Anytime, anywhere.

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The nursing home to which Mom was moved after being released from the hospital apparently (if we read the signs on the walls) discouraged the use of cellular phones:


I honestly don't know what the purpose of this policy was. I'm not aware of any danger that the cellulars might have represented to various life-support systems, and though not too long ago using cellulars in public places was considered improper etiquette, that hardly seems to be the case today (and patient rooms aren't exactly public places). It would seem to me that the nursing home should encourage the use of cellulars. They reduce the amount of dependence that patients and their families have on the staff, and thus make life easier for them.

And that's probably the unstated, but actual, policy. We used cellulars in the presence of staff (and saw them being used) without anyone complaining, or calling the sign pictured here to our attention. We even had a nursing attendant (with sadly rather shaky hands) take a family portrait of Mom and her three children, where I was represented by the cellular that was receiving my call (yes, I was told to smile, and I did.):


I don't really know to what extent the nursing assistant understand that we wanted a family portrait, or whether she understood that this was really what was being photographed. We certainly related to it as such.

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Go to: In health and in sickness