Finishing the Story

Woke at 4:30 with a headache. Nurse came in at 5:00 to prick Mother's finger and inject her.

Got up at 7:00, showered and dressed, to breakfast at 7:30.

Back from breakfast. Mother laid down and napped. I cleaned my knitting bag, found a partial ball of yarn, and started an experimental project. Mother got up around 11:30 and we walked down at 11:45 for lunch.

After lunch we walked to the in-house beauty salon to make a haircut appointment. The stylist said, "I went down last month and she said she didn't need a haircut." I asked her to just please schedule an appointment and cut her hair every month. Can't these helpers understand Mother can't hear a damned word they're saying? She just nods and smiles.

I actually jumped on her about her communication skills this visit - I told her she never responds with words, so we never know if she understands us. She nodded, then laughed and said, "Yes, Dear." At least her sense of humor is intact!

After lunch, we sat for half an hour, then got in the car to go across the street to her opthamology appointment.

We walked in and I signed her in. In a few minutes, a staff member came to the front desk and motioned me over. "Why is she here?" she asked. "To have her stitches removed." I was told she didn't have an appointment and, in fact, had just been there on Monday! After double-checking with various other staff members, we determined that they were, indeed, not ready to remove the stitches and that she had another assessment appointment scheduled for April 25. I watched while they removed her phone number from the record and added a note to only call the Assisted Living facility staff or the patient's son and daughter-in-law on issues regarding this patient.

Bundled Mother back in the car and took her back across the street.

After settling her in her room, I went back out to speak to the patient care representative about bathroom cleaning, haircuts, and hair washing. My bottom line: just do it!

This is why Molly and I (but mostly Molly) find it necessary to make every-six-weeks visits. No one who is not related to a patient/elderly person is going to examine the situation with as critical an eye.

I find Mother's deterioration over the past year to be both sad and frustrating. A year ago she got on an airplane and flew to Tampa for Easter. Now - she sleeps and eats, eats and sleeps.

The cycle of life.
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Left at 2:00. Stopped three or four tiles. Got home at 11:00. The Jazzman was waiting up for me. Boy, was he a sight for sore eyes!