Mom's a champ!

Mom was feeling pretty good after dinner tonight, and consented to be photographed. After 9 days with her, I've figured out a daily routine, and a tentative plan to keep her in bed all night - we watch exciting movies (Cabaret, Chicago) after a dinner that involved stimulating company or a couple cups of tea. AND I hang a bell on her walker so I'll hear her if she gets up in the wee hours. I have to be really careful, because she slipped the other day in the bathroom and flayed a strip of skin off the back of one arm. No other injuries except to her pride, thank goodness!

I've learned how to operate her wheelchair, and so another problem is solved: how to take a daily walk. I'll just strap her into her chariot, and we'll "holoholo" around the block. I'll get my exercise, and she can see what's been going on in the neighborhood.

Tomorrow, the plumber and electrician are coming to rip out the old toilet and bathroom sink and install a commode with a bidet and a more modern sink with arthritis-friendly fixtures - and maybe find out why there is so much air in the hot water line that when we turn on the hot faucet, the house sounds like it's coming down. This should pose no more than the usual activity around here - she has four, count'em, four therapists and aides coming a couple time a week each, so except for Saturdays and Sundays, there is always one or more visitors.

Laurel went home today, and Patrick picked her up at the airport. How nice it is to have kids old enough to be of real help! Marty has been in London for five days, and will be arriving home tomorrow evening. Pat's been staying in our apartment to feed the fish and water the plants. Tomorrow he will have to return the car keys and sleep at his own house again.

Learning the ropes again

After four days on the job, I'm still finding my routine and fine-tuning the workflow; I don't know, for example, what days the trash is picked up!

It looks like the best time for me to go online is late evening, after mother goes to bed. The computer hookup is in a place where I can't see what mother is doing. Although she's supposed to be supervised when moving around, she managed to get to the bathroom, change out of her nightgown and get dressed before I even knew she was up! This shocked the occupational therapist this afternoon, so I guess I'd better not take any more chances.

But lest you think she's back to normal, she still has trouble with aphasia - some days more than others - and she spends a lot of the day sleeping in her chair on the patio. It's a struggle to get her to stand up and walk, with her walker, anywhere, including the bathroom. She just doesn't seem to realize how long it is taking her to perform even one simple task like walking 20 feet to the bathroom. I've discovered that I need to roust her every two hours on some pretext or other that can only be addressed after she visits the restroom.

Today the occupational therapist, Clyde, came to make an evaluative visit. He thinks she has very good use of the hand affected by the stroke, and he said he will recommend that his partner, Renee, come to help mom learn techniques to help her with personal hygiene, like bathing, grooming, and toileting. He approved of the minor - well, really major - remodeling of the old bathroom, and made one small recommendation for the placement of a towel/grab bar closer to the bathroom sink.

Tomorrow, the physical therapist, Laurie, will come. There's going to be a parade of therapists in and out of here for the next six weeks - nothing like keeping busy!