Do you know how sometimes the energy of someplace familiar seems a little off? That was my therapy cat visit to the assisted living facilities near us this week. Because humans are unpredictable, sometimes it’s just that way.
First the nice parts. You don’t think of assisted living houses as romantic places, but there are two couples at one of the houses we visit. One pair was new to us, a Spanish speaking couple who happily welcomed me when I walked into the community room. My human didn’t even realize they were a couple until she saw them together a little while later. The other couple we’ve seen before. They were sitting on the couch holding hands, and when I stopped by to visit, I laid down right between them. It was cozy.
The other nice part was seeing some familiar friends, like the lady who always asks for high fives, and the one who loves cats and cries sometimes when she sees me. The cat-loving woman looked like she was sleeping, but my human guessed correctly that she was just sort of dozing. She roused herself the moment I sat on the couch, and she was so happy to see me. The man next to her was sitting with his arms folded, but his face lit up when he saw me.
There were also sad moments. A new resident walked around, looking lost and a bit confused. She told my human about her former job as a mental health professional, and it was clear that (like a lot of new residents) she wasn’t exactly overjoyed to be there. Moving into an assisted living house is rarely a happy time and it can be hard.
Then, there was the chaotic part. One man who is usually glad to see me was out of control. He kept screaming incoherently and banging his hand on the couch. Staff told him to quiet down, and he would for a moment, and then start yelling again. He actually almost had to leave the community room. I was probably the only being in the room who wasn’t that disturbed by him. Fortunately, my human took it in stride, so I knew it didn’t concern me.
We visited the second house for a little while too. A couple of women who were sitting in comfy chairs were so thrilled to see me. One woman had almost no jaw, so she was kind of hard for my human to understand. Luckily, her dementia wasn’t severe, so it was possible to have a conversation without too much difficulty. One of the women we often see at this house remembered me by name (she always does), but it was obvious that she is starting to fade. That is always sad. As we were leaving, some EMTs came through the hallways, so something was up with one of the residents. Their ambulance was parked out front.
While I was calm through most of the visit, it was draining for both me and my human. Usually I bounce right back after my therapy visits, but it took me a couple of hours to feel as energized as I normally do.
Other posts you’ll enjoy:
One of My Best Assisted Living Visits
Sometimes the Quiet Therapy Cat Visits are the Best
Therapy Cat Senior Sunday
The post Romance and Chaos at the Assisted Living Facilities appeared first on Summer’s Fabulous Cat Life.
It was sweet, sad, and chaotic at the assisted living facilities during this visit!
The post Romance and Chaos at the Assisted Living Facilities appeared first on Summer’s Fabulous Cat Life. Read More
Summer’s Fabulous Cat Life
