A wrong number. A phone that in 2 years that I have been working on this unit has never rang. It starts ringing. A voice on the other end that struggles for simple words. I tell him "No Sir, this is not your wifes apartment. Your calling the emergency department at St____s". I figure an old man with a wrong number. He says his wife is at home. I ask if he is calling home.
"No, I am at home", he stutters slowly. I ask again how I can help. He merely repeats the number he just dialed. I tell him to redial the number, and that I am sorry I couldn't help him.
He calls again. Talks to a physcian assistant. The PA tells the man. "No Sir, your wife is not at this number. This is the desk of a fast track clinic in the ER. No, I checked and she is also not a patient here. I'm not sure what I can do for you." He hangs up after another moment or two.
It rings again for probably the fourth time. This is not a main desk. We do not do telephone triage. We instruct people to call 911 if they have an emergency. It is not a number anybody really has a reason to call. I don't really know what the purpose of the phone is other than it is 'survivable' in the case of a major disaster. Not sure what that means, just that the dang thing would collect dust if we didn't pay people to dust it.
Jessie answers the phone. And she seems a whole lot more interested then any of us in whats going on. "Why is she bothering talking with a senile gentleman who has a fixation with this phone number?"
After about 8 or 9 minutes she pieces together some pieces of the story. His wife is at home, but she is not talking to him. In fact she's not responding to him at all. He lives with her, and she is probably his only caregiver. She asks him if his wife is ok. He answers "No".
"Is she hurt"? is her follow up.
"Yes. I want to tell my daughter. I don't know how to call her."
He knows his first and last name, but not sure if he lives in Montesano or Everett. She asks if he can call 911. But he doesn't answer. She repeats the direction to call 911 several times. From what I overheard, I could tell he didn't understand and wouldn't be able.
Then I realize what I might have overlooked. What if his wife has had a stroke, a heart attack, maybe gone into a diabetic coma, or maybe she is already dead. None of the Alzheimers units I have ever seen had easy access to a phone without supervision. What if HE is having a stroke or some major medical emergency. Was he really calling from home? Was he calling this same number because he was confused but still needed someones help? Did he punch those random numbers on the keypad in the random hope a stranger would notice his distress.
Now really, what are the chances of dialing a random number and actually finding someone on the other end who was genuinely concerned?
In the course of an average day there are opportunities for a dozen acts of kindness, several works of compassion and a few words of praise. I routinely pass these opportunities up without ever noticing they were there. I was reminded tonight to be more vigilant. And give the most public thanks I could that somebody is watching out for all of us.
A gentlemen that could have been anybodies grandfather, who made a random call in the night looking for help, but not able to ask for it, reached a stranger in the night who cared.
Thank you Jessie.
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