The new plan required the whanau to be present at the hospital around the clock.
The staff didn't ask for them to be there. The whanau decided this is what he needed, so this is what they did. I'm not even sure if the staff liked the family plan. None of the family ever mentioned the staff reaction to their presence. I get the feeling what anybody else thought was of little consequence. This was the family plan, like it or lump it.
The family helped keep Dad from taking the cannula out of his arm. among other things. I have no idea why a cannula was in his arm, but there was one and the staff wanted it to stay in. The Machines method for keeping it there was to tie him up. I'm not sure why they thought the family would like that idea.
We were back overseas through this period and we got messages about how
things were going. Being round the clock watchers isn't easy and is a huge commitment, but it's a
darn site better than having your father tied to a bed like a mutt. For weeks.
The stories were also full of humour.
Like the times Dad would be grumpy and bitching and out of sorts for whoever was on watch, then one of the grandsons would walk in and straight away Dad would brighten up as if the sun had just walked into the room. The rest of the family would later joke with the grandson, 'What's so good about you he cheers up when you're around?'
It was one of the whanau who suggested to the machine that they weren't approaching Dads care properly and suggested a solution.
