22 November 2022
This morning Joyce had her first visit with the Shower Lady*. Yan the SL (for lack of a better designation) arrived right on the dot and took vitals.
Joyce was a little agitated about the whole thing.
Yan offered to give her a shower, but Joyce was having none of it. I explained she just needed her lower legs and feet tended to because she can't stretch that far to take care of them.
"What do you need?" I asked Yan.
"A basin?" she asked.
I got the big green plastic tub we use to soak Joyce's feet in the yard and a towel and washcloth. And Yan set to work, filling the tub with warm water and getting Joyce's support hose off when Joyce sat on the closed toilet for the procedure.
It took about half an hour.
Yan used the hand soap to wash and then repeated the wash with fresh water. After she thoroughly dried Joyce's legs and feet, she moisturized them. Then she put on the new stockings.
We made an appointment for next Tuesday at 11 a.m. and arranged to keep doing it at that time every week.
I had no idea this service was available until Harry the LVN for my mother ordered one for her. My mother declined when the woman arrived, though. So I asked Harry what it was all about.
He said he wanted the shower lady to condition my mother's skin where she wore her support stockings. And that's when I got the bright idea to ask Kristine the LVN for Joyce if 21st Century had the same option.
Indeed they do. And we're glad they did.