Chapter 470 - A One Tracking Mind
As I told my Shrink yesterday, when these situations occur, I try to just walk away, leave her be, go about my own activities. Just now I have left her on the toilet. She says "There is a lump there, I can feel it! If you had a mirror you could see it!!" Instead, I don a rubber glove, wipe her with a bundle of paper, only a slight stain is on the paper; she is not shitting, there is nothing in the bowl. I leave her CB radio with her, walk away saying "Call me when you finish." So I come out here to write this depressing blurb, knowing that once I write a few paragraphs I will feel better.
Today began laying awake in the dark wondering when 0600 will come, confusion in my mind about rising an hour earlier or later at the entrance to this idiotic season of daylight saving. So I feel weary. The carer from Wild Dog arrived at the correct time, that is, an hour earlier than yesterday morning. I prepared breakfast her as usual by 0815 but she became distracted by frayed velcro on her shoe (she has already removed a piece on another pair) so I gave her the scissors she demanded to trim the threads and by 1000 she had decided to hand stitch press studs onto where the velcro was. She must have begun to realise the futility of this because I was able to dissuade her and to have some breakfast, especially the fruit juice containing the Benefibre, which she did, but that thought must have triggered the idea she needed to shit. Cleaning her teeth first, then onto the loo, and here is where I began writing. Now at 1100, I have her in the car, without having pooped, to go "shopping".
Now at 1800, I have been reading, snoozing while she has been attempting, among other things, to re-register to a rag shop site I registered her to yesterday, but today she had forgotten the password and the site was protesting that she was already registered. Then she is unhappy that a site that advertised a free knitting pattern in one of the $9.95 magazines we buy each Sunday hasn't responded and she wishes to write to them to complain. Woe is me! Although she has had her own PC's since 1996 coping with the material she finds on line is forever becoming more difficult.
Recently I made enquiries about a respite cottage in Hot Air City, the reply was as I expected for someone wheel chair bound, incontinent, PD with a Duodopa pump; she is considered "high care" so beyond the capabilities of the cottage in question. The next meeting of the local care group will discuss "Respite"; I look forward to it.
After sitting through two CentreLink presentations about the logistics of a person entering Residential Aged Care and learning that our superannuation managers will provide a one hour tele-conference on the subject for $500, I contacted CentreLink and we went together to discuss the matter with a member of staff. I have begun the paper work to be assessed for one of us to enter Residential Care, as a "dummy run" (no costs involved) just to see how matters work out. There seems no other way to plan for such a transition and to convey the concept of the process to those who may need to make decisions on our behalf. And that's in the foreseeable future; after all, one of us is 77 and the other almost 75.
During the 1 1/2 hours we were at CentreLink, she began to pick at the label on the neckline of the cardigan she had worn and had removed once in the building; soon there was a handful of fine white threads. In noticing this, I asked her what she was doing; "It tickles the back of my neck" she said and continued attacking the label; the person we were speaking to produced a pair of scissors, the label was snipped off and we continued to talk about financial matters. A small matter attracts her attention and she seems unable to drag her mind away to concentrate on a higher priority item.
Returning to our shopping today; firstly to KMart as usual where we bought 3 pairs of casual for her, one pair the same with a velcro strap across the arch as she has been wearing and 2 pairs with elastic straps across the arch, plus some nighties and slacks, then to the newsagents for a couple of craft magazines then for lunch at the coffee shop across the aisle. Then home for a rest; several attempts to poo and successful just before the Wild Dog carer arrived. She has now chopped the arms from the nighties and elastic cuffs from the slacks; she intends to hem the ends.
There was an appointment this week for her to see the geriatrician again; she was quite negative about seeing him again, so I rang and cancelled. I don't think he is able to advise anything additional for her welfare. Visiting our GP a few days ago we learned that his last report summarised as "maintain her existing management". There is no need to unnecessarily cause her stress.
My respite periods on Wednesdays and Saturdays have been extended to 0930 - 1430 and for about 6 months my Carer friends at Hot Air City are funding the Wednesdays. At the moment, the additional hours make for more relaxing days and since I now use about 1/2 hour for supermarket shopping on Wednesdays, our Sunday shopping adventures are more much less stressful.
Today began laying awake in the dark wondering when 0600 will come, confusion in my mind about rising an hour earlier or later at the entrance to this idiotic season of daylight saving. So I feel weary. The carer from Wild Dog arrived at the correct time, that is, an hour earlier than yesterday morning. I prepared breakfast her as usual by 0815 but she became distracted by frayed velcro on her shoe (she has already removed a piece on another pair) so I gave her the scissors she demanded to trim the threads and by 1000 she had decided to hand stitch press studs onto where the velcro was. She must have begun to realise the futility of this because I was able to dissuade her and to have some breakfast, especially the fruit juice containing the Benefibre, which she did, but that thought must have triggered the idea she needed to shit. Cleaning her teeth first, then onto the loo, and here is where I began writing. Now at 1100, I have her in the car, without having pooped, to go "shopping".
Now at 1800, I have been reading, snoozing while she has been attempting, among other things, to re-register to a rag shop site I registered her to yesterday, but today she had forgotten the password and the site was protesting that she was already registered. Then she is unhappy that a site that advertised a free knitting pattern in one of the $9.95 magazines we buy each Sunday hasn't responded and she wishes to write to them to complain. Woe is me! Although she has had her own PC's since 1996 coping with the material she finds on line is forever becoming more difficult.
Recently I made enquiries about a respite cottage in Hot Air City, the reply was as I expected for someone wheel chair bound, incontinent, PD with a Duodopa pump; she is considered "high care" so beyond the capabilities of the cottage in question. The next meeting of the local care group will discuss "Respite"; I look forward to it.
After sitting through two CentreLink presentations about the logistics of a person entering Residential Aged Care and learning that our superannuation managers will provide a one hour tele-conference on the subject for $500, I contacted CentreLink and we went together to discuss the matter with a member of staff. I have begun the paper work to be assessed for one of us to enter Residential Care, as a "dummy run" (no costs involved) just to see how matters work out. There seems no other way to plan for such a transition and to convey the concept of the process to those who may need to make decisions on our behalf. And that's in the foreseeable future; after all, one of us is 77 and the other almost 75.
During the 1 1/2 hours we were at CentreLink, she began to pick at the label on the neckline of the cardigan she had worn and had removed once in the building; soon there was a handful of fine white threads. In noticing this, I asked her what she was doing; "It tickles the back of my neck" she said and continued attacking the label; the person we were speaking to produced a pair of scissors, the label was snipped off and we continued to talk about financial matters. A small matter attracts her attention and she seems unable to drag her mind away to concentrate on a higher priority item.
Returning to our shopping today; firstly to KMart as usual where we bought 3 pairs of casual for her, one pair the same with a velcro strap across the arch as she has been wearing and 2 pairs with elastic straps across the arch, plus some nighties and slacks, then to the newsagents for a couple of craft magazines then for lunch at the coffee shop across the aisle. Then home for a rest; several attempts to poo and successful just before the Wild Dog carer arrived. She has now chopped the arms from the nighties and elastic cuffs from the slacks; she intends to hem the ends.
There was an appointment this week for her to see the geriatrician again; she was quite negative about seeing him again, so I rang and cancelled. I don't think he is able to advise anything additional for her welfare. Visiting our GP a few days ago we learned that his last report summarised as "maintain her existing management". There is no need to unnecessarily cause her stress.
My respite periods on Wednesdays and Saturdays have been extended to 0930 - 1430 and for about 6 months my Carer friends at Hot Air City are funding the Wednesdays. At the moment, the additional hours make for more relaxing days and since I now use about 1/2 hour for supermarket shopping on Wednesdays, our Sunday shopping adventures are more much less stressful.
posted by Kilpike | 8:29 pm
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