Well, we started our next phase of the journey to home yesterday.  Mom was transferred from her room 5329 to UTCC (Rehab) Room 5129.  Again she is right across from the nurses station (which is a good thing).  The room is exactly like the room she was in previously so that should cut down on the confusion that a dementia patient goes through when changing their surroundings. 

 

I got to see first hand the germ-eating machine that UHC had the article in the newspaper when they first opened.  They had placed it in the room prior to our arrival and was removing it just as we arrived.  It left a temporary smell of burning clothes from an ironing board which quickly disappeared and Mom did not even notice.  First person we met was Tom who was dusting/cleaning Mom's room and she immediately fell in love with him.  Everyone here is new to us except for the physical therapist, Ashley (maiden name Wilson when we met her 4 years ago).

Mom was on the divorce subject when Ashley arrived, as she had already asked me if I was divorced and I said  Yes.  She said how long have you been divorced and I said "since 1997" and Mom said, "gee that's a long time, can't you find a man?"  So when Ashley walked in the room, Mom asked her if she was divorced and Ashley told her that no, she has been married 2 years and they are trying to have a baby.  So all the rest of the day, all Mom talked about was babies, she called the wheelchair, baby buggy, etc.

 

For breakfast Mom had a Starbucks frapp, a little bit of pancakes.

For lunch the served beautiful mac and cheese (which she took one bite and spit out at me, ate all her tomato soup and all her ice cream.  They served her a piece of cake but it had huge nuts so she refused to eat that.  She did eat the mini-marshmallows off her her fruit jello but does not eat fruit now.  They gave her a coke and she did drink that.

 

When Ashley from PT came she brought a quad cane which she left in Mom's room and tried to get her to use it when she gets up from bed/chair.  She did learn on it and stood up straight for a long time but would only take 2 steps to the right and refused to wake more than one step forward, as she is still so afraid of falling.  Ashley told her that she was very proud of her for how long she stood yesterday and we would work on walking on Wednesday.  It still takes 3 people to put her to bed or chair. 

 

Jack and Wilma came prior to dinner which didn't arrive until after 6pm

and had mannicoti which I got her to eat the cheese from inside and a little of the pasta.  She ate some of the lettuce salad with ranch dressing with her fingers but hey that is improvement.  She also ate some of the mixed veggies, a few carrots and a couple of green beans by hand. They brought her diet coke and I told them she would not drink that so they changed it for a regular coke.  She also ate some of her vanilla ice cream.  No one from dietetics ever came during the day to see what she wanted for Wednesday's meals, so Lord knows what she gets today.  I asked the nurse about it and she said she would send the tech to the room but never saw her. 

 

My main focus for the day was keeping my mom safe.  I told everyone that came in the room (which weren't many- different world at UTCC) that my mother MUST have a wander guard on her bed.  Day shift came and left and still no Wander Guard.  Finally, I went to the nurse on Evening Shift and told her that I usually leave after my mother has dinner but I WAS NOT leaving till they put a wander guard on my mom and that I had already checked and the doctor DID NOT have to order it, although Dr. Angotti (who had been in earlier) told me that he would put a reminder on her chart she needed one.  Well, the first one they brought in was broke but there was finally one put on after 7pm.  The

girls on the other wing had told me that Mom had tried to get out of bed after we left the night before, so now I had that concern.  Also, Mom had been out of bed since noon and into her chair since noon and she was complaining of being tired (and she never complains) so I asked if they would put her back to bed.  The nurse told me they had to pick up the trays and then they would get to her.  I explained I was not leaving until they put her back to bed.  I am sure that I am now officially labeled

THE BITCH!  I understand they have a routine they have to do so now I must work around it.  So today I will make sure they put Mom back to bed before dinner and they pass out trays.  It is just a matter that we all have to get used to each other and I have to learn how things work over there. 

 

Progress:  Mom did feed herself her dinner by me putting the food on the fork or spoon and she would then take the utensil from my hand and put the food in her mouth.  So far, she hasn't figured out she can put the food on the utensil.  Today is another day and we shall see if maybe we can accomplish that today.

 

I have a doctor's appointment with Dr. Dev (sleep apnea doc) today at 2:30pm, so I have worked it out with Ashley that I will be gone for a while this afternoon and will return to the hospital after my appointment.

 

After I arrived home last night the social worker called me (Susan Savidge) and said she was NOW (after 8pm) doing Mom's admission. This girl works long hours.  Asked me questions, concerning DNR (do not resusitate) which has been on the chart all along and what funeral home I wanted (said this was asked to everyone). Found that rather strange.  Anyway, said she would meet with me Wed between 9 and 9:30 a.m. to discuss discharge plans and have me sign her in. 

 

Well, I hope I haven't bored you to much.  If so, I hope you hit delete earlier in my email.  I am also keeping a copy of these emails, as part of my journalling process.  Well, it is a new day so must go upward and onward.  Keep the faith my peeps.  Love to you all, vada