Preparing for the "Hail and Farewell"

I've been with Mom for three weeks now, two more to go. The therapists are preparing to "discharge" her, so the home visits will probably stop at the end of the month. We are actively looking for a Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) to stay with her after I leave. We met with the social worker this afternoon, and she was able to give us a great deal of information about our options now and for later. We also have a meeting with the assessment nurse for a care agency on Tuesday.

As I said in an earlier post, progress is not linear. It seems that it is a great effort for mom to stay focused in the present and converse with visitors. Yesterday, the case manager came for a longish visit, and then mom's friend Francoise came for an hour so I could go to the beach for the first time this visit. Last night and all day today until dinnertime, mom was sleepy - she does this like a screensaver, to "idle" without actually being asleep in bed. I was very concerned, because she wasn't hungry and wouldn't drink any water.

But at 4 p.m. she "woke up" and remained alert and conversational through the evening news, dinner, and the second half of the movie "Seabiscuit". Go figure! She said she wants to get better as fast as possible; I told her the way to do that was to drink lots of water! Dehydration makes people sleepy, confused and forgetful. She needs water to flush all her pills through her system, too, and good meals to keep her strong.

I think I'm beginning to burn out. I've been "doing" Mom and Mary 24/7 for three weeks with only a couple of hours a week off for grocery shopping and my Weight Watchers meetings. Fortunately, I'm able to take time off this weekend to do some fun things. I'm going on Saturday to the "Made in Hawaii" craft fair, and on Sunday I'll be having brunch with Aunt Jo at her retirement home, Pohai Nani. And once the home care aide begins and I've had a chance to coach her in the household routines, quirks, and preferences, I'll be able to take more time off the week before I return to Sacramento.