Living Life to Death

By Phyl Anderson

A woman who is trapped in the bliss of dementia where her memory is intermittent, she is neglected by her own children and lovingly cared for by a hired attendant from the home health care agency. Although her illness forces her to forget a lot of things, she gives her attendant something that is unforgettable.

A man who is suffering from congestive heart failure has had several surgeries and the doctors have given him little hope of much longer to live. He tries to live doing things he loves to do. After several attempts he finally gets an attendant who he can trust while he takes his much loved swim. Unfortunately something he loves to do is what kills him.

All of the stories are different life like scenarios of every day life in the home health care industry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475939682

Phyl Anderson

Phylicia “ Phyl” Anderson, currently working as a field staff supervisor. She has over fifteen years in the home health care industry. She has recently published Piece of Mine and Living Life to Death. She comes from a single parent home where she, her mother and siblings currently reside in Houston, Texas. She is a member of Highland Heights Church of Christ and has no children of her own. She attended the University of Texas -Austin after highschool. Currently works for Girling Home Health Care in Bellaire and is in the process of writing her upcoming novel Saved my Soul. She has two sisters (twins) in Missouri by her biological father, one sister in North Carolina by her biological father and a brother Earl Reynolds and Sister Kelly Reynolds by her mother and step father Earl Sr. who helped raise her until he passed away. Phylicia was listed in the Who's Who 1989, she graduated from the International Baccalaureate program from Waltrip High School. She was in the National Honor Society, mentors to young children, assists elderly and disabled in their homes and volunteers in personal evangelism which is to her -the greatest accomplishment of all.

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Copyright © 2012 by Phyl Anderson.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-3967-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-3968-2 (ebk)

iUniverse rev. date: 11/17/2012

Contents

The good Samaritan

They should have told me

Undiagnosed

Fraud

Taught me Everything I know

Over

The Operating Room

The Owner and the Slave

Death in the middle of the day.

The Happy Hour

The good Samaritan

Evelyn had worked for Emmanuel home health care for over 13 years as an attendant. She had been with clients until they passed away. She had been with clients until they were placed in nursing homes or moved to other states. She had never been late, never been accused of theft, always abided by the rules of the company. Even in all of her thirteen years, she had never once been recognized by the company for her excellence. Her supervisor Ms. Givens would always thank her for assisting clients with things their families were supposed to do and they would not. Evelyn would make calls to doctors for appointments, the family was supposed to do that. Evelyn would go to churches and pick up food baskets when clients could not afford food and she herself could not afford to buy them any, the family was supposed to do that. She would even ride with the clients to the doctor’s appointments when their families were not be available, or sit with them at the hospital knowing she would not be paid.

Evelyn had taken care of Ms. White now for three years. She was exhausted with trying to get any of Ms. White’s four living and able children to take her the doctor. Ms. White was displaying symptoms of dementia to Evelyn. Ms. White had been forgetting who Evelyn was from time to time. Ms. White was over medicating herself because she would forget that she had already taken her pills.

Even though Evelyn was only making 5.15 an hour back in 2004, she would separate her pills into a pill box that went by days for her. This was a task that the family was supposed to do according to policy, the attendants were not supposed to touch medication.

It took her three buses to get from the acres homes area where she lived, to Bellaire where Ms. White lived

White lived. The family had trusted her so they gave her a key to let herself in the house hoping it would keep Ms. White in the house if she was not told to answer the door. The family had to terminate a lot of services Ms. White had signed up for because of solicitors. This day was difficult for Evelyn. Ms. White had taken more medication than she was supposed to and was now just a little delusional.

Good Morning Ms. White, Evenlyn greeted her.

Who are you and how did you get into my home? This is my home. Ms. White said looking confused.

My name is Evelyn, Ms. White. I am here to help you.

I don’t need your help; I won’t ever need the help of some nigger. What are you doing in my home and who the hell are you? I am going to call the police.

Oh Ms. White, now what you just said wasn’t nice to say to me. Especially when I am going to fix your breakfast. Now what would you like for me to cook for you today? Evelyn explained

oh… You are my maid? Ms. White said

No ma’am, I am your provider. I am your attendant. I help you get a bath, I cook for you, I help with your medicine and I make sure you have clean clothes to wear Evelyn told Ms. White

Well I would like some breakfast, what did you say your name was again? Ms. White said with a smile

Evelyn, my name is Evelyn. I will fix you some eggs, grits and bacon how about that?

Oh that sounds nice. And Evelyn would you fix my coffee like I like it with a spoon of cream? Ms. White said batting her eyes at Ms. White with a smile.

I sure will, you had me scared for a minute there Ms. White Evelyn told Ms. White as she walked off to the kitchen shaking her head.

Oh I am fine, I will be in the dining room reading the paper. You did bring in the paper didn’t you Evelyn?

Yes ma’am I always do and I will always put it on the dining room table just for you

While the water boiled for the grits, she thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and call Ms. White’s daughter Laura. The sting of being called a nigger for most people in her position has been numbed with its redundancy. The sad part about it was Evelyn just took the derogatory statement with a spoonful of sugar. She knew in her heart Ms. White loved her.

You have reached the voicemail of Laura Folks, please leave a message.

Ms. Laura, this is Evelyn your mother’s provider. I think you may want to take her to the doctor. She is becoming quite forgetful and mean. She did not know who I was at first and she called me a name which is something she had never done before. I am just worried is all. I will be here till noon if you need me. Evelyn said leaving a message for Ms. White’s daughter.

After she fixed Ms. White’s plate, she sat in the kitchen thinking she should call the agency and notify Ms. Givens. Ms. Givens was Ms. White’s agency field coordinator. What she did not want was for Ms. White to become violent and start striking at her. Evelyn knew Ms. White could never hurt anyone on purpose, but she also feared Ms. White would accidently hurt herself.

Ms. Givens, this Evelyn, Ms. White’s provider.

"Yes ma’am, how are you?’

I am good. I am just worried about Ms. White. I think she needs to see a doctor. The family don’t want me to take her cause I could take her, but Ms. Laura her daughter done told me not to so that’s that.

Well what is going on? Ms. Givens asked her.

This morning she did not know who I was and was getting kind of ugly with me. I just tried to be calm and tell her who I was. I left a message with her daughter Laura to see if she can take her, but you know they don’t have too much to do with her since I have been here.

"Well, you know as well as I do that there is nothing I can do about what the family won’t do. I will make a