FRIDAY — the connected walker man

Nancy did well in the physical therapy room today.  She was helped from the wheel chair into a standing position and into a simple ‘walker’ and as she walked I followed with the chair.  While upright she is supported by another person holding onto her “gait belt.”  You may know this by another term, such as transfer belt or transfer aid, and it may (or may not have handles or loops for the assistant to grab.  The ones used for Nancy are simple heavy canvas straps with a single buckle.  Not fancy but they give a sturdy no-slack support.  She did two rounds of the circuit (about 100 feet) during the first excursion.

A person from a medical supply firm showed up with a half-dozen walkers of various styles.  The PT crew inspected them and used another lady and Nancy to test them for sturdiness and height.  Unlike the one Nancy has been using in the PT room, these were more fancy, with wheels (with hand brakes), and a seat.  Most are gray or black but the model that seemed most suitable for Nancy had a dark red anodized aluminum frame.  [Years ago when I was pretending to be an archer I assembled arrows both from wood and anodized aluminum.]  The process is described here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

Most folks are more likely to see this surface treatment on promotional items such as you will find by using Google Search, click on “Images” and cut-and-paste the following as a search phrase

[  carabiners “anodized aluminum”  ].

The ‘walker man’ had a bluetooth headset for his cell phone and talked with a person in their warehouse during his demonstration.  Very convenient.  It made me wonder why out in the facility the patients must still summon help by pressing a button on the end of a ten foot cord that then turns on a small light over the doorway in the hall – a light that might not be seen for several or several tens of minutes.  Then an aid comes into the room, turns out the light, assesses the patient’s need, and either helps or goes and finds someone, like a nurse, who can.  This signaling method became practical about 1910.  You do the math.

On another front the morning nurse did not have on her chart that it was allowed for Nancy to have the small carton of chocolate flavored drink with which she has been taking pills.  Two of these a day has been standard procedure now for at least a week.  Not this morning!  A little later someone brought her a cup of vanilla ice cream.  Then at supper an aid promised to bring her a scoop of strawberry ice cream.  The person was interrupted and that scoop never showed up.  The indignity of bureaucracy, procedure, and slow motion chaos is impressive.