Friday, October 22, 2004

A Day In The Life


A Day In The Life


... up, cleaned and dressed by staff for breakfast.

... prayer gathering/ Bible Study

... roll across facility to visit and hang out at hair salon

... Depends change and clean up by staff

... lunch

... clothing change by staff  

... visit by cousin and aunt. Out for ride and treats.

... bingo

... Depends change and clean up by staff

... physical therapy

... social time / hanging out in common area

... 4 PM picked up / home for dinner


... quick stop at grocery store with Patti, something she seems to enjoy these days.

Nothing takes the edge off a drizzly October day/evening for either people or cats than some quality time in front of the fire.
              
I’ve often referred to Patti’s problems with choking and need to prepare and monitor meals. The chocolate cream pie dessert needed no cutting into small pieces <grin> of course you still have to slow down Patti’s inhalation of such a treat.

... then back to 24/7 care for bed by 7 PM. Patti was soooo tired as she realized she had missed her daily nap as her schedule had been so full while discussing and preparing this post. <grin> Schedule compiled from both independently confirmed details and Patti’s memory (questionable but probably correct within a day or two) <grin>.

... staff gave Patti her PM meds. I got her physically into bed for them to facilitate Patti getting to bed early.

... Patti cleaned up, Depends changed, and dressed for bed while in bed by staff

... 7:30 PM 'lights out'

In contrast just 6 months ago in the last month of homecare a typical day would have involved her sleeping in till late morning as no reason to wake her. Patti asleep enabled me to accomplish household chores, etc. Lunch would almost immediately have been followed by a nap as Patti would be bored. Blocks of unattended time necessitated by errands, work, or parenting would be filled with falls, frustration, at-risk behavior, or extreme messes resulting from bowel or bladder accidents. Visitors were rare. Loneliness and isolation were the norm. Caregiving was a solo juggling act failing with increasing progression.

2 comments:

  1. Hi, thanks for a very nice "day in the life" I loved the photos.  We were up to visit Patti this evening, the nurse came in and asked Patti to please stay in her room for a few days...it seems she is catching a cold, I did notice she sounded very thick in the throat when she spoke. We waited in her room until her dinner was served, I asked the girl to please make sure Patti's food was cut in small pieces.
    I doubt Patti will remember to stay in her room but she was told to do that just for 2 or 3 days.

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  2. How strange about the 'cold quarantine'? Yet they really don’t have a choice do they? Interestingly Patti did not have a single sneeze, cough, or sniffle when home the evening before.

    Of course she was out with Rob and Betty earlier in the day, and I did have her out at the grocery store. … and even though vaccinated for the Flu, MS is an immune system disease.

    I wish them luck getting Patti to ‘remember’ to stay in her room. <GRIN> They’ll have to attach a bungee cord to her wheel chair.

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