by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Edith faces a crisis of conscience when she is assigned to care for Sunshine Home resident Mrs. Loretta Dillon (Angela Clarke), an 81-year-old woman who is dying of heart failure. Though the rest of the staff is determined to keep Mrs. Dillon alive, she is equally determined to die with dignity. When the old woman begs Edith to "hold my hand and don't let go" late one evening, Edith does so, whereupon Mrs. Dillon quietly passes into the next world. As a consequence of not summoning assistance, Edith is promptly fired, but she cannot convince herself that she did anything wrong. Written by Patt Shea and Harriet Weiss, "Edith Gets Fired" originally aired on February 25, 1979.
