You may have heard on the news Yellowstone Park is closed to do flooding and roads washed out, etc. It's a mess. Of course lots of people who had vacations planned are having to cancel.
One of those who had a vacation planned to go there is our Mrs. Neighbor! Last Thursday her daughter and granddaughter flew up (I think they live in Texas). They were to go to Yellowstone (not sure when they were leaving for Yellowstone, yesterday maybe?) as a "girls trip". Well, of course there is no way to go now. Mrs. called their hotel reservations and cancelled. Well, I guess her daughter is now throwing an absolute fit about it! Saying she couldn't afford to come up here in the first place and now the trip is canceled and there's nothing to do here for the rest of their stay, etc. Mr. was outside telling dh about it - he said "it's a war zone in the house (she's actually his step daughter), so that's why I'm out here". What in the heck?! It's an act of mother nature, it is what it is. Enjoy the rest of your time here visiting your parents and going to do some other sight seeing. Do some online searching and find a bed and breakfast place they would go spend a few days at. Or just go take a drive up north and across the state and stop at hotels to stay the night. Or just go home then, if you are going to be that much of a bitch, is what I'd say! At least though, since the daughter and granddaughter have been here for almost a week, so far, they are very quiet guests. You don't even know they are there, unlike their son and his family.
I had a good call with the gal at the assisted living place. She is the same person I talked to 2 years ago, when I was trying to decide where to move mom. She still had notes on my call. I said, yes, I'm sure I did call back then! I'm also impressed that she still works there. People seem to change jobs so often and places have turnover, so it must be a good place to work. I just explained to her the point mom is at and she said it definitely sounds like she would benefit from assisted living, especially since I am having to assist her (with the calls) on a daily basis. I am going to do a tour when I go in Saturday morning. She said they do have alcove apartments available. Once a $500 deposit is put to hold it, they can then have their head nurse do her assessment to see what level of care she would require (ie more money LOL). She said that I can either bring mom there to do the assessment or since they are right next door, the nurse can also go to mom's current apartment and do it there. I'll decide which way I think would be best, after I've done the tour and made a decision. Since there isn't a waiting list, I'm leaning towards around August 1st. She did tell me, (I had not looked it up or asked her place yet) her current place does require a 30 day move out notice, so that is also good to know. She said the 2 facilities are very similar in layout and activities, so mom would probably adjust pretty quickly. She said they also do all their laundry weekly, so that would also be a big help to me.
If I decide to move her to this place, I'm thinking August. We are on vacation at the end of this month and then I have that trip mid July to the office meeting. I'll just have to start wrapping my brain around getting a move coordinated. Hire movers, get everything packed. Just figure out the timing of it all. Figure out how to get rid of the stuff I'm not moving to a new place. I don't think packing would really take me too long. When I got to her previous senior living apartment 2 years ago to move her, she had hardly packed at all. I had it all packed up in 2-3 hours, if I recall. I could also hire the moving company to pack it all up, too. That may be the best way to go. I also found online a charity in the city that will pick up donations, so they could pick up her desk, filing cabinets and tv stand and anything else I don't move. One step at a time.
I mentioned in yesterday's post that mom was up and to breakfast all on her own. It got even better. She got back from dinner a little after 6. I have her med dispenser set to chime at 6:30, but the button can be pushed up to a half hour before that. At 6:15 I'm watching her come out of her bedroom/bathroom area and she walks over to the dispenser, pushes the button to dispense the pills, pours the pills out of the little cup in her hand AND then she put the cup back! AND then she walked right over to the sink and took them! What?! I was floored. I was also happy to have gotten a break from calling her about breakfast and pills yesterday.
Then this morning she is up and to breakfast on her own again!
Oh, and last night at 10pm neighbor's annoying son and family showed up. No clue how long they are staying, but I assume a week or two. Ugh.... but it's supposed to be crappy rainy weather yet again this weekend, so maybe that will keep them inside.
So many changes!! Interesting that your mom is having some moments of clarity too. As for the neighbours, good grief. You live in a beautiul state, probably doesn't take a long drive to get to somewhere super nice. The daughter could easily have made alternate plans, the US is full of beautiful places!!
ReplyDeleteExactly, or even drive an hour or so from here and you can be in Idaho and do something. I'm probably being optimistic but maybe the new med, Aricept, she has started taking is helping. Info I read on it says it "can" help people with awareness and the ability to function. She's been on it 11 days now. Info I read says if it will help it can take up to a few weeks or even more. It will also be interesting to see how she does after her dr. appt on 7/21 where dr will probably double the dosage.
DeleteSpeaking from experience having the nurse assess your mom where she is living now might be better/less disruptive.
ReplyDeletethat's exactly what I was thinking when she said that! Plus, I think it would be good for the nurse to assess her in her own environment/normal conditions. Not confused or anxious to be someplace else.
DeleteIf the neighbours' daughter is throwing such a hissy fit about something that can't be helped, it makes you wonder what check-in assistants etc. get when flights are cancelled because of bad weather doesn't it. Not a job I could do!
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. You should see some of the Yellowstone facebook pages. People complaining all over the place.
DeleteI can certainly understand being disappointed about a vacation at Yellowstone being cancelled but call it an act of God or Mother Natures best but it happened. Shake yourself off, put on your big girl panties and find something else to do with your time. There is so much beauty in the US. Devils Tower was a favorite for us. We walked around it and listened to the wind in the trees. It was surreal. I really do not get people. Meanwhile, your mom is showing signs of clarity and taking her meds on her own and remembering that the cup goes back. It sounds like the new medicine might be helping her already. I certainly hope so. Even if she moves, maybe it will help her understand better and adjust to her new location. I hope she continues to improve, for both your sakes. Ranee (MN)
ReplyDeleteI hope mom's clarity yesterday and again this morning isn't a fluke. I'll guess time will tell! I'm trying to to get my hopes up too high. I've always said if a person is "bored", well then they are boring, LOL. A person can always find something to do with their time.
DeleteThe son and his family are out of control and the daughter is making life miserable for everyone. It makes you wonder how the parents reared them. It's not like she can kick up enough dust and be allowed into Yellowstone.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost like your mother does not have dementia at all some days. I hope she continues to at least remain able to take her medicine without your input every day. I wonder how often she is confused when she is out of her apartment. Have you any clue as to how she is with your friend watching TV?
I listened day after day as my neighbor with Alzheimer's was berated by her boyfriend for not remembering. This went on all the time. I figured he came to visit for one thing only. They sat on her porch part of his visit where I could hear them when I was in bed, so I was not just eavesdropping. Plus, I would hear his nastiness as I would get out of the car or go to the car.
It sure does make you wonder how they were raised, obviously, if the son is any indication he was raised to never be told no, LOL. That is sad about your neighbor. I know the few times dd and I were around mom's BF the last couple of years, we did not like how snippy he was with her.
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