Dang it's cold out! -5 degrees (I tried to make a degree symbol but how google says to do it didn't work). Yesterday at 5 we drove into town to watch the first Christmas tree lighting. There were a lot of people! That was neat to see. Since it was a whole 11 degrees outside, thankfully we got there just before the trees got lit up, so we didn't have to wait too long. That was probably the longest I have been out in super cold with the snow boots I bought last year and I'm happy they kept my feet warm. They had lights in all the big trees on 2 blocks, plus all the building. I thought maybe they were doing the bridge across the river, but I suppose no power there. But they did have some big huge wreaths with some lights (must be battery).
DH got the inflatables put up. That Bumble is huge! LOL. I like it :)
Sometime last evening mom laid her clock/calendar face down again. I texted K this morning just a couple minutes before she got to her apartment to ask her to set it upright so she's aware of the time during the day. I also told her it looks like mom went to bed in her clothes again last night. She went to bed at 8. Like I said earlier, I'll take her sleeping in her clothes over wandering and calling me at midnight. She hasn't had any more wandering/late night restless since last Monday, thankfully.
Mom has several cardigan type sweaters that she wears often. She also has this "sweater set" that is a sweater top and cardigan in one. Awhile back she must have pulled it out of her closet of clothes and seems to put it on over her top every so often. Only now she can't seem to figure out how to get it on anymore. She put it on after she got back from breakfast and headed downstairs, only I could tell it wsn't on right. Later another resident was sweet enough to come back up to her apartment with her and got it on her correctly.
K responded to my text this morning about her clock with a thumbs up, but then never uprighted it. After mom went down for breakfast I texted K again, mentioning the sweater set and asked her to please hide it out of mom's sight and I'll take it with me next visit, as she is having too much trouble getting it on and she has plenty of other sweaters to wear. I'm hoping that will remind her she needs to go back to mom's room to upright the clock! I have tried to get mom to upright it before and when she finally does understand what I am talking about she doesn't understand how to pull out the little stand in the back.
I mailed a $500 deposit to be on the "Prority waitlist" for the memory care place. Let's hope it happens sooner rather than later. They have 2 room type options in memory care. Both are studio sized rooms, one with a private bath and one with a shared bath in between. At this point either is fine with me. She's soon going to be to the point she won't realize it's a shared bath anyway. The shared bath room is $700 a month cheaper than the private bath.
Tomorrow I'm calling a carpet cleaning company to go in and finish cleaning mom's bedroom carpet. It was recommended by the assist. mgr I talked with Friday. I'm hoping I can just pay over the phone or mail out a check for it and then they can go take care of it when they can schedule it. If I knew she was going to be able to move soon, I'd just wait and do it closer to that time, in case we have more accidents to clean up, but since it sounds like it will be 3-4 months I'll get it done now.
Ok, I'm annoyed that K didn't take 3 seconds and set that clock upright while she was in mom's apartment getting her to put clean clothes on for the day :( I bought 2 $100 Amazon gift cards to send to her and the other lady for a Christmas gift. K told me Friday she just hired another person to help with everyone they work for there where mom lives and will start training her (next week I think she said). So...do I get another card for this person? I kind of don't feel like someone who will have only worked with mom maybe 2-3 weeks deserves a $100 gift card....C has been helping mom since June (she was the other caregiver company owner's employee and K kept her on when she took over the business), but do I leave this new person out or get them something like $25?
I'd do a token gift for new person. It's probably my scepticism at human nature, but her getting a gift even after a short time might help ensure she prioritizes your requests for your mom's needs. The grandpup has a strong dislike of inflatables. Other yard decorations have been ignored but he hates those. Maybe the movement in the wind scares him.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point, I'll do something smaller for her
DeleteDon't be annoyed with K about the clock or any other minor issue, she probably just forgot. I'm saying this from the perspective of being an ICU nurse and having worked in nursing homes while I was attending Nursing School. I know from experience how busy and involved one can get providing care and forget some small task. Look at the big picture. That K gets your mother up, showered, dressed and down to breakfast, and jollies her into doing it, is a major accomplishment. People like K and others who provide outstanding direct patient care are a blessing. Your mother's life, and yours, would be so much worse without K and the other helpers. K seems very kind, professional and reliable.
ReplyDeleteShe is all that and I'm not really annoyed at her, per se, just more that she was literally reading my text as she walked into mom's apt and it would have been so quick and easy to set it upright.
DeleteThe lights over the bridge would have been very pretty. I have never been in that low temp, even if I were indoors. I just write 5F. I could not get the degree to work either.
ReplyDeleteI hope there is no objection to your having cameras in the memory place. They certainly are helpful.
Agreed that getting your mother in the place is important. But, I thinnk she would notice that someone else was in her bathroom. I would want her in a private room. Otherwise, you and she will have to deal with someone else's memory problems, too. But, getting her in is the most important part.
I would just give the new woman $25. I am quite sure she will understand that she is very new.
That inflatable is very large!
I'm not too worried about having camera's once she's in memory care. I may put one of them in, if allowed, but they are now there mostly so I can try to help oversee her and that hopefully won't be necessary once in m/c. I think $25 sounds like a good amount.
DeleteIt's so difficult dealing with a loved one--especially at a distance--who has memory issues. I'm sure once she gets into the memory care unit things will be better for both of you. On a side note, I can't even imagine being in -5 degree weather! eeekkk
ReplyDeleteIf I lived closer than almost 50 miles from where my mom is, it sure would be easier, but that is the very closest I can get her to where I live. I keep reminding myself at least she was willing to move here, otherwise I'd be trying to deal with this 450 miles away. -5 or +5 at that point it all pretty much just feels COLD LOL.
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