All by Myself.... :/

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Nov. 21-1 1/2 hrs

I got to the facility today where the activities director informed me that she had a meeting and other jobs to attend to, so I would be running bingo by myself today! Hurray for me! :) So I gathered the needed supplies and awkwardly carried them all to the main building, started setting up and going door to door. Every single patient I asked in the main building turned me down, and then the panic was setting in. 'What if no one comes?'

I finish off the hallway, and go wait uncomfortably in the lobby, occasionally asking staff where the microphone, etc are located. Suddenly, in through the front doors comes this swarm of patients, and then the side hallway floods with wheelchairs and walkers, and then another horrifying thought hits me: 'I don't know how to run this game!'

This facility has a specific method of doing bingo: four 'normal' bingos, four corners, the daily 'special', and then blackout. The trouble is that I don't know how many of each, and for anyone who has worked with the elderly can relate, they like it their way, and if it isn't, life can get miserable really quick. Let's just say they usually aren't afraid to tell you exactly what they think of you and your method. :)

I just decide to fake like I know what I'm doing (great method if you are ever in a tough spot!) and we start. It went pretty smoothly, there was always the one patient who can't hear, so you have a yelling contest across the room to tell them that 'No, it was B56, not G16'. The biggest wrench in today's gears was them wanting to know my name. You know those moments when you try to tell someone your name, and they don't get it right the first time, and you have to tell them six times before it's clear what you are called? It was one of those, only worse, because when one hears the wrong name, they yell it at each other, they all get the wrong name down, and trying to correct them is futile. Handed me a couple laughs though. :)

Anyway, it ended really well, and we had a great time. One of the patients even called me over after it was done and told me I did a great job, so that was my rewarding moment of the day. Til next week, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)

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