GAIL WHITE Nursing-home beauticians are a cut above, grateful husband says

For more than 20 years, Rosemary Wade visited the beauty shop every Friday to get her hair and nails done.
"She would go to lunch with her girlfriends, maybe do a little shopping and, because she wouldn't have time to cook, we would go out to eat for dinner," explains Rosemary's husband, Bill.
Rosemary no longer gets her nails done. Her hands are curled up in fists, tight against her body. She does not meet the girls for lunch. She is spoon-fed by a nurse instead. Bill and Rosemary no longer go out to dinner. Rosemary is usually in bed by dinnertime at The Assumption Village in North Lima.
Dementia has taken away many of the activities Rosemary always enjoyed, but she still gets her hair done every week.
Letter from husband
In a touching letter, Bill shares his appreciation for the wonderful work of the beauticians at the nursing home.
Bills writes that Martha Sears, Rosemary's beautician, "is an angel who performs miracles with her talents and patience. The meticulous job she does with each of her 'kids' makes her one outstanding person. Her positive attitude and diligence gives her the ability and talent to cope with these physically and mentally limited ladies. She does their hair with such exactness you would think the residents are going to their first prom or their wedding."
On this day, Martha is coloring, cutting and styling Rosemary's hair with exactness for one such special occasion. It is Bill and Rosemary's anniversary.
Though dementia has stolen the words and movement of Bill's bride of 46 years, the disease has not stolen the sparkle in Rosemary's eyes or the love Bill has for her.
Instead of Rosemary sitting in the beautician's chair, chatting freely with her hairdresser, she sits quietly in her wheelchair as Bill chats with the ladies in the room.
When it is time to rinse out her color, Bill stands on one side of her chair as Martha wraps a plastic ring around Rosemary's head. Rosemary is unable to tilt her head back into the rinse sink.
The ring stops the water from running into Rosemary's eyes and funnels into a tube at the back of her neck that drains the water into the sink.
Even with the device, rinsing the color is a difficult task.
"Put this hand down, Ro," Bill gently says to his wife. Her tightly closed fists lower to her chest.
Martha begins the precarious task of trimming Rosemary's hair. As the scissors are near her ears, Rosemary twitches.
"They thought she had Parkinson's," Bill explains. "But the twitching is part of the dementia."
Taking great care
Slowly, with great care, Martha snips and trims around Rosemary's brunette hair. At times, she uses clippers instead of scissors to prevent any possibility of cutting the skin. Always, Martha's fingers are placed between the cutting tool and Rosemary's scalp.
"We have a good time in here," Martha says as she works. "They go back in time, reminisce and visit with each other."
"One daughter told me that when her mom gets her hair done, she looks like Mom," says Lisa Tims, another beautician in the beauty shop. "This is really rewarding for me."
Like Rosemary, many of the women at Assumption Village were accustomed to going to the beauty shop weekly when they lived in their homes.
"They really look forward to coming in," Martha smiles.
Finishing up with one resident, Martha receives a hug.
"I love you," the woman says to her.
Returning to Rosemary, Martha styles and curls her hair. When she is done, Rosemary looks absolutely radiant.
Bill is pleased.
They won't be celebrating this anniversary with dinner as they used to.
Bill wheels his bride down the hallway to the chapel. They are just in time for the 10:30 a.m. Mass.
gwhite@vindy.com