue, "How to Reduce Falls," informative. to be interesting interesting and informative. We are an extended-care extended-care facility facility with 180 skilled and intermediary intermediary care residents. residents. Most of our populaour population is 65 and older. older. Since January January 1st of this year year we have been been conducting ducting a study study of in-house in-house accidents, their precipitating precipitating factors, dents, their factors, and primary primary preventive preventive interveninterventions. We developed tions. developed our our own assessment tool, which was designed designed specifically residents in mind cifically with our our residents and included written included an individually individually written plan. safety care care plan. Our Our study study ends December December 31, 1986, and we are are anticipating anticipating a significant reduction nificant reduction in accidents. accidents. We have already already noticed noticed a reduction reduction in falls from from January January to February Februaryand attribute attribute this to our our assessment assessment tool and a n d greater greater staff awareness awareness of the problem. problem. Your Your article article served served to to further further accentuate centuate the need need for for better better staff staff awareness awareness and and individually individually written written care care plans plans to ensure ensure the safety safety of each resident. resident. RITA RITA F. F. KOBB, KOBB, RN, BSN, University Nursing Care Center, Gainesville, FL 172 172 Geriatric GeriatricNursing Nursing July/August July/August1986 1986

MEMORIES M E M O R I E S AWAKENED AWAKENED Relentlessly, the dimness enRelentlessly, croaches. In fleeting fleeting moments croaches. moments she, someone with the desperation desperation of someone caught in quicksand, quicksand, pulls herself caught herself out of the mire confusion--onlyto mire of confusion-only fall and slip back in. She has Alzheimer's Disease. heimer's Each waking hour hour holds terror terror of unknown. Words Words catch the unknown. catch on her memory, take on meaning. meaning. But most memory, words slide her; she is a traveler traveler words slide past past her; in a foreign foreign land, land. Day after after day, sursurrounded by a cacaphony rounded cacaphony of voices, events, events, people, people, she wanders wanders in search search world. She picks at her her of a lost world. clothing, pulling it apart, thread by clothing, pulling apart, thread thread, thread, imitating imitating the the unraveling unraveling of her her mind. mind. Then Then one day while she's she's sitting, sitting, a large large doll is put put on her her lap. Old memories memories lovingly lovingly held, held, stir, stir, awakawakjoyous clarity, en, flower. flower. With joyous clarity, she remembers. Stroking Stroking the rough, rough, remembers. brown brown yarn yarn hair, hair, she brushes brushes wisps away from from blue embroidered embroidered eyes. away She fingers fingers the full full gingham gingham skirt skirt and and hesitantly hesitantly peeks peeks at ruffled ruffled ununderpants. derpants. Minute Minute pass. Then Then with a graceful graceful movement movement natural natural to any

mother, mother, she cradles cradles the doll close to her. She She is alone no longer. Those afflicted afflicted with Alzheimer's Alzheimer's Disease need psychosocial psychosocial support support as much as physical of physical care. The use of dolls as companions companions has been extremely nursing tremely effective effective at our nursing home. For several several years these large dolls, approximately approximately three three feet long, have served served as companions companions for for those with Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's. The staff does not regard regard the "companions" "companions" as "dolls 'dolls or toys, but as channels channels through through which clients can express express emotions, emotions, interinteract, and obtain obtain tactile, much needed needed stimulus. stimulus. When a client hugs a companion panion or falls asleep holding holding one, it is obvious that some satisfaction satisfaction has obvious that been received. received. The staff knows through through long, caring caring interactions interactions with people people with with Alzheimer's that Alzheimer's that they still have potential to potential that needs to be tapped. tapped. Dolls as companions companions proprovide one connecting connecting link with the world forever changed changed for that has forever for world that the Alzheimer's Alzheimer'svictim. victim. KATHERINEDORSEY, MS KATHERINE DORSEY, RN, C, MS SHIRLEY PURCELL, SHIRLEY PURCELL, RN, MN Veterans Administration Administration Medical Center, Roseburg, Roseburg. OR M A R I L Y N SCHWAB'S SCHWAB'S MARILYN J O U R N A L AVAILABLE AVAILABLE JOURNAL F R O M BENEDICTINES BENEDICTINES FROM

Marilyn Schwab, former former Sister Marilyn prioress Benedictine Sisters prioress of the Benedictine for her her work and nationally nationally known known for work in gerontology, spent spent most of her her life gerontology, working elderly and dying. dying. working with the elderly herself died on April April 8, 1984. She herself started a journal shortly after after She started journal shortly diagnosed as having having a terminal terminal being diagnosed illness. It traces traces her her final final months months of through day-to-day day-to-day reflections reflections life through that capture capturethe essence of her her perperthat journey of faith. faith. sonal journey G i v e n - - T h e PersonA Gift Freely Given-The Journal of o f Sister S i s t e r Marilyn Marilyn al Journal Schwab, aSH O S B was recently recently pubpubSchwab, lished and and is being being sold through through the lished Benedictine Foundation Foundation of Oregon, Oregon, Benedictine proceeds going to the Benewith all proceeds