Jessica's Book Thoughts

We had a resident at work have surgery yesterday. He didn't make it through it. The families reaction, or lack of reaction, appalled me. They acted as if it was no big deal. I do not claim to understand what it would be like to have a child with mental disabilities, it must be very difficult. This person though, was still a wonderful human being and was one of the sweetest residents we had. He will be very missed by us. He was the one I was the one I referred to as my Rainman.

When the hospital asked what the mother and father wanted done with the body they actually said, "We don't care. Let the state handle it." They acted almost excited that they were going to be able to be on time for a birthday party that was being thrown for their cousin. Here I am sitting there bawling like a baby and the family I'd acting like they just won the lottery. That's another thing they were gabbing about before we knew that he had died, an insurance policy he had that the grandmother had purchased when he was a baby worth around $30,000. 

When I got back to the group home to let everyone know that he had died the reaction of the other residents was worse than I expected. The roommate went ballistic. There is now no window in the livingroom, the refrigerator is destroyed, and the porch railing was kicked off the front porch. The medical director had him temporarily moved to a different home until we get the room cleared out. I don't think it will be a good idea to bring him back to the home he was placed in. Today I am going to chat with the home managers and see what is available for him to possibly move into. It would be a bad idea to put him back into a roommate situation.