While I was at my mom's cleaning yesterday, I replaced the batteries in the one camera. Well! She had for the first time in the 6 months or so I've had the cameras, she found that one that was on the shelf under her tv. It appears during one of her times to unplug everything from the back of the tv cable box, she picked up the taped down little camera and set it on her desk. (this was sometime in the last few days, after the battery died on me). I also went ahead and replaced the batteries in the camera up on her kitchen cabinet. They are probably getting close to wearing out, too, so at least I know I'm good to go now with them for a couple months. I also moved it a little bit so that while I can still see her recliner, I can also see her entrance door all the way now. After I plugged her tv cables back in I realized her remote control isn't next to her chair. I looked around some for it, but didn't find it and by then I was ready to get out of there. I left K a message that I plugged her tv in and if she happens to come across the remote to set it next to her chair, please.
I also am going to try a little "trick" with her heater. I mentioned recently she keeps turning it off completely when she goes downstairs or goes to bed. Too chilly! So, I put some tape over the Off button (just a flat type button) and took a black sharpie she had in her desk and covered over it. So, now all's she sees is "heat" "cool" and the up/down to adjust the temperature. Hopefully now she won't turn it all the way off, so it won't get so cold and she won't walk back into her apartment and turn it up to 90 because it's cold. When I put the little camera's back, after changing batteries, I adjusted the one under her tv a bit so that it more faces towards her kitchen and door. I can still totally see her in her recliner, but now I can also see the door fully.
So far so good last night and this morning. She fell asleep in her recliner around for awhile last evening and then got up and went to bed at 8:40. I had thought she shut her bedroom light out too quickly to have changed into her nightgown and from this mornings video clip I see she took her jeans off but slept in her top. K got her up this morning and dressed, so no issues this morning, thankfully.
Early this evening is our town's first ever Christmas lighting event, so I think we are going to go see that. There is a huge tree in front of the courthouse on "main street" and all the business's on the street have put up lights, too as well as the bridge over the river. There is going to be a Santa, hot cocoa and cookies, 4-H selling wreaths (wish I had known that before I bought the ones at Lowes, but I'll remember that for next year), and sleigh rides (perfect as we have snow).
It's -1 degree out this morning. I have to take a walk to the mailbox to leave outgoing mail. Time to get my long underwear on. Oh, and Mr. sent dh an email last night/this morning. Their son's dang dogs caused a fight between 2 of their dogs. This happens at some point every time their dogs are staying here. The whole dynamic of 5 dogs just messes with their own dogs routine so much. I would not put up with it and it's awful that they allow this to happen to their dogs. I don't know how much they have spent in vet bills over the years dealing with this. With that dump of snow we had, their DIL's car was sitting in the driveway covered in almost a foot of snow. Do you think this fully able late 30's lady could go out and clean it off? No....her almost 73 mother in law (Mrs Neighbor) was out there with a broom cleaning it off.
Dh was really impressed with our new snow tires yesterday, so that is good.
Do you think your mother would be agreeable to you changing out her underwear to disposable ones? This will happen when she gets to memory care. It might keep the major “blowouts” from causing so much damage due to leakage. Also as urinary incontinence rears it’s ugly head it will protect the furniture in her room and in the facility common areas. There are some very nice ones available and the trick is to take all of her underwear out so she forgets she ever wore anything but the disposables.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous has a very good idea; disposable underwear. I think my own mother ( who was sound of mind till the end ) would have been very glad to have had them in her later years when these accidents were beyond her control.
ReplyDeleteYou get plenty of mental exercise trying to stay ahead of your mother! Maybe the tape and marker will work for the heat.
ReplyDeleteYour town celebration sounds really nice and picturesque. Imagine--sleigh rides.
Next door sounds like animal abuse. It must keep all the dogs confused. Imagine letting your mil clean off the snow from the car! The woman probably waits on all the kids and their parents hand and foot the whole time they are there.
The neighbor's family sounds like a nightmare. I echo the disposable underwear idea. Sadly, it might come to all of us, but preserves dignity.
ReplyDeleteIn my first call with K she mentioned the possible future need for disposable underwear but honestly I worry that with no one to watch over mom f/t that she will get confused what to do with them, try to flush them, put them in a bathroom drawer, etc. I'm sure once she gets to memory care they will probably use them. At this point I'm just going with what K recommends for her.
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