Article Contributed on: 2/11/2009 1:57:05 PM
NOTE: HUMAN NAMES IN THIS STORY HAVE BEEN CHANGED
This was our third visit to the Lakewood Meridian. When we entered the building we encountered a lady resident seated in an armchair near the door waiting for a driver to take her to an appointment. She was excited to see the dachshund, so as soon as I signed in we came over to see her. I put Jewel on Mary's lap, and the two were friends right away. Armchairs are better for Jewel to settle into than wheelchairs.
A few minutes later we were on the elevator to the second floor, where we recently began to make semi-monthly visits. A crowd was gathering to hear a presenter on Abe Lincoln. We stayed in the back with Elizabeth, whom Jewel loved from the start on our first visit on December 22, much like she did Mary today. I let Jewel and Elizabeth snuggle and enjoy one another for about fifteen minutes, and had a little small talk with Elizabeth.
Then Jewel and I told her goodbye and we walked down the hall to see Mike, whom Jewel met on our last visit. I was relieved to see Mike in a recliner instead of his wheelchair. He was laying back, eyes shut, with the T.V. remote on his lap. The television was on quietly. I tapped his arm and asked him if he wanted to see Jewel. When I lifted Jewel up for him to see her, he smiled. Jewel curled up on Mike's lap for about fifteen minutes. I held pictures of his family in front of him and asked about them. He seemed to struggle to remember names, but with a few persistent questions, he recalled his grandson Jack, who plays football in high school. We came to a break in conversation, so we told Mike goodbye.
We stopped to visit with a few other people on our way back to the elevator. I am very pleased to see that Jewel seems to be catching on to the nursing home routine.