Day 4

Big day: we have uniforms!

Not enough and not the right sizes, but still. Ça s’en vient.

Now in between PPE policing I have another job: folding uniforms. Laundry while multitasking, at least this feels familiar!

I’m stationed near the kitchen. A friendly worker pops out often to give me juice and make sure I’m taking my breaks. Her mother lives upstairs and is sick. She hasn’t seen her in weeks, but she’s told she is stable.

Regular staff are starting to grumble about the “volunteer” PABs. An extra pair of hands is appreciated, but it’s not a substitute for a trained worker. Staff are not sure what the helpers can and cannot do. A (real) PAB comments to me that it takes her longer to see her patients with a helper; she has to explain everything and feels responsible for supervising closely when she does delegate. There are now lots of people on site who can do a few things, and only a few people who can do all the rest of the things.

81% of our residents have now tested positive for covid. Most days, a patient dies. Today is like most days.

Day 5

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