Mom Update

Wow, where did the weekend go? 

On Friday we received a visit from the home health agency.  They will provide my mom with OT, PT and speech as well as help with bathing.   Baths are a problem right now.  Both of our bathrooms downstairs have small doors....32".  Not wide enough for a wheelchair.  Why was it designed that way?  Both of the bathrooms upstairs have 36" doors and could accommodate a wheelchair.  Next week a bathroom guru is coming to look at our dilemma.

Ha, no pictures this morning as I washed my moms hair.....in the kitchen with her wheelchair reclined and a Hefty trash bag wrapped around her neck and trailing into a trash bag.  It worked, my mom has super clean hair and didn't drown in the process.

The home health will only come for 9 weeks.  After that we are on our own.  There is a long term home care program through Medicaid.  My moms Medicaid for South Carolina expired once she applied in Texas.  So we get to apply all over again.  Once we get approved (she definitely meets the income limits) then we can go on the list for long term home care.  The list is 6-8 months long!  It could be 8-10 months before she can receive their services.  I told them that they made it easier to put the elderly in nursing homes and they agreed.  Sad.

The hospital bed arrived on Friday as well.  Now I don't have to worry about my mom falling and breaking something.  We also requested a portable toilet and should get that on Monday.  The nursing home told me that my mom was totally incontinent.  Well, apparently not.  She asked to go to the bathroom and I had no way to get her to one.  She said that at the nursing home they wouldn't take her to the bathroom, told her to use her Depends.  I suspect that they don't have enough people to take everyone to the bathroom.  Uh, but how dehumanizing to have everyone go in their pants.

The nurse wanted to see how my moms' dementia was.  She asked her the year and my mom responded that it was 1921.  She then asked her where she was and my mom responded that she was at her daughters house and gave my whole name.  My mom does have some dementia issues but is very aware as well.  Friday night as I was putting her to bed I told her that I was going to work on a paper that was due at midnight.  The next morning my mom asked me if I finished my paper.  Sometimes she is right on and then other days she mentions things that are way off.

My mom appeared sad today and I asked her if she was missing the people at the nursing home.  She said yes.  I then asked her if I should have left her there and she quickly responded no.  I can understand, she is missing the relationships but not the place.  It will take some time to get adjusted to the new living arrangement.

Mom has also decided that she wants her room painted orange......I brought a hundred color strips home so she can pick a color.  We will see what we end up with.