Hey folks, welcome to the new whine/general topic thread. Feel free to use this thread to discuss anything that is on your mind. Caregiving- related stuff, life after a loved one's death, your own emotional wellbeing. Whatever..........anything on your mind.
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
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
How's mom getting along during meals ?
Is she on a twice a week bathing schedule ?
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.
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 -
ETA: I suppose it does depend on the exact elder, but in general, baby shampoo is more gentle and non irritating.
Hope mom got her shower and shampoo today
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.
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
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.
Picture two champagne glasses clinking. :)
Cheers back at you!
There should be some cheese and crackers....
Does Canada have Ben & Jerry's?
Are you home from hoca MsMadge?
Who did anything worthwhile today? I know I didn't, yet.
Clink! My glass is half full.
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!
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!
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
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.