Alone and Invisible No More by Allan S. Teel

Author:Allan S. Teel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2011-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

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The Maine Approach in Action

We are blazing a new trail here in Maine into an unknown frontier, and yet it is comfortingly familiar. The more chances we take, the more amazing and thrilling have been the discoveries. A few specific stories from the winter of 2009–10 will illustrate what I mean.

Almost Frozen—January 30, 2010

The focus of some of our important early work has been to use video technology to support elders in their homes and to keep them safe. One fortunate use of our video spot checking probably saved Elizabeth’s life.

Elizabeth was a pleasantly forgetful, fiercely independent 98-year-old who lived alone in Alna, Maine. She never married and spent much of her life as a professional nanny for the well-to-do. She kept in touch with many now older adults that she helped raise long ago. Last fall with the help of her concerned neighbors, I arm-twisted her into accepting a video monitoring and elder-support package and installed a webcam in her living room with intermittent remote monitoring, mostly “to keep her concerned neighbors happy.” She personally didn’t see the need for any additional help.

One cold Friday night in January saw single-digit temperatures with strong winds. Saturday morning when our volunteer did his spot webcam checks, Elizabeth was sitting on her living room couch bundled up in her winter coat and blankets. Our team sprung into action. Our nurse manager and Elizabeth’s “guardian angel,” Carol, called Elizabeth’s neighbor and personal advocate, Amy, who was busy serving breakfast at the Alna Store across the street. Amy and another store patron immediately went to Elizabeth’s home and found her blue, shivering, and speaking incoherently. The house was ice cold.

Together, they scooped her up, and wrapped in blankets, carried her across the street and plunked her in front of the hot-air blower of the massive space heater in the front corner of the store. A couple of other restaurant patrons, with winter first-aid training, had just returned from winter camping, and took over rewarming her by rotating warmed blankets, and forcing her to sip sweetened hot tea. Elizabeth responded nicely.

Our team called Al, another nearby Maine Approach client, to ask if they could use his warm house for an unscheduled respite care. No problem. He has a spare first-floor bedroom and a sunny south-facing picture window, and he is home all day every day anyway.

Another staffer, Jen, was finishing up serving breakfast to another at-home member not too far away. Could she pick up Elizabeth shortly and bring her to Al’s, check on him, take Elizabeth’s temperature, tuck her in, and report back? No problem. Elizabeth’s temperature was 92.7 almost two hours after being found! More tea, more blankets, a very warm house, a sunny window, regular temperature checks, and she was 97.6 in four hours. A high-tech emergency room could not have done this any faster.

Elizabeth napped in the sun while Al read the paper and puttered about. Amy from the Alna Store had now caught up with her

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