Just checking in, really.
Things are pretty much status quo at the moment.
On the home front, I continue to clean and clear things, little bits at a time. I don’t mind it, really … there’s just SO MUCH. Bank statements from 2010. Things tucked and stashed and stored in every available space. It’s just a lot. Not much cleaning I’m doing is urgent, but it needs to be done eventually, and right now I’m just chipping away at things with an eye on making more usable space.
Dad: same-same. He spends his entire day in his recliner. To be honest, he doesn’t really mind that (as far as I can tell). If the weather would cooperate, we’d go out and sit on the back deck … but he leans toward cold always, so that can be unpleasant and not worth the effort. A warmer June would be awesome.
His aides are freaking amazing. Going from 2x day 9-1 and 5-9 to 24-hour coverage has meant shuffling around for the boss, extra shifts for the helpers, and trying to coordinate his care to fill in for what mom was responsible for during the times no one else was here. They keep good notes, they all have great attitudes, and they’ve come to know my parents personally, which I appreciate very much. It’s something that comes over time, and while it’s possible to have at a “facility,” this is a different relationship. It’s special. And that’s not lost on me.
Mom: tired. Therapy daily (one day off a week). She’s able to do some surprising things - move her legs and feet (she can’t feel it but she can brain and do it), pull toward herself with her arms (cannot push well/at all), drive her motorized chair with her “good” hand (which doesn’t grasp, but does obey commands). The big one - as people know in dealing with quality of life, is “bowel and bladder”. These are not independently handled. So … that’s a thing.
One of the therapists called last week and said her Discharge Date (dun dun DUN) is slated for June 20. Obviously that’s subject to change, depending on her progress, but perhaps they don’t foresee any more progress after that point? Maybe it’s a hard line for insurance? Anyway … The therapist pointed out that at her current level, she will need 24-hr care.
So.
There it is.
Will she improve between now and the 20th? Likely to some degree, albeit a mystery.
Will she be discharged to a quality facility who will work with her and she will continue to make strides? Possibly? Perhaps? Hopefully?
Will she ever return home?
No one knows.
If you’re reading this and have gone through similar situations (as SO many have), you know that this means Big Decisions Time.
Is it time for both of them to go somewhere? If she’s able to return home, that doesn’t mean she can go back to things the way they were before … meaning she’s not backup for the caregivers. Does she come home and HE leaves?
Thankfully, finances aren’t particularly a deciding factor.
Then again, that might make things easier.
How are we? In a pickle, really. And so it goes.
