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After pie and coffee last night, an aid at hoca came to fetch mom for a shower - mom was not having it so despite not being up for it myself I went to help figuring the aid is probably just as tired

Mom has always hated washing her hair in the shower and having water run in her eyes and ears so I tried to handle that part and keep her from scratching the aid as she tried to soap mom up - lord only knows what actually got soaped and rinsed but oh well

We got her lotioned and powdered and I took her out with a towel to dry her hair - otherwise they'd put her to bed with wet hair

Seems the beauty salon is only open once a week in the morning when I don't have a private caregiver with mom so she hasn't had a cut since before Xmas and is looking unkempt

Luckily I had my little hair trimming scissors with me and decide to trim mom's hair - as she started to doze off with her leaning forward I was having a hard time keeping the cut even especially as I thought I'd get fancy and give her some layers for a little bounce - good thing she won't notice the unevenness - ha ha
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That seems irregular to start a shower at night. What's with that?
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I agree but I imagine morning staff is scrambling to get folks up and dressed for breakfast

Plus hoca wanted me to have my private aides shower her and I told them I pay a higher daily rate for them to do it - as it is my overnight weekend caregiver will shower her on Sunday mornings and another one has given her showers in the afternoon if she's had a diarrhea accident

Hoca staff is constantly changing and even if they have someone who will work with her they switch them out all the time and back
In February two hoca staff dropped her in the shower at night

It's exhausting - two of their long time aides told me how tired they were last night
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I stopped by to see mom at the NH this afternoon and could tell right away that something was up, it wasn't even 4:00 and they had almost everyone gathered together in the lounge and hall and several people were already in their PJs. Seems they were short staffed, again. I hope that doesn't happen tomorrow because mom really needs her bath and a shampoo.
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Cwillie,
How's mom getting along during meals ?

Is she on a twice a week bathing schedule ?
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Everyone I ask tells me she is a good eater. I had to clarify what that really means since no one at her table seems to eat more than a few mouthfuls (literally), but apparently she mostly finishes her whole meal when I'm not there.

They are supposed to get two baths a week with her bath days being Sun and Wed, but we've already run into weekend "staffing issues". And I really wonder what they are doing to her hair because it does not smell very nice, and she never had a problem that way in all the years she only went for a weekly wash and set.
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Hmm
Hopefully they are not doing a dry shampoo

The aid pulled out a bottle of artificially sweet gag a maggot smelling shampoo last night and so I showed her the bottle of hypoallergenic baby shampoo I have for mom in her toiletry box - she said she always uses the pink stuff - I nicely said we like this - mom has thin hair and allergies

So I close the lid on the pink stuff and put the baby shampoo out
I'll be damned if she didn't pour the pink stuff on mom's head anyway -
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Thought every caregiver knew to use baby shampoo on elder's hair... guess not.

ETA: I suppose it does depend on the exact elder, but in general, baby shampoo is more gentle and non irritating. 
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Cwillie,
Hope mom got her shower and shampoo today
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Mom said she had a "wonderful" bath this morning (she really likes soaking in the big tub), but she wanted to sleep so I only stayed for 5 minutes. Since it was raining all day and then pouring later I didn't go back up again. It's hard to make myself go there just to watch her sleep, I really do understand why so many people don't.
The sermon yesterday included a bit about how orphaned babies that aren't given the opportunity to be cuddled and loved become ill and may even die (he was talking about being supportive and interconnected as christians) and I couldn't help but see parallel's between orphanages and old folks homes.
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cwillie....I'm so glad your Mother had a wonderful bath.Bless her heart and about that sermon,The human touch is SO important to young and old and everyone in between.It is reassuring and compassionate and everyone needs that.
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wow I thought I had a frustrating day but Rainmom had my vote too! I truly hope tomorrow is better for you and your rainman!!!!!
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I am so thankful that by mistake I found this site. I am a sole caregiver to my 92 year old grandmother and I feel like I'm going nuts! She is so convincing with her own lies sometimes that she has me questioning myself. Has this ever happened to anyone else?
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Welcome, DSL

ahh yes, and those lies as bizarre as they can be do cause you to question yourself - in the beginning

i commented to a friend recently that the things that drove me crazy a few years ago now no longer exist and have been replaced with different challenges

Dementia is a long tiring journey for everyone - this site has members who've experienced every aspect of the cycle - some with more grace than I'll ever have - so look for advice and comfort here and also I hope a good portion of humor
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Welcome DSL!!
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Well, this is strange......
Whenever a day or two gets better, goes okay, feels more hopeful...get this: I start to worry that the other shoe will drop very soon.
Here to report that today was a pretty good day.
And I cannot think of a better place to post this.
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Yeah.............!!!!!! Good for you Send! Here's to at least two or three good days in a row!
Picture two champagne glasses clinking. :)
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There Send, changed my avatar just for you! Cheers!
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A celebration! Thanks Gershun! You, MsMadge,and I may be the only ones up? Is that Champagne?
Cheers back at you!
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Just me and my chocolate cherry Garcia
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We have popcorn, yum.
There should be some cheese and crackers....
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I had wheat thins and jarlsburg before my chocolate cherry Garcia
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Gershun,
Does Canada have Ben & Jerry's?
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Just showed my dH the kitty in the fridge...seconds before Gershun changed her avatar.

Are you home from hoca MsMadge?

Who did anything worthwhile today? I know I didn't, yet.

Clink!  My glass is half full.
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There are others up....is there anymore champagne?

You are not going to believe this....I had to put my ice water bottle on my head, at the temple for a few minutes.
Think my brain froze.

Welcome to June 1st!
Goodnight everyone!
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Where'd everybody go?
Even though I dislike Mondays,
Even though I have r u l e s about doctor appts. on Mondays,
off I go......unprepared for an important appt. that I have waited months for....but it's okay.....
I AM going!
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Good For You Send...You deserve a HUGE bowl of chocolate ice cream tonight!
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Good job on the appointment, Send!

I'm a whirling dervish of productivity these past couple of days. Hope I don't crash anytime soon, because I have too much to do. I have a trip coming up at the end of the week, so there's a lot of prepping for that going on.

Yesterday I didn't get much done as far as the trip goes, but it was an incredibly busy day.
Left home at 8:30am for birthday trip to a local petting zoo & orchard for GS.
Picked up pizza for bday dinner for GS.
Dropped DD off to her part time job.
Took GS' home and fed them their pizza, got older GS off to his therapy appt and younger GS down for a nap.
Cleaned house like a white tornado for the duration of the nap.
GS woke up just in time to go pick DD up from job.
Back home to change quickly and head for nephew's graduation ceremony.
Then a couple of quick stops to gas up the vehicle, pick up some last minute items for the trip and return pop bottles for deposit and cash in a bunch of change from my piggy bank to help with trip expenses. $47 - not too shabby.
Then back home to do client work for a few hours before I got a shower (to get the sand out of my hair from the semi that blasted me in passing) and collapsed into bed around 11pm.

Tell you what...I haven't had a day like that in a long time. It was tiring, but it was all good stuff, and the schedule worked out without a hitch, which always makes me happy. I'm probably too stuck on schedules, but I like when things fall into place the way they should.

Today was vehicle prep day - washed, vacuumed, shampooed a stain off the carpeting, set up my emergency travel kit in a new carrier ($7 at the local overstock store, love it) and stowed that in the back, tested the back of the vehicle to be sure dog crate will fit (fits like a dream with room to spare!), and even put new air fresheners in the vents. LOL
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Super and safe trip Susan. I think it's the ability to do schedule and actually do when WE want instead of others needs. Have fun.
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Thanks, Guestshop!

Also constructed a doggie ramp today using an instructable I found online. Thank goodness for the internet. Dog will use it, but is a little wary of it - understandable, since he's never used one, and it gives a little under his weight. (It's extremely sturdy, but there is a slight amount of flex when he steps on it.) It's fairly lightweight, covered in durable indoor/outdoor carpet, and works well for our minivan from the side doors or the back. :-)
$46 as opposed to $120 for a commercially-made ramp that weighs far more than this one. I'll take it.
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