Mom is 84 and has dementia. She took a fall and went to the Emergency Department. She had no broken bones, only bruising. However, there was another issue, a UTI. Having dementia, Mom usually is irritable when she has issues like that. She can’t explain how she feels which is difficult for all of us. Lab draws and IV starts can be trying.

Elliot made these hard tasks easier for us. We appreciate their compassion for Mom because of her dementia. Mom had to use the bathroom and was getting irritable. She had been given a portable commode to help and did use it but it was not comfortable for her and she became agitated. I had to let the Nurse know she had to use the bathroom again. The bathroom needed to be cleaned and the housekeeper wasn’t able to get to it yet. Elliot knew it was uncomfortable for Mom to use the commode, so they took it upon themselves to go in the restroom and really scrub the area so Mom could use a clean restroom. I know that was not their job but it was clear to me that as a Nurse, they felt part of caring was making sure Mom was as comfortable as possible. This gave us so much comfort because we knew Mom was in good hands.

If everyone did their job like this, more patients and family would be happy. Thank you Elliot for anticipating the needs of your patient and creating a compassionate connection for this patient and her family. This shows it is the little moments that make a difference in a patient and family experience.