1/
#TelemedicineintheTimeofCOVID
Me: “Sir, it sounds like the medicine you called us about is the one you just picked up.”
Him: “You sure?”
Wait. Was I?
Him asking me that made me nervous. I scrolled through the screen again to confirm.
Yup. All meds refilled just last week.
#TelemedicineintheTimeofCOVID
Me: “Sir, it sounds like the medicine you called us about is the one you just picked up.”
Him: “You sure?”
Wait. Was I?
Him asking me that made me nervous. I scrolled through the screen again to confirm.
Yup. All meds refilled just last week.
2/
Me: “I am, sir.”
*silence*
Him: “Well. I take a lot of pills. And I just try to go by what my doctor tells me to do.”
Me: "Okay. . .sir, did somebody tell you you needed to get more medicine?”
I heard an exasperated sigh through the phone.
Me: “Sir?”
Me: “I am, sir.”
*silence*
Him: “Well. I take a lot of pills. And I just try to go by what my doctor tells me to do.”
Me: "Okay. . .sir, did somebody tell you you needed to get more medicine?”
I heard an exasperated sigh through the phone.
Me: “Sir?”
3/
Him: “Why they can’t just make it so it all run out at the same time?”
Me: “Hmm. I'm wondering why they wouldn't—”
Him: “This so confusing! I normally don’t situate my own medicines!”
I heard a noise--like feverish rummaging through a paper bag.
And then a few expletives.
Him: “Why they can’t just make it so it all run out at the same time?”
Me: “Hmm. I'm wondering why they wouldn't—”
Him: “This so confusing! I normally don’t situate my own medicines!”
I heard a noise--like feverish rummaging through a paper bag.
And then a few expletives.
4/
Me: “Who normally helps with your pills, sir?”
Him: “My niece comes. But she say she don’t want to get me sick.”
*silence*
Him: “She be trying to go through it with me on the phone. But I don’t know all this stuff!”
His voice wobbled with emotion and frustration.
Sigh.
Me: “Who normally helps with your pills, sir?”
Him: “My niece comes. But she say she don’t want to get me sick.”
*silence*
Him: “She be trying to go through it with me on the phone. But I don’t know all this stuff!”
His voice wobbled with emotion and frustration.
Sigh.
5/
So much for my "quick refill call."
Me: “I’m sorry, sir.”
Him: *still rumpling the bag & rattling pill bottles*
Me: “Hmmm. . .let me think.”
Him: *opening a bottle cap* “Look like some of these bottles got like jest a handful of pills and the other ones all the way full!”
So much for my "quick refill call."
Me: “I’m sorry, sir.”
Him: *still rumpling the bag & rattling pill bottles*
Me: “Hmmm. . .let me think.”
Him: *opening a bottle cap* “Look like some of these bottles got like jest a handful of pills and the other ones all the way full!”
6/
*silence*
Me: “Sir. . .who got your pills for you last week?”
Him: “My niece. That's when she was trying to help me situate ‘em over the phone. And I just kept telling her to come on in here! Just come on in here and help me!”
He sounded like he was about to cry.
*silence*
Me: “Sir. . .who got your pills for you last week?”
Him: “My niece. That's when she was trying to help me situate ‘em over the phone. And I just kept telling her to come on in here! Just come on in here and help me!”
He sounded like he was about to cry.
7/
Me: “Is this number a cell phone, sir?”
Him: "It's a regular phone with buttons. Not a rotary.”
Whoa.
Me: “So. . ok-- it’s a land line?”
Him: “A house phone? Yeah. I don't get why nobody would want to give folk a way to bother 'em when they ain’t even at home.”
Good point.
Me: “Is this number a cell phone, sir?”
Him: "It's a regular phone with buttons. Not a rotary.”
Whoa.
Me: “So. . ok-- it’s a land line?”
Him: “A house phone? Yeah. I don't get why nobody would want to give folk a way to bother 'em when they ain’t even at home.”
Good point.
8/
Him: “Why you ask?”
Me: “Wait—just to be sure—you DON'T have like, one of those smart phones, right?”
*silence*
Me: “Okay. . . I was trying to see if you had a phone like, where I could see you. On video.”
Him: “Nawl. And I don't like the idea of a phone that do all that.”
Him: “Why you ask?”
Me: “Wait—just to be sure—you DON'T have like, one of those smart phones, right?”
*silence*
Me: “Okay. . . I was trying to see if you had a phone like, where I could see you. On video.”
Him: “Nawl. And I don't like the idea of a phone that do all that.”
9/
He started laughing. Hard.
In that moment, I thought about how outlandish it must have sounded to him--an octogenarian who wasn’t keen on phones period--to hear this Jetsons-esque suggestion.
"A phone like, where I could see you," I'd said.
Guess it was kind of funny.
He started laughing. Hard.
In that moment, I thought about how outlandish it must have sounded to him--an octogenarian who wasn’t keen on phones period--to hear this Jetsons-esque suggestion.
"A phone like, where I could see you," I'd said.
Guess it was kind of funny.
10/
Let’s be clear—there are LOTs of seniors who are SUPER tech savvy.
But.
I’m also realizing that there are a whole bunch of folks of all ages who aren’t used to being asked to do anything on a phone beyond a family check-in or shutting down telemarketers.
For reals.
Let’s be clear—there are LOTs of seniors who are SUPER tech savvy.
But.
I’m also realizing that there are a whole bunch of folks of all ages who aren’t used to being asked to do anything on a phone beyond a family check-in or shutting down telemarketers.
For reals.
11/
But dang. We still needed a plan to get his pills situated.
Me: “So. . .your niece got your pills and brought them to you, correct?”
Him: “Yes, ma’am.”
Me: “So. . . do you know her number? Your niece?”
Him: “Oh sure.” *starts reciting it* “Wait—you got a pen handy?”
But dang. We still needed a plan to get his pills situated.
Me: “So. . .your niece got your pills and brought them to you, correct?”
Him: “Yes, ma’am.”
Me: “So. . . do you know her number? Your niece?”
Him: “Oh sure.” *starts reciting it* “Wait—you got a pen handy?”
12/
Me: “I do, sir.” *smiling* “Do you think she’d be okay with me calling her on 3 way?”
Him: “On who-way?”
*laughter*
I explained about the who-way and then we gave his niece a call. She answered right away. A call from an unknown number, no less.
Yup.
Me: “I do, sir.” *smiling* “Do you think she’d be okay with me calling her on 3 way?”
Him: “On who-way?”
*laughter*
I explained about the who-way and then we gave his niece a call. She answered right away. A call from an unknown number, no less.
Yup.
13/
She told me that she was still going to work. And that she just “didn’t want to chance it” with going into her uncle’s home. Her voice was so full of love.
Her: “Unk, you know we talked about this. Why you go calling Grady 'bout your pills?”
Him: “This bottle was low.”
She told me that she was still going to work. And that she just “didn’t want to chance it” with going into her uncle’s home. Her voice was so full of love.
Her: “Unk, you know we talked about this. Why you go calling Grady 'bout your pills?”
Him: “This bottle was low.”
14/
Her: “Member I told you--just use the ones out the bottles I just got you.”
*silence*
Her: “You got this, Unk.”
*silence*
Me: “I could also arrange a home visit. Or. . .you could come get the pills, put them in the weekday containers with gloves outside of his house?”
Her: “Member I told you--just use the ones out the bottles I just got you.”
*silence*
Her: “You got this, Unk.”
*silence*
Me: “I could also arrange a home visit. Or. . .you could come get the pills, put them in the weekday containers with gloves outside of his house?”
15/
He wanted both.
Unk hung up, she stayed on.
Her: “He old school. Girl, he got 1 landline in his whole house with a long cord. And that’s it!”
*laughter*
Her: *voice softening* “He been nervous. But he got it in him to do this. You know?”
Me: “Yeah. I do.”
He wanted both.
Unk hung up, she stayed on.
Her: “He old school. Girl, he got 1 landline in his whole house with a long cord. And that’s it!”
*laughter*
Her: *voice softening* “He been nervous. But he got it in him to do this. You know?”
Me: “Yeah. I do.”
16/
Her: “It's cool. I got him."
*silence*
Her: "But with all this virus stuff, I do be wondering what do folks do who ain’t got nobody to see about ‘em?”
She emphasized the words “do” and “see.” I envisioned her shaking her head.
I wish I had a perfect answer. I did not.
Her: “It's cool. I got him."
*silence*
Her: "But with all this virus stuff, I do be wondering what do folks do who ain’t got nobody to see about ‘em?”
She emphasized the words “do” and “see.” I envisioned her shaking her head.
I wish I had a perfect answer. I did not.
17/
And so. Unk got set up for a home visit. His niece made a plan to come situate his pills while still physically distancing. And mostly? It was a happy ending.
Mostly.
What do folks do who ain't got nobody to see about ‘em?
Especially now.
Emphasis on the word "now."
And so. Unk got set up for a home visit. His niece made a plan to come situate his pills while still physically distancing. And mostly? It was a happy ending.
Mostly.
What do folks do who ain't got nobody to see about ‘em?
Especially now.
Emphasis on the word "now."
