Families

We see a lot of families crossing the threshold of Hotel Rehab. You name it...we get it. We get regular Joe and Jill nuclear families with 1.5 kids, and the whole enchilada of all those plus grandma, grandpa, all the aunts, uncles and cousins. 


In addition, we see families in various forms dysfunction often caused by divorce or disagreement. Since I've been at the Hotel, I've seen examples of the cute family with that 1.5 kids break down because, lo and behold, Wifey finds out (while Hubby is with us) that Hubby has another woman, and she's pregnant with his kid and wants to know who's going to support her now Hubby's been injured. Hmm...calling Social Work and Psychology right now for this one! 


But lately, lots of people are coming in who don't really have a family nearby. They've estranged them for one reason or another, have family members with their own significant health, financial or employment issues, or have simply outlived everyone in their families. We become their families, and they get really upset when they realize that they can't stay with us forever. One character mentioned suicide just to buy more time. 

Some others, however, end up going over to another unit, down the way, with the great view of nature and what awaits us all. Yes, we keep getting more and more people with terminal illnesses, and we are becoming a feeder unit for hospice. One of the non-nursing staff did ask a good question recently: if they stay so long that we're like their families, why do we throw them out when they're dying?


If only I had the time to tell him/her that we do it because we love them. We care about them, but sometimes it's a terrible duty for a rehab nurse to have to admit defeat. This patient will never regain function beyond what they have, and most likely, they'll lose it all before they die. We aren't set up to do hospice, and don't have all the comfort things they have readily available. 


Admitting our job is over doesn't mean we don't care. We do. Sometimes, though, we have to know when to say when and let someone else take over. Some of them will always be in our hearts and minds, especially on days when we remember them, as our unit did recently.



To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground"