The Icarian

Emotional Support Chickens, Theft! Cluck Yeah, A NURSING HOME TALE

By Karen Strickholm 09/26/2024 

Sweeping the knitting world! Tens of thousands of “emotional support chickens” are flying off knitters’ needles, bringing inordinate joy to recipients. Here’s a tale about one of them.

Meet Shannon, a fiesty resident. Shannon doesn’t speak much, other than to holler “Bitch! Whore! Nooo! I hate you!” I figured, she could probably use an emotional support chicken, right?

Made her one in her favorite color – purple. Popped a jingle bell on the tail. Little did I anticipate the drama to ensue.

Initial presentation? Didn’t go too well.

“Close your eyes, Shannon, we have a present for you!”

“Fuck you!” But we persist. “Take it Shannon! It’s special! It’s for you! It’s your favorite color!”

Once in hand, her eyes sparkle. Off she rolled, arms wrapped around the thing.

BUT THEN. The very next day Mary, our house kleptomaniac, STOLE the chicken!

Mary steals other people’s food. Your pen. Supplies from the activities cart. Small objects she can squirrel away. Money. When confronted about lifting the chicken, she retorted “It’s OK, she doesn’t use it.” Heh heh.

After Mary fell asleep, intrepid aide Henry tip-toed into her room, snatched the chicken back. We decided to let it overnight in my room, for re-gifting the next day.

Next morning, emotional support chicken was re-presented to Shannon. Her whole face lit up!

With out-stretched arms, she brought her chicken close in for a kiss and a snuggle. Clearly, a bond was forming. She clung to it all day.

Next morning, emotional support chicken was re-presented to Shannon

But THEN! Next day, purple chicken got stolen AGAIN!! This time, Ramona was the culprit. We discovered it, proudly displayed on her bed.

Aide Karina stole the well-traveled bird back, then it was re-re-presented to Shannon. This time, she reached out for it and shouted, “My chicken!”

Chicken security has been hardened. Oh, and turns out per Shannon, his pronouns are he/his/hey you, and his name is Pedro. 🐓

/fin

(Shot of me above with steroid-bloated chipmunk face)

 

Next Episode:

CHAPTER THREE. MEDICAL CRASH AND BURN

Previously:

MATT & ANTHONY A NURSING HOME TALE

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About this series…
Karen Strickholm had a hidden brain tumor on her pituitary gland. The tumor she didn’t know she had until she was about 50, wound up taking her health and all she had built in life. Her tumor, diagnosed in 2008, caused a tsunami of symptoms and eventually forced her into long-term care in a nursing home and a series of hospitals.

This is America, the only developed nation that does not have universal healthcare, and the only developed nation where medical debt can force you into bankruptcy.

Karen became one of the financial statistics due to her medical debt, and the fact that she couldn’t get Medicare unless she was literally penniless.

What made Karen different from many other people was her relentless optimism and belief that she was going to get better, would walk out of the nursing home to build a new life. She was smart, a good writer and she left behind a number of digital artifacts, which have been collected into this series. Karen relates, in her own words, her journey through the American healthcare system and the reality living penniless in a nursing home long term.

Karen Strickholm died 6 April 2026 in a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of sepsis and pneumonia. She was 67.

This multimedia documentary series is her story.

Medical bankruptcy
• Approximately 66.5% of non-business personal bankruptcies in the U.S. were attributed to medical reasons in 2019.
• 1 in 10 U.S. adults (10.5 million) have experienced medical bankruptcy since 2001.
• 78% of bankrupt individuals in 2022 cited medical expenses as their primary cause.
• Medical bankruptcy rates increased by 21% from 2010 to 2020, even as overall bankruptcy rates declined
• The average interest rate on medical debt from bankruptcies is 21% (2022)
https://worldmetrics.org/medical-bankruptcies-statistics/
Nursing home stats
• On any given day, more than 1.3 million individuals receive care in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility, and a total of more than 4 million receive care each year.
• 6 out of 10 residents (64%) are short-stay patients who remain in a skilled nursing facility for an average of 25 days.
• Nearly four out of 10 residents (36%) are long-stay residents. These individuals often have multiple health conditions. Their average age is 76.
• Nursing homes employ about 1.5 million people.
• Nearly 90% are women, and 60% are people of color.
• One out of every five nursing home workers is an immigrant.
• There are around 15,000 nursing homes in the United States.
• The average size of a nursing home is 109 beds.
• Medicaid covers the cost of care for nearly two out of every three residents (63%).
https://www.ahcancal.org/Data-and-Research/facts/Pages/default.aspx