It was pretty tough at the nursing home again today. Several of the residents are already running fevers. Three residents also had slip-and-fall accidents today. Luckily, nobody was seriously injured. But falls haven’t been a common occurrence since I’ve been here, so to have three in one day is quite alarming. I guess maybe it’s because immune systems are working in overdrive and bodies are under extra stress. Gennadiy, the director of the home, also returned early from his weekend away, but it turns out he’s sick too. He told me unless our local “epidemic” recedes overnight, he’ll probably call in a doctor tomorrow. Miraculously, I actually still feel fine – actually stronger today than yesterday. I was afraid last night that I was getting sick too, but so far I am spared.
I was busy all day long helping out with chores that the nurse Evhenia usually handles, because she was busy taking care of sick residents.

I also helped hydrate one woman, Grandma Nina, who didn’t eat or drink anything yesterday. She can’t drink liquid from a cup without choking. So we thickened some apple juice with starch and were able to spoon feed that to her without choking. Unfortunately, I think she only took about a cup, which is certainly not enough. But she also ate an entire banana today. I’ll certainly come back to her first thing tomorrow morning to see how much thickened apple juice I can help her take.

Difficulties notwithstanding, there was one particular bright spot of joy during the day. I was walking down the hall on an errand when Evhenia poked her head out of one of the rooms and motioned me to come inside. When I walked into the room my heart dropped – one of the elderly women was laying face down on the floor beside her bed, writhing in apparent agony. My first thought was that she was having some sort of seizure. But then she looked up with a big grin on her face – looking just like her usual self, except she was laying on the floor – and motioned with one hand toward the small of her back. I figured out after a few explanatory gestures from Evhenia that what this grandmother needed was back massage. Well, maybe what she really needs is a chiropractor, but she had to settle for a vigorous back massage from me. I’m not a chiropractor, but I have some experience giving vigorous back massages.