Room For All

[ChemGal]

I have been working on getting my corporate finances caught up. I've been burning the midnight hours for a few days.

Last night, I was sitting with the tv on for background noise, and youngest son was listening to music. I realized that I could hear water running, and the washer should have been done long before. Sometiems I hear the water softener doign something late at night.
Turned off the tv, and could hear it even more. Opened up the door to the furnace room, and the water softener was spewing water.

Youngestson turned it off, whilst I went to get husband out of bed.
Of course, we were having thanksgiving dinner today.
After about an hour things were good, and back to bed.

Today was a great day for Thanksgiving.

Sounds like you've had more than your fair share of water issues in the last year? Few years? Not really sure of timeline, WC2 timeframe.

 

[Pinga]

I know! It's like seriously. Hose for washing machine (replaced with those expensive metal-like ones). Main line. Watersoftener. Filter.

 

[Carolla]

Oh crap pinga - good thing tho that you were still awake and heard the water flowing! Glad it was quickly resolved. We now routinely turn off our taps to the washer (just a little leaver) when finished using it - learned that the hard way after a leak. But one can't really do that with a softener, dishwasher etc. etc.

 

[Mendalla]

Opened up the door to the furnace room, and the water softener was spewing water.

Gack. I remember my parents having water softener issues when I lived in Kitchener. We don't generally need them here in London so I don't have one.

 

[Carolla]

Gack. I remember my parents having water softener issues when I lived in Kitchener. We don't generally need them here in London so I don't have one.

Yup - the ServiSoft guy made regular deliveries to our home too!

 

[Pinga]

we had a delightful dinner last night with my husbands siblings and their partners, and my sons and family. I am thankful today for having had that evening of gathering, and shared memories.

My family loves good food, and surprise, surprise, my brother-in-law had never tried beets -- tried them, and loved them.
Last time they were here, he tried anotehr vegetable he had never tried, and loved it.
May start a threat on vegetables.

 

[Tabitha]

All the more reason to house hunt and move Pinga.

 

[Mendalla]

May start a threat on vegetables.

Yeesh, isn't that a rather extreme way to get people to eat their veggies?

 

[Mendalla]

Yup - the ServiSoft guy made regular deliveries to our home too!

We actually got rid of that type and got the permanent one that you refill with rock salt from time to time. Forget when we switched, but I do remember Culligan delivering the swappable ones so couldn't have been too far back.

 

[KayTheCurler]

There is a water softener as part of our dishwasher. Other than that we just use whatever comes out of the taps.

 

[Mendalla]

There is a water softener as part of our dishwasher. Other than that we just use whatever comes out of the taps.

The water softeners we're talking about connect to the main so all tap water in the house is softened. Kitchener had very hard water back then because it came from artesian wells in the surrounding countryside so a softener was pretty much mandatory. London gets most of its water from the lakes so it isn't as hard. For drinking water, we use Brita filters just to get some of the chlorine and other chemicals out.

 

[ChemGal]

Calgary has pretty hard water and Edmonton isn't far behind. I hate water softeners though. Instead of adding more crap to the water I want stuff out. My parents got a water softener after I moved out, I react so horribly to their water. Chemguy doesn't have sensitive skin like me but he hates it too.

 

[ChemGal]

@crazyheart @Mendalla (and anyone else with some tips) My Grandma was assessed for oxygen recently and she's been told 15 hours/day. I'm guessing that means she probably could have been using it well before this. She doesn't want it. I was asked to talk to her - if I can even get her on the phone, she hates talking on it and says she can't hear anything (does have hearing aids and has had hearing assessed, while some issues I think just dislike of the phone is a big factor).
Any tips on what to say for a fairly short conversation? I do know what it feels like to be oxygen deprived and it will help with her energy. Besides headaches/breathing related pain, is it likely to help with pain at all?

 

[Pinga]

@ChemGal -- just some quick info that i googled

Cambridge has some of the hardest water in all of Canada. The city ranges between 20 and 32 grains per gallon (gpg) or 342 and 548 parts per million (ppm). The water hardness average across Canada is only 10.5 gpg. That means that Cambridge's water is about 2 to 3 times harder than the Canadian average!Nov 5, 2017

In Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton water hardness averages 12 to 16 grains per gallon.​

 

[Mendalla]

@crazyheart @Mendalla (and anyone else with some tips) My Grandma was assessed for oxygen recently and she's been told 15 hours/day. I'm guessing that means she probably could have been using it well before this. She doesn't want it. I was asked to talk to her - if I can even get her on the phone, she hates talking on it and says she can't hear anything (does have hearing aids and has had hearing assessed, while some issues I think just dislike of the phone is a big factor).
Any tips on what to say for a fairly short conversation? I do know what it feels like to be oxygen deprived and it will help with her energy. Besides headaches/breathing related pain, is it likely to help with pain at all?

Unfortunately, I work on the "back end" in IT. I'd probably need to talk to an RRT. Find out if there are specific concerns that could then be addressed by her doctor or in a face-to-face. Has she been referred to a home O2 provider, yet? If so, they should be aware of her concerns and can often provide answers and solutions, at least that's how our team would approach it. Sorry I can't help more.

 

[GiancarloZ]

@ChemGal -- just some quick info that i googled

Cambridge has some of the hardest water in all of Canada. The city ranges between 20 and 32 grains per gallon (gpg) or 342 and 548 parts per million (ppm). The water hardness average across Canada is only 10.5 gpg. That means that Cambridge's water is about 2 to 3 times harder than the Canadian average!Nov 5, 2017

In Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton water hardness averages 12 to 16 grains per gallon.​

Jesus, this water hardness thing is a complete novelty for me. Never heard about before and had to google it. Apparently, Winnipeg's not so bad averaging 4.7 grains per gallon.

 

[Carolla]

@crazyheart @Mendalla (and anyone else with some tips) My Grandma was assessed for oxygen recently and she's been told 15 hours/day. I'm guessing that means she probably could have been using it well before this. She doesn't want it. I was asked to talk to her - if I can even get her on the phone, she hates talking on it and says she can't hear anything (does have hearing aids and has had hearing assessed, while some issues I think just dislike of the phone is a big factor).
Any tips on what to say for a fairly short conversation? I do know what it feels like to be oxygen deprived and it will help with her energy. Besides headaches/breathing related pain, is it likely to help with pain at all?

I guess asking why she doesn't want it would be a good start. Trying to understand her concerns rather than talk her into it.

Perhaps she finds the nasal prongs uncomfortable. Advising she can take it off, use as needed can be reassuring - she'll be in control.

Perhaps she worries that using the equipment is too complicated & feels overwhelmed - reassurance about teaching might be helpful.

Sometimes people are worried about the cost - so finding out if there is a fee may be helpful.

Sometimes they worry about it being explosive - so finding out if she can use a concentrator rather than cylinders of compressed 02 can be helpful.

Is she a smoker? Having 02 at home usually means agreeing to quit smoking - that was an issue with my mother-in-law - which in the end resulted in needing to move her out of her house into a residential facility, because we discovered that she was smoking at home.

Those would be my first few thoughts. Good luck!

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

@crazyheart @Mendalla (and anyone else with some tips) My Grandma was assessed for oxygen recently and she's been told 15 hours/day. I'm guessing that means she probably could have been using it well before this. She doesn't want it. I was asked to talk to her - if I can even get her on the phone, she hates talking on it and says she can't hear anything (does have hearing aids and has had hearing assessed, while some issues I think just dislike of the phone is a big factor).
Any tips on what to say for a fairly short conversation? I do know what it feels like to be oxygen deprived and it will help with her energy. Besides headaches/breathing related pain, is it likely to help with pain at all?

I don‘t know too much about it, but 15 hrs a day seems odd to me. I know of people who need it only at night, but that would be shorter than 15 hrs. Does it mean she needs it at night and with activity, but can take it off when she sits quietly ?
Otherwise, Carolla has good suggestions.

 

[Mendalla]

Is she a smoker? Having 02 at home usually means agreeing to quit smoking - that was an issue with my mother-in-law - which in the end resulted in needing to move her out of her house into a residential facility, because we discovered that she was smoking at home.

God, yes. I've spent many hours developing tools in our systems for tracking smoking incidents and smoking-related equipment.

I don‘t know too much about it, but 15 hrs a day seems odd to me. I know of people who need it only at night, but that would be shorter than 15 hrs. Does it mean she needs it at night and with activity, but can take it off when she sits quietly ?

Probably something like that. I know in our care planning and charting system, we set it up so the therapist can specify different levels for different times (sleep, rest, activity, exertion, and so on).

Sometimes they worry about it being explosive - so finding out if she can use a concentrator rather than cylinders of compressed 02 can be helpful.

Usually, we put a concentrator in with cylinders for backup and mobility. If they are on liquid, then there's a base in the home and strollers that can be filled from the base for mobility. It's fairly rare for someone to be on just cylinders IME. People on flow rates too high for concentrators, I think.

Sometimes people are worried about the cost - so finding out if there is a fee may be helpful.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how Alberta handles funding (I've heard, but I forget). In Ontario, a senior gets 100% government coverage as long as their sats meet clinical requirements so cost wouldn't be an issue.

Perhaps she worries that using the equipment is too complicated & feels overwhelmed - reassurance about teaching might be helpful.

I know education is a key clinical goal for our RTs. Hope it would be for all providers. Making sure the client and family can handle the equipment properly is vital to success.

 

[KayTheCurler]

15 hours a day sounds a bit odd to me - I've heard at night only and for exercise only. The rate of flow is usually specified too.

It almost sounds like she is feeling intimidated by the equipment. A Home Care person may be able to help with that - or better yet - a visit from someone who uses 02. Has she been signed up for a Rehab group - Pulmo or Cardio? I'm wondering if she is living alone and whether that is in her best interests. Good Luck with the phone call.