Sam going home...

Sam should be leaving the rehab hospital and should be heading home sometime today.

Sam is always a high fall risk.  While he has been in the rehab hospital, the staff has had a monitor on him to keep him from getting up by himself.  It's an alarm that attaches to his wheelchair on one end and attaches to his shirt on the other.  As he stands, the attachment on his shirt pulls out of the alarm on the wheelchair setting off a loud screeching noise.  Sam has hated this little device.

The main reason Sam hates the alarm so much, is because it takes away his freedom.  He can't do anything by himself, and must constantly wait for help.  This is frustrating for the most part, but especially when it comes to going to the bathroom.  Sam would turn on his little 'help' light for someone to come and check on him, but all too often it took quite a while before someone actually did come in to see what he needed.  In all honesty, it may have only taken five or ten minutes, but when one has to go to the bathroom, five or ten minutes seems much, much longer.  I told Sam that if I were him, I would simply stand up when it was taking too long to get help.  He looked at me not understanding.  "Well," I said, "I'm thinking once you stand up, you set off the alarm.  I'm guessing they'll come running a lot faster for an alarm than for a light." Sam loved it.  The next day when I went back to see Sam, he informed me that the alarm idea did work.  He said, with a twinkle in his eye, "They do get a bit upset and angry, but they do come quicker!!"

I love it!!