her by phone, sent Jim to investigate. He discovered
Alice laid out beside the living room couch, nearly
unconscious.Atthehospital,themedicalteamgaveher
intravenousfluidsandaseriesoftestsandX-rays.They
foundnobrokenbonesorheadinjury.Everythingseemed
okay. But theyalso found no explanation for her fall
beyond general frailty.
When she returned to Longwood House, she was
encouraged to move to the skilled nursing floor. She
resistedvehemently.Shedid not wantto go.Thestaff
relented. They checked her more frequently. Mary
increased the hours she spent looking after her. But
beforelong,JimgotacallthatAlicehadfallenagain.It
wasabadfall,theysaid.She’dbeentakenbyambulance
toahospital.Bythetimehegotthere,shehadalready
beenwheeledintosurgery.X-raysshowedshe’dbroken
herhip—thetopofherfemurhadsnappedlikeaglass
stem.Theorthopedicsurgeonsrepairedthefracturewith
a couple of long metal nails.
This time, she came back to Longwood House in a
wheelchair and needed help with virtually all of her
everyday activities—using the toilet,bathing, dressing.
Alicewasleftwithnochoicebuttomoveintotheskilled
nursing unit. The hope, they told her, was that, with
physicaltherapy,she’dlearntowalkagainandreturnto
herapartment.Butsheneverdid.Fromthenon,shewas
confinedtoawheelchairandtherigidityofnursinghome
life.
All privacy and control were gone. She was put in
hospitalclothesmostofthetime.Shewokewhenthey
toldher,bathedanddressedwhentheytoldher,atewhen