Caregiving: and more dog days of summer

     Not all weather related anecdotes are foreboding.

     “Drink plenty of liquids” seems to have replaced ‘an apple a day’ as the proverbial health mantra. 

     Patti, for whatever reasons, has begun to consume less and less fluids over the last few years.  Maybe dysphagia, or maybe a combination of symptoms, who knows? You need to consciously monitor her liquid intake.

     The other night at her care facility I could only laugh at an exchange between Patti and medication nurse over bedtime meds.

     Nurse: “Patti don’t I keep telling you that you’ve got to drink more liquids. Look, I’ve even gotten you a different flavor juice to take them with!”

     She takes a minimal sip of the cranberry juice to swallow the pills.       

     Patti: (handing back the juice) “And don’t I keep telling you - that if you got me a wine cooler, I’d gladly drink it all down!”