Thursday, May 03, 2007

Scabies and Lost Teeth

Elisa continued to report the horrors of Country Villa when I saw her on Thursday, the first time since she had told me I had to move my mother back to Ocean View.
"They have scabies three times!" she told me. "Three times!"
"Rabies?" I puzzled.
"No, scabies. You know scabies? All the residents, their skin dry, itching. They wash the floors and walls with chemicals. I wear a gown, wash it. I don want to get it too, bring home to my daughter."
"And the false teeth! They pay $50,000 because they lose the teeth."
"What do you mean they lose the teeth?" I asked sharply.
"Somebody sue them--people's teeth, they fall on the floor, get stepped on, get lost, thrown out. They have to pay!"
"Lose the teeth? Oh dear!" I moaned.
I didn't need any more testimonials to convince me that Mom's exit from there had been urgent, a narrow escape.

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