mum is settling in
A page in the diary "Sue's thoughts on life"
Written by suew Saturday, 4 July 2009 01:07
My Mum broke her hip on 13th June. I have spent at least three hours each day since then visiting her a 40 minute drive away from here. Sometimes I've had to take Ray and wheelchair him for long distances from the carpark in the rain etc. I have sandwiched this in between all my other chores and boy! am I tired.
Mum's hip was pinned and she had further time in the main local hospital just to make sure she didn't get an infection and it was starting to heal okay. Because her dementia is at the stage the hospital called PROFOUND, very severe, they were helpless to know how to approach her rehabilitation.
She now has no language skills (aphasia) and neither speaks or understands the spoken word. So asking her to move forward etc didn't work so the physios said she wasn't going to walk again. I was so sad when I heard that as walking has been what she has done most, day and night, for the past eight years.
Mum was transferred to the little geriatric hospital for a week and then was transferred back to her "new" residence at the nursing home opposite the Dementia Lodge where she has spent the past eight years.
Today, day three there, the nurses got her up for a shower, took her into the shower in a wheelchair and WALKED her back out using a high armed walker! Not a miracle cure, just a practical approach to helping an old lady to walk again.
I might not like where she is now, one of four beds in a room, not the most up-to-date facility etc but I sure like their attitude. She will walk because they said they would have her walking. And what a lot the hospital physios could learn on that score eh?
So now I have to settle her in and get my head around new rules and regulations, new routines, different ways of operating a facility. It will take me a while to do it, but while she is learning to walk I will be learning to operate in this new surroundings. As a daughter/power of attorney it pays to know the local culture in order to get her the best possiblle care.
As the care/advocate for our loved ones we have to have clear vision and an almighty amount of determination and patience to get the best care we can get for them under less than ideal circumstances.