Accents

Went on a home visit today for a patient who as it turns out lives very very close to me (I didn't mention that to her). And toward the end of the visit as I was trying to get myself and the OTA out the door for a meeting at the hospital we were very later for, my patient started talking about how much she liked to listen to me talk. That she loves my accent, and it's so gentle, and so on. Which her niece from Trinidad and my OTA immediately agreed upon and all three proceeded to have a discussion of my accent. It was rather embarrassing first of all, but also I've always wondered how I must sound to others. I've always thought of myself as having no accent, especially since everyone in the music and movie industries no matter what country they are from seem to have the same. I have had this conversation with others, who also think there is such a thing as no accent, and I'm pretty close to it. However, since I've been here, I have been conscious of my accent, for one because I'm prone to picking up accents and am afraid of offending someone (if they thought I was making fun of them) if I start to adapt my pronunciations to British pronunciations, and for two because I keep thinking words that I say must sound so harsh. I don't know why, I just have this impression that my accent is harsh to UK ears. So it was very funny especially to hear my OTA say that she loves to hear me talk, it's such a wonderful accent, so soft.

And for today's vent: this poor woman I visited today has ongoing chronic back pain problems, and we went to her house only to find she sleeps on one of the motorized so-called "orthopedic" beds. Not only is the mattress far too soft, but she sleeps in a V position, having raised the foot and head of the bed. And beyond that, because her feet are swollen, she elevates them even further with three pillows! And even though her niece has told her using this bed in this position is bound to make her back worse, my patient insisted that it was right because the people who had sold her the bed a few years ago told her so!! "Back pain? This is the bed for you!" Bloody salespeople. She may have actually listened today though when two professionals told her it wasn't the right bed for her, and her niece thanked us profusely as we left.