Philip Y. Kao PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

Sometimes the caregivers were successful in redirecting him; they would put on his
favourite medley of sing-along songs and this would lure him back into his chair. Other
times, however, he grew agitated and would block the entrance/exit by sitting on his
walker right in front of the door—so that no one could come in or go out. Whenever this
happened, caregivers would call him on his mobile and pretend that they were a friend
or his daughter on the other line. Caregivers would say, “Hey Gary. You got a call”, and on
the other line another caregiver pretended to be someone he knew. Such creative lying
techniques, however useful they may be in redirecting such unwanted behaviours, were
seen as an annoyance, and an additional task that caregivers had to reluctantly take on.
Luckily for Betty, in the eyes of Tacoma Pastures (i.e. the nurses who work alongside and
rely on the caregivers’ observations and daily assessments), she didn’t display any
‘behavioural problems.’ As a result, she was saved from having to take Aricept and other
anti-paranoia medication. Not only were the caregivers constantly evaluating Betty, but
also her own son and daughter who lived nearby also checked up on her. Betty’s family
had put up a clipboard, detailing who had come to visit, the time of visit, and the status of
her personal laundry.
A few months had passed since Betty’s move to the third floor, and she was still carrying
her purse with her everywhere she went, even if she was going to lunch in the dining
room—which was just a few feet away. This was unique because no other woman in
Memory Care was clinging on to her purse anymore. Additionally, Betty’s son and
daughter decided that she couldn’t have a telephone line anymore, because she had
racked up quite a large phone bill. I discovered this for myself, when I came to her room
and saw that she had procured a telephone book, and started going down the list calling
every David she could find. Unsurprisingly, her husband’s name was David. When her
phone privileges were stripped away, she developed a new ‘behaviour.’ She complained
constantly that she couldn’t find her room key or that her room key didn’t work.
Caregivers who were less than patient did not take to this very well. I knew that the key
was in her purse, and all that she needed was old-fashioned TLC—at least that’s what I
told myself.
On the first floor, caregivers change bed sheets, and take vitals only when residents are
sick or slip accidently. Med techs are the ones that engage the most with these residents,
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