Halifax HealthI spent a staggering sixty-nine minutes on the phone with a social worker named Marilyn at Halifax Hospital this afternoon. I took over a page of notes, and when the call was finished I was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Here are my notes from the call:

1240 – called Marilyn, social worker; super nice, smart, compassionate
I asked about the Guardian Advocate program; she said it was exactly what I thought it was
apparently they said I sent an email authorizing [my sister] to make decisions
Marilyn said I should have been informed that they were stopping the Benadryl

couldn’t find evidence of stop order for Benadryl; talking about Tegretol, some other drug; said it was increased on 28th, said medical doctor saw mom on 20th and Tegretol was stopped – then realized she was looking at the wrong chart, all this was related to another Kathleen!

confirmed Benadryl was stopped on 26th
Marilyn wouldn’t tell me who stopped and / or why [my sister] was told instead of me
Marilyn said she doesn’t know why ChamberlinEdmunds contacted [my sister] instead of me; basically just refusing to blame Connie 1 for anything
Marilyn said a few weeks ago mom still hadn’t opened many cards / letters from me
said mom is allowed in the courtyard, where there is a basketball hoop, but she never wants to go 2


1 Constance “Connie” Wade, a social worker at Halifax Hospital
2 My mom is 63 and not really much of a baller.