So, I had this post partially typed up on my computer. Later in the afternoon I was sitting on the couch and finished it on my ipad and posted it. Even got 2 nice comments (thank you Linda and anonymous). Somehow the post is gone. The two comments are still in my "comments" on blogger, but not attached to a post now. How strange! Now I can't remember exactly what I typed to finish, but will do my best.
Then after I just posted this those two comments attached! I don't know what is going on. LOL.
It's only 3 pm Saturday but I am exhausted, LOL. My mom was supposed to go downstairs to the dining room for her first breakfast there. Of course, she didn't feel like it - again with the "I just don't feel quite well" thing. She didn't think she was going to feel like going shopping or anywhere. I got there a little after 10am. The first thing I did was look at her pill box. She missed last Monday and Thursday. How does she not see these are missed? at least when she goes to get the next day out and see's the previous day still in the box? And I ask her every day if she has taken them and she tells me yes. I told her this, too. I said we have to figure out a plan so that you are taking these every day and not missing any. I told her most likely she is not feeling well because she is missing doses of medication she needs!
Plus, that rash isn't too good. It's right in the crease of her leg and groin area. Still guessing it's maybe yeast infection. Jock itch and athletes foot is the same fungus as yeast infection, from what a doctor told me years ago. And she didn't use the yeast infection medicine at bedtime last night......SO FRUSTRATING!!!
I told her it will be good for her to get out of the apartment, she needs to, even if it's to just go for a drive. We don't have to get out and go inside anywhere, so we took her box of stuff for Goodwill and went there first. Drive up and give them box. Then we went to a store I had placed an order of chicken feed and stuff, again just drive up and pick up. She was feeling pretty much normal by then. After the 2 stops we pulled in Arby's and got some lunch and took it back to her apartment. When we were heading out they had shown her where the dining room is for dinner tonight. Hopefully she will remember and go. I'm calling her
(this is where I changed to my ipad, so I'm just winging it)
later to see if she went. I did call her around 6:30 and yes, she did go down to the dining room. Only a handful down there. She said a couple people came down but took their meals back to their apartments. But, she sounded good and glad she went. But, she's having a hard time remembering that for now she is only assigned to go on Saturdays.
When I got there I looked over her new health insurance info and got her card punched out of the plastic sheet and told her we needed to put in her purse. OMG! She likes to hide her purse because she thinks someone is going to steal it. We looked everywhere - twice (usually she puts in her closet). Finally found it in the hamper underneath stuff!
After lunch we found the laundry room on her floor, just down the hall a bit. There was another resident sitting in there waiting for her laundry to get done so we chatted with her a minute. When I talked to my mom last night she said the people she talked to in the dining room had lived there quite awhile. I said that must be good, they like it there then.
When I call her this morning I will tell her she has to open the pill box for Sunday while I'm on the phone and take the pills right then, if she hasn't already. I also had counted her omeprazole pills, that she leaves in bottle on her nightstand with glass of water. She says she always takes one right when she wakes up and doesn't want to use the pill box for that one, so now I'll know if she's actually remembering to take them. She is also down to 18 left, so she will need a dr. visit to get a refill on that one now, anyway.
Yes, things that treat athlete's foot are good for jock itch and yeast infections. Some things cannot be put on genitals, though. I have put my purse in the hamper, too. I wonder if thieves look there. I am glad you got her out of the house. Being in green helps, too. I often just want to sit in a park to get Tommy from just being in his dark house! We try to get out about four times a week and just sit in the greenness. Nature sure is healing. The med thing is a problem, for sure. But, I know you are on top of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure why she keeps moving her purse around, she hasn't needed it for anything for 2 weeks while stuck in apartment, haha.
DeleteHi, I'm a long time reader. Very sorry your mom is having problems but happy she has you nearby. It would be frustrating to not understand why your mom doesn't notice she misses some days of meds. It's like the difference between "simply forgetting TO unload the dishwasher" and "Forgetting HOW to unload the dishwasher." Some cognitive conditions not only cause memory lapses but cause thinking, planning and problem solving issues which interfer with daily life. We forget to take our meds once in awhile and then see yesterday's med in the case and make a plan to not forget tomorrow. For those with cognitive problems it doesn't even register with them that they are forgetting to take their meds, even if it's pointed out to them repeatedly. It's sad, it's not something they have control over or can improve on their own. Even prompts like post-it notes, or a daily phone call reminder may not be enough. Like you have planned, it may be time to have someone come in to help your mom with her meds. Best wishes to you and your mom.
ReplyDeleteyou are so right. I see she even taped a note to her fridge that says "pills". I have a list of her meds and when to take taped to her bathroom mirror. None register. For the most part she hasn't forgotten the "how" on most things. Just no ability now to process and remember to actually do it.
DeleteOne,
DeleteThat is why there is no stove or cooktop. She would know how to turn it on but not to hide her purse in there.
exactly. It is hard though, sometimes, to know what to say when she will make a comment that she thinks she should have kitchen stove. I think she hides her purse because she knows the housekeepers come in once a week...but the ironic part is they do the bedding and bath laundry so I could just see them accidentally grabbing her purse with towels, LOL.
DeleteI am a nurse who does homecare and not to be negative but this may just be the beginnings of her needing more help. I don't think she can help or understand about missing her meds. You could try some other reminder things but they may not work. I think you'll probably end up needing to go there at least weekly. Thank goodness you maybe have a lead to a medication assistance agency. Best wishes, aging is tough. Thank goodness she's closer now.
ReplyDeletethanks for your comments (not negative at all). Definitely the beginnings of needed more help. I can at least fill up her pill box weekly, but can't see her every day in person to make sure she's taking. I think you are right - the other med reminder systems probably won't work either. She'll get the reminder (like my uncle uses Alexa) but then 2 minutes later forget about it and not take them right away.
DeleteMaybe you should point out that the housekeepers empty the hamper and encourage her to hide it in a dresser drawer. I doubt she needs to hide it, but I understand. And, the housekeepers would not have a problem finding it if they wanted to find it.
ReplyDeleteI know right! She even said she has no idea why she put it there to hide. In her old apartment she put it on the floor of her closet with something over it.
DeleteYeast infections can be unpleasant. I hope she's feeling better now that you've seen a doctor. I had to smile though at her hiding her purse. My grandma did that too but I reckon it was to hide the bottle of brandy she kept in there to take a sip out of "for medicinal purposes only"!
ReplyDeleteshe mentioned hiding it there yesterday that she thought it was a good place - I reminded her that the housekeepers might accidentally take it with towels!
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