by guest blogger Jo Myers, Author-Speaker
jo@jomyers.com
http://www.goodtogothebook.com/
Former radio personality Jo Myers uses her voice to promote preplanning for death when not in crisis-management mode. Her book "Good to Go" (Sterling Publishing, 2010) and keynote, "Leave a Legacy, Not a Mess," contain tips and advice for anyone who might die someday and the professionals who service them.
On a Sunday visit to see my friend in the nursing home, I signed in at the reception area on the first floor and took the elevator to her room. There, I met a couple that had paid a call on their way home from church. They left shortly after I arrived. Upon exiting the building, I signed out and wanted to double check the names of the two, so I looked them up in the guest register book. No one but I had signed in as a visitor of my friend that day.
"Why don't people sign in and out?" I wondered aloud.
"Some of them are lazy," the receptionist answered. "A lot of people don't do it because they don't want anyone to know they've been here."
"Oh."
"And, a lot of them are family members." the receptionist nodded. "They don't want other family members to know they stopped by to see momma in the nursing home."
Driving home, I imagined why someone would not want someone else to know that he or she visited a person in a nursing home. Maybe a family member wanted to visit a parent privately, for whatever reason. Maybe the visitor had been asked to stay away, and snuck in. Perhaps the visitor was up to no good and schemed to take advantage of the resident.
The responsibilities are endless as to why a visitor does not sign in at the front desk of a nursing home. Leaving nothing to question. Sign in and out, please.
