Update from Orem Rehab on mom
I thought that you may want a positive update on Mom. This is something that Kathy wrote to Micheal on his mission, but I was going to update here today, but this covers it so here ya go!
What a week. Let me just say that it is much better than last week was. My mother is in a specialized nursing rehab center now after being in the hospital for a week. Getting her there was rather a nightmare and we were beginning to think that she would be kicked out as soon as she got there. At the hospital she clobbered a nurse who was helping me get her to the toilet for the first time. The next day when the people came to transfer her from the hospital to the nursing facility, a man asked her to put her arms around his neck so that he could lift her. She reached back and pulled his hair and then punched him in the face.
Last night she returned to normal--thank heavens! Yesterday my siblings got together to outline shifts so that someone to be with Mom at all waking hours. (We have all been with her for a week so we decided to "dive and conquer.) I was with Mom last night. As soon as I got there, they brought her dinner in. She was immediately concerned that the nurse hadn’t been thanked properly. I went out in the hall and thanked her. Mom was still concerned and asked that I be a hostess for her since she isn’t as mobile. Finally, I got her in a wheelchair and took her out so that she could thank the nurse for her kindness. After Mom hugged and thanked the nurse I decided to take her on a walk-about. We got to the end of the hall and Mom saw a lady staring out into the hallway. Mom said “hi” as we passed but then wanted me to go back. We went into Jerry’s room to visit. Mom kept wanting me to go downstairs to get Jerry some bottled peaches etc. (Everyone who knows Mom knows how she likes to feed people.) After about an hour, I saw another lady inching forward with her feet in her wheelchair. She stopped short of the door. I asked Jerry if I could invite her into her room as well and then went to get her. When I asked Thella if she wanted to join us she relied that, “she wasn’t wanted”. It was a really sad statement. I brought her in to Jerry’s room too. Mom kept wanting to feed the other ladies. I went running to the kitchen to get them food at Mom’s insistence—that they didn’t want—but it was cute to see Mom be herself again. On one of my errands, I asked the nurse if Jerry also had Alzheimer’s. The nurses said that I happened to have all 3 Alzheimer’s patients together. Anyway, they had a great time for 3 hours. Jerry told Mom us that she had been lonely so Mom rather saved the day on that one. Hurray for getting my Mother back! Keep up the prayers.
Dad is with mom at (this is Marilyn again) at church right now. They will be back soon. Mom is oblivious to the fact that she is in a care center. Yesterday we were sitting here and Garth said to mom, "Gee, mom, that is a really nice chair you have there. Where did you get it?" Mom looked at the chair and said, "Yes, it is nice! Where DID I GET IT?" She also mentioned that she was never going to go to any nursing homes/care centers. Thank goodness she doesn't know that she is IN one!I guess we can thank the Alzheimers for that!
Yesterday me and my siblings met and divided up shifts with her. We want someone to be with her all day everyday because she doesn't remember that she has limited abilities, so she will try to do things (like get up and go for a walk) without us and if she does it, she will likely break her hip on these hard floors, and then that may just make things worse. So we will have someone here from 8 am to 8pm every day. Makes my life busier, but "all these experiences shall be for thy good". I am supposed to learn a valuable lesson from this. So I hope I catch on fast! :)
What a week. Let me just say that it is much better than last week was. My mother is in a specialized nursing rehab center now after being in the hospital for a week. Getting her there was rather a nightmare and we were beginning to think that she would be kicked out as soon as she got there. At the hospital she clobbered a nurse who was helping me get her to the toilet for the first time. The next day when the people came to transfer her from the hospital to the nursing facility, a man asked her to put her arms around his neck so that he could lift her. She reached back and pulled his hair and then punched him in the face.
Last night she returned to normal--thank heavens! Yesterday my siblings got together to outline shifts so that someone to be with Mom at all waking hours. (We have all been with her for a week so we decided to "dive and conquer.) I was with Mom last night. As soon as I got there, they brought her dinner in. She was immediately concerned that the nurse hadn’t been thanked properly. I went out in the hall and thanked her. Mom was still concerned and asked that I be a hostess for her since she isn’t as mobile. Finally, I got her in a wheelchair and took her out so that she could thank the nurse for her kindness. After Mom hugged and thanked the nurse I decided to take her on a walk-about. We got to the end of the hall and Mom saw a lady staring out into the hallway. Mom said “hi” as we passed but then wanted me to go back. We went into Jerry’s room to visit. Mom kept wanting me to go downstairs to get Jerry some bottled peaches etc. (Everyone who knows Mom knows how she likes to feed people.) After about an hour, I saw another lady inching forward with her feet in her wheelchair. She stopped short of the door. I asked Jerry if I could invite her into her room as well and then went to get her. When I asked Thella if she wanted to join us she relied that, “she wasn’t wanted”. It was a really sad statement. I brought her in to Jerry’s room too. Mom kept wanting to feed the other ladies. I went running to the kitchen to get them food at Mom’s insistence—that they didn’t want—but it was cute to see Mom be herself again. On one of my errands, I asked the nurse if Jerry also had Alzheimer’s. The nurses said that I happened to have all 3 Alzheimer’s patients together. Anyway, they had a great time for 3 hours. Jerry told Mom us that she had been lonely so Mom rather saved the day on that one. Hurray for getting my Mother back! Keep up the prayers.
Dad is with mom at (this is Marilyn again) at church right now. They will be back soon. Mom is oblivious to the fact that she is in a care center. Yesterday we were sitting here and Garth said to mom, "Gee, mom, that is a really nice chair you have there. Where did you get it?" Mom looked at the chair and said, "Yes, it is nice! Where DID I GET IT?" She also mentioned that she was never going to go to any nursing homes/care centers. Thank goodness she doesn't know that she is IN one!I guess we can thank the Alzheimers for that!
Yesterday me and my siblings met and divided up shifts with her. We want someone to be with her all day everyday because she doesn't remember that she has limited abilities, so she will try to do things (like get up and go for a walk) without us and if she does it, she will likely break her hip on these hard floors, and then that may just make things worse. So we will have someone here from 8 am to 8pm every day. Makes my life busier, but "all these experiences shall be for thy good". I am supposed to learn a valuable lesson from this. So I hope I catch on fast! :)
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