Mom’s update November 30, 2011
I started the day with mom today. She was crying a lot when she saw me. I almost couldn’t console her. I finally put the TV on as a distraction and it worked. She watched Cyndi Lauper on Good Morning America sing Christmas Carols (Whatever gets the job done!). From that moment one she was in a good mood. She took a long time to eat her breakfast this morning. I brought her turkey kielbasa (low fat/ low sodium – YUM!) After she ate her eggs and kielbasa she said, “Where is my breakfast? They didn’t give me anything.” It is times like that where I get scared. She really didn’t remember eating. She was OK when I told her she had eaten. She thought for a while and then said, “Oh, yea.” Today was the best I ever saw her with transferring from the bed to the wheel chair. The CNA’s were amazed. She swung her legs off the bed and pulled herself up. She stood and actually lifted her feet to pivot! She also did well in the bathroom. I had to leave to get to work.
Anthony called her on his way there and she told him to hurry because they were looking for her to practice with the car. Anthony came next. He put her jacket on her and wheeled her downstairs. Her OT had a meeting so they had to practice with the car at 1:30. They sat outside for a while and then went upstairs for lunch. The OT and PT helped her in the car once. She did it better today than yesterday. After they helped her in and out of the car they went back inside. Anthony called dad later and he told him that they didn’t take her for OT and PT. I guess one time in and out constitutes OT/PT! I am going to talk to them tomorrow.
Dad stayed with mom all afternoon and into the evening until John came. He said mom wrote today in her book and they watched movies.
Kathy talked to the social worker. We were trying to find out if we could take mom home on Friday without waiting for the social service nurse to release her. The nurse (who is THE ONLY nurse for Medicaid discharge in Suffolk County – this is not a typo! She is THE ONLY nurse) was on vacation last week and out today. She is very backed up. What does this mean? We can have all the equipment, a commitment from the home health care agency for an aide, and all of her paperwork at the facility done AND we can’t take her home. If we decide to “sign her out” and take her home…we lose the facility case worker and start the entire process over from the beginning and have to learn how to get the Medicaid services by ourselves (new evaluation from the same nurse – which will take 4 weeks to get an appointment for the evaluation – we also have to wait for an agency then and may not get the same amt. of services! AAAAHHHHH!) This whole process is so frustrating. The facility social worker is getting to work early tomorrow to call the nurse to see if she can get the OK to release mom on Friday. We will let all of you know the minute we know. Please keep praying.
John went to mom in the evening. He said mom is scared to come home and she told him, “What if I can’t do things?” John said, “First of all there is no can’t, you have to practice. As soon as your able to you will do what you have to.” John and mom played dominos. Mom asked, “How do you know when you are done?” John said, “We aren’t really playing, we are just matching up tiles.” She was content in that answer. John made her clean up the tiles. He knew that she would like this type of organized task of placing the tiles in a pattern in the box. Ava called and spoke to mom for a while. Ava told mom that she went to a basketball game. John said mom asked very relevant questions (Who did you go with? Where was the game? Did you have fun?) They talked for a long time. John said her dinner wasn’t very appetizing. He thought it looked gross and mom didn’t even want it. John convinced her to have her fruit. They watched King of Queens and mom laughed! Mom was put into bed and John stayed with her. He kissed her goodnight and left.
Tomorrow marks 18 months to the day! We have already proven that miracles happen...let's pray for one more.
Peace and be well,
~Claud
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