Kathleen Mears
Kathleen Mears is a long-time blogger who has been a nursing home resident for 21 years. She is an incomplete quadriplegic and uses a power wheelchair to get around. Her computer is her "window on the world." This blog shares her thoughts and view of life as a nursing home resident as well as ideas of how it might be improved in the future.
A change in dosage
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears shares how having her antidepressant adjusted has impacted her quality of life for the worse. Read More »
In remembrance of Annie
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears reflects on nearly 18 years of friendship with a fellow resident. Read More »
Mealtime assistance
Having someone help you eat is one thing but having a separate feeding room makes resident blogger Kathleen Mears anxious. Read More »
Getting a lift
Hoyer lifts may help staff feel more secure about resident transfers, but blogger Kathleen Mears feels more uncomfortable and less independent when she can’t stand on her own two feet. Read More »
Setting the lighting mood
Lighting can have a big impact on a resident’s day-to-day routine, comforts and well-being, resident blogger Kathleen Mears explains. Read More »
A roommate, as promised
Roommates can make for awkward and uncomfortable quarters as resident blogger Kathleen Mears is experiencing. Read More »
Raising my voice
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears speaks about what it’s like to get laryngitis and why it’s especially scary and difficult as a quadriplegic. Read More »
Minding my business
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears knows aides must share information to provide the best possible care. She wonders if sometimes they ask for, or share, too much private information in a public setting. Read More »
Skipping snacks
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears shares her thoughts on sweet snacks and why nibbles between meals might not be a good idea. Read More »
Great lengths for short nails
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears knows it’s important for nails to be trimmed, which is why she’s sought assistance from caregivers since Medicaid coverage isn’t often enough to her liking. Read More »
For want of a cut
Blogger Kathleen Mears wishes salon services could visit her nursing home to give residents a trim and boost their spirits, too. Read More »
Time to sit down
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears tracks one resident’s health, a process that pains her to watch. Read More »
Deciding what to wear
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears describes how she’s built her wardrobe and had to adapt living in a nursing home, from what styles and fabrics she wears to what she can fit in her 29-inch-wide closet. Read More »
Keeping time
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears manages to keep track of time and wonders whether other benefits might benefit from clocks in their room, too. Read More »
Guarded purse strings
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears manages her money with a close eye to keep track of her own spending and to make sure someone isn’t spending her money. Read More »
A pesky eye lump
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears had an eye infection that required multiple doctor visits and medications, which can be a frustrating and trying for anyone but especially an incomplete quadriplegic. Read More »
An unanswered call light
It wasn’t a bump in the night, but resident blogger Kathleen Mears explains how scary it was waiting for her aides to come in one morning. Read More »
An odd couple
As Valentine’s Day approaches, resident blogger Kathleen Mears offers a glimpse of romance in the nursing home. Read More »
A second helping
Resident blogger Kathy Mears dishes on proper etiquette for extra food portions. Read More »
Brace yourself
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears was told for years she was unable to get new leg braces. When hers finally broke, she was pleasantly surprised to learn she was eligible for new custom ones. Read More »
Trying again
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears is working to be more agreeable and less argumentative with an aide. Read More »
A resolve to change
Blogger Kathleen Mears wants you to leap into the new year and suggests ways to set yourself up for success in 2017. Read More »
The challenge of getting around
Navigating nursing homes and Medicaid is never easy, but resident blogger Kathy Mears has had trouble getting around, literally. It took several visits and months to get her joystick adjusted and working properly—and caused an injury in the process. Read More »
Medicaid Qualified Income Trust a trying process
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears details her lengthy—and frustrating—journey of setting up a Qualified Income Trust (QIT/Miller trust) to meet Ohio’s changing Medicaid eligibility requirements. Read More »
Finally, a side of hummus
SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears loves hummus. Rules prevent residents from keeping refrigerated food, so she’s advocated for activities to serve it for three years. Victory has never tasted so good. Read More »
Adapting anticipation for the holidays
Blogger Kathleen Mears fondly remembers Christmases of years gone by and is learning to make new traditions in the nursing home. Read More »
Don’t let Seasonal Affective Disorder make you sad
SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears reflects on the change of seasons and why she prefers them despite the dark, bitter cold mornings that make her want to go back to sleep. Read More »
Shopping on behalf of residents
Resident blogger Kathleen Mears reflects on the challenge of not being able to run to the store spur of the moment—and the added difficulty of asking someone to shop for you. Read More »
Something WAS bothering him
Residents who cry out for help can be wearing on caregivers. But what if they really do need something? Read More »
