Call Buttons

PDF Version:
AWA Weekly 260214 PDF

Taste and See (Psalm 34:8)

Help!

Hospital or nursing home call buttons are a double-edged sword in the medical world. Nurses and other caregivers dread the little tool because of its overuse or underuse. Some patients overuse the button, treating it like a magic genie invented to cater to every whim. Other patients have the opposite tendency, like Deb’s mother before she passed, who sat in pain for long periods with legitimate needs. Sandra dreaded pushing the button because, as a nurse, she remembered patients abusing it. Other patients, like Debbie’s dad today, do not call for help because they feel capable of getting up without assistance, or perhaps, cognitively impaired, forget to press the button. That scenario is equally bad for medical staff when they find the patient on the floor. There is concern not only about broken bones or other injuries, but also about the need for much extra time for notifications and documentation. Thankfully, Eddie appears to be okay, whatever the reason he did not call for help. He was admitted to a nursing home yesterday for a five-day stint to provide Debbie and her sister with respite until next Wednesday.

One of the great challenges of caring for an elderly parent receiving hospice care is getting them to ask for help when they need it. It has been a struggle to watch Eddie take risks that could lead to serious injuries, whether unintentional or not. These experiences bring to mind the many tools the Lord gives His children to manage the vicissitudes of life: the internal nudging of the Holy Spirit, His written Word, the privilege of prayer, and the wisdom offered by other members of the body of Christ. Often, we stumble and fall by ignoring the tools lovingly offered. Examining our own sinful tendencies, we can imagine our Heavenly Father shaking His head in disbelief at times, not wholly unlike the stress Deb feels when her dad refuses the help provided.

Come and See (Psalm 66:5)

Recently, outdoor temperatures have settled into a range suitable for woodworking. Verlin expects to resume outdoor work on finishing some bookwork, like taxes and lessons. The ramp started for Eddie, but it will likely never see his use; it needs completion, along with annual maintenance and some long-term wood preservation treatments to keep the homestead place relatively carefree for another 15 years, excepting an expected reroofing in ten. After a particularly exhausting week caring for her dad, Debbie and her sister rejoice that the hospice service found a solution for them to have five days of rest. We are hoping that, in the nursing home setting, the hospice and facility team will find a combination of meds to keep Eddie calm during the night. His agitation, hallucinations, and sleeplessness occupy them much during the night, checking on his safety. Full-length bed rails help at home, but they are not allowed in the nursing home.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 Thank the Lord that services like respite care exist in our nation. The blessing came through, giving Debbie and her sister days of rest from caregiving. We are grateful that the fall does not seem to have caused any further pain for Eddie.
   
• 🙏 Pray for the CHE leprosy screening outreach in central Cote d’Ivoire.
   
• 🙏 Continue to lift up all aspects of the CHE Internship going on in Ghana throughout February.
  

Your partners in the Gospel,
Verlin & Debbie

Verlin and Debbie

 

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational, and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to provide support as we maintain residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax-deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF - specifying Verlin and Debbie Anderson in the optional Memo.

 

Prior: Hope Beyond Hope
        - 260207 PDF
Prior Videos: Worth
        - Reflect & Rejoice
 

2024 Q1 Q2 Report: First Resort
  -  2024 Q1 Q2 Report 250906 PDF

2022 Budget COMPLETED:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2022-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Cote d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

 

Verlin's Facebook Page