We're BAAAACK

Well, we went away for 2 weeks to a lovely paradise in Vermont on a small lake...we were totally prepared, we thought, for leaving the old folks home "alone".  We took our dog.  That was the important step.  Dad really can't control him, and Mom likes to let him out.  Since Dad doesn't always watch Mom, you can see how this might be a problem.  We don't have a fenced in yard, and we live on a really busy street!  Dad was upset we were taking him, but we didn't care.  It worked out well for everyone concerned, except for Mom.

According to Dad, Mom wandered around all the time, looking for Santana.  Mom and Santana have a great relationship.  Mom gets food from Dad.  Mom gives her food to Santana.  Santana doesn't tattle, and Dad thinks Mom ate the food.  Of course, Mom missed Santana!

Next step was to send an email with all of everyone's contact information, including the land line for Vermont (baaaad cell service there!).  We included our next door neighbors, and other important folks that could drop everything and come to the 'rents' rescue if need be.  We left a hard copy on the counter.  Did Dad, however, use this list?  Did he recognize the difference between an emergency and a regular occurrence?

You all know the answer to that one!  No!  I've written about Mom's afternoon issues before (see past blog entries).  Mom regularly annoyed Dad with questions at that time of day.  Dad often felt it was an emergency, and went to the neighbors for help with Mom.  We are so LUCKY to have such wonderful neighbors who went along, even though struggling with their own serious (and REAL) emergencies!!  Dad never called the numbers listed for immediate family.  He felt it was easier to bother folks...easier than getting out the book we made for Mom to go through when that time of day hits heavily.  Preparation for leaving also included making sure the book was on Mom's dresser - easily found.

We also left a list (short!) of reminders about the house.  Simple things, like lock the doors when you leave (front and back).  Make sure the faucet isn't dripping.  Don't use the oven unless someone else is here.  That was a hit.  It worked, as far as we know.  The house was standing when we got home.  We'll see about the faucet when we get the water bill.

Fortunately, I am still in Vermontland in my head, so today at the diner, I had a conversation with Dad to prepare for future times away.  We worked out the details of who to contact when it really is an emergency, what an emergency is.  We talked about who failed in the process...who should not be relied on, in other words.  It was very calm and relaxed.  I sort of felt like I was in some sort of Twilight Zone!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Significant change...

So much to talk about, as we leave this year behind...my parents will be with us for the foreseeable future, which is a big change.  We always depended upon the freedom of the New Year, as they left for sunshine and warmth.  Because of the significant changes with Mom, and Dad's real inability to deal with them, they won't be going south.  Dad thinks they may be able to "just go for a week or two" sometime in the spring.  I think, though, he doesn't really anticipate he can handle Mom.  So we'll see how that goes. Christmas was a good day for most of the day.  Mom was pretty lost by the end of the day.  She really tried to keep it going, but with all the little ones, and big ones, she was done by about 7.  One of her gifts - probably her favorite gift - was a Groucho Marx set of glasses, with the 'stache and all.  There was even a wind up thingy that made the 'stache and eyebrows move!  Miah sure knows how to get her going - he also go...
Read more

Some updating is in order

So Dad has come home from his surgical adventures.  He's been here since Tuesday evening.  He alternates between, "I feel good today, slept good" and "Oh my leg, oh my butt, I hurt".  At times, these comments happen one after another. First night was a trip.  To another world...the world of old people in your house that can't do things for themselves.  I do mean "can't".  It just wasn't physically possible for Dad to do much that first night.  Mom, as we know, has her own issues, but does follow directions when given 1 at a time. Dad uses the walker around the house, the cane to go up the stairs.  Jeremiah was here to fix him hotdogs when he got home so he had dinner.  Mom was out having pizza with her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, as  it was a Tuesday night.  This was good.  Dad got lots of attention until Mom came home with my aunt and uncle.  They stayed a while and visited.  Dad told them how good he felt,...
Read more

Hospital history

So Mom is going to have a covered stent put in to circumvent the blockage that may have/likely caused the 2 strokes in Disney in May.  Dad scheduled the procedure on the day I have to be back at work, but no worries - he'll get company while waiting.  She's going in around 10, in the morning, I think.  She should be home by evening.  Let's hope so, because if she has to stay overnight, the staff will also have my Dad to cope with. In Florida, he stayed in the hospital room with her, fell out of bed and broke a bone in his arm/shoulder (still don't know which, but know he was in a sling for over a month).  While he was "watching her", she got up out of her bed, took all of her leads off (you know, the ones that give the docs and nurses all those readings for BP, heart rate).  She got into her clothes, packed her bag (with all of the leads), and walked to the elevator.  As she got to the elevator, she asked a hospital employee which floor she was on, a...
Read more