Jan. 31, 2013 - Feb. 17, 2013

January 31, 2013, Thursday. I went to the NH about 10:30 AM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. Mom was resting on her bed watching Fred A. DVD, teeth in, no glasses. There were fresh flowers in the vase. She had taken her O2 off and it was on the bed by her side. I put O2 back on her, brushed her hair and did some hand care. She brushed my hair. We hung up the clean clothes I brought and I emptied her dirty clothes hamper and changed the DVD. She was better at problem solving, hanging up the clothes, understanding directions and conversation today. She asked to go for a ride but I told her it was too cold today, which it is. The dentist assistant, Michele came and checked Mom’s teeth. She agreed that these lowers are not hers. I got Mom into her chair and she propelled herself to the dining room. I got her a coffee and some juice. We looked at my day book with the pictures of Impressionist paintings. I visited with Nurse Diana and staff about the exhibit of paintings at ACC. I left about 11:45 AM with her dirty clothes.

February 1, 2013, Friday. I went to NH about 9:15 AM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. Mom was resting on her bed, O2 on, DVD on. We channel surfed and I left the TV on TVland. We did some personal care and Mary came in to take Mom’s vitals, low temperature and low BP but good O2, about 92. I put the toe socks on her with some foot cream, too. Then we cleaned her hands and I wiped her face. I found her glasses, cleaned them then got soapy water for her nails. I removed old polish, filed her nails and put on new glitter polish. Her right thumbnail was broken down to the quick. It looked painful, at least uncomfortable. I left TV on and left about 10:40 AM.

February 2, 2013, Saturday. I went to the NH about 2:50 PM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. I think the birds are just eating the sunflower seeds, not the other seeds. Mom was resting on her bed watching the dog competition on TV. Foxy was with me and I put him on the bed. Mom petted Foxy enthusiastically. I brought the looping CARMEN from Brooks & Helen and had trouble loading it. My mistake. I got Mom up and we all went for a ride. We got a Dr. Pepper and drove around. We returned to the NH. I left Foxy in the car while I accompanied Mom into the facility. We went to dining room II to hear the musician, guitar and singing. I got Mom a cranberry juice then left opera DVD on the TV about 4:10. Mom was somewhat anxious but did not respond readily to direction, conversation.

February 3, 2013, Sunday. I went to the NH about 3 PM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. Mom was resting on her bed with DVD #1 of Carmen opera playing. She had taken off her blouse and her O2. She had her sweater on. I put her blouse and O2 back on and put some socks on her also, opened the blinds. We hung up the clean clothes I brought and she picked out a pair of pants to wear. Mom did well hanging up clothes. The C.N.A. came and changed Mom, put her pants on her and helped her into the wheelchair. I changed the DVD to the second Carmen disk. Donna from Rec. came by and invited us to games & cookies. We went to play games. We sat with resident Gilbert and Lea from Business women’s assoc. club at UT. We played poker, had cookies and juice and coffee. I took Mom back to her room. I left her coloring and watching the DVD #2 of Carmen.

February 4, 2013, Monday.  I went to NH about 3:10 PM to meet with accountant but Jay was out so I went to see Mom. The hospice Social worker, Peg, had Mom in her chair and was preparing to take her to activity of games. I accompanied them and we played Tic Tac Toe with activities puzzle version. I left about 4 PM. I changed Mom’s DVD and then visited with the accountant about confusion, wrote payment check. I left facility about 4:15 PM. Later I saw an email from Mary about Mom’s Wheelchair but I hadn’t noticed anything.

February 5, 2013, Tuesday. Carl called about 3 PM. He said that when he arrived Mom did not have on her O2 and the water was almost out. I was on my way anyway and arrived at NH about 3:20 PM. Carl was sitting with Mom, massaging her hands and fresh flowers in the vase. I went to Nurses station and met Dr. Brian from hospice who was on the phone about the water, distilled or not? The verdict was distilled water, yes. Nurse Diane told me they were out and Dr. Brian said they could bring some tomorrow. I said I would take Mom out and we would get some distilled water. So I got Mom up and into her chair. I spoke to C.N.A. Vanessa and told her that I had not changed her. We went for a ride around the neighborhood, got some distilled water and a Dr. Pepper to share. We returned to the NH. Mom was particularly monosyllabic today. I noted a sty-like pimple forming on Mom’s L. eye and told Nurse Diane about it. When we returned Nurse Diane came and showed me how to change the container and put the water in then I left the remainder of the gallon of distilled water in the top of Mom’s closet. Also another resident was in the 205 bathroom when we returned to the room. I asked her to leave and she did. Vanessa came and changed Mom and then assisted her into her chair and we went to the dining room. I left Mom in the dining room about 5:20 PM.

February 6, 2013, Wednesday. I did not go to the  NH.

February 7, 2013, Thursday. I went to the NH about 11 AM. I fed the birds blinds closed. Mom was resting on her bed pulling at her hair, no O2. I gave her a brush. We hung up clean clothes which I brought and I got her dirty clothes from the hamper. C.N.A. William came and changed Mom then assisted Mom getting into her wheelchair. We did some personal care. I got warm cloth for her face, then cream. We channel surfed then I changed the DVD to a different one of Fred A. Mom was some assistance in hanging up the clothes, some problem solving evident. I accompanied Mom to nurses station where Nurse Diane looked at Mom’s L eye. She said that she would have “Brenda look at it.” I said I would bring eye wipes.  Then I took her to the dining room and asked what she would like to drink. Mom said “tea”. That’s different. I got her hot tea, 2 sugars and left about Noon.

February 8, 2013, Friday. I went to the NH about 3:10 PM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. Nurse at desk told me she thought Mom did not have her own dentures and I told her that yes, that’s true and about dentures on order. She suggested mashed food for awhile. Mom was resting on her bed watching DVD, no sound, no O2. I changed her DVD. Mom’s L eye was very crusty with debris on the eye lid. I cleaned the eye lid with lid wipes I brought from drug store. I showed the Occuvite lid wipes to nurse and C.N.A. Vanessa. I told Nurse Diana and Dr. Maxwell about them. Vanessa changed Mom and we got her up into chair and we went to activity, sing-a-long and muffins. We went for a walk outside and looked at the pansies and Irises. Then we talked to Dr. Maxwell about her eye problem. I left Mom in the dining room with a cup of coffee and left about 4:50 PM.

February 9, 2013, Saturday. I went to the NH about 3:20 PM. The birdfeeder was full and half blinds closed. Mom was at the activity, a piano recital. I hung up a clean nightgown and other clothes stuffed in closet, changed the DVD and opened her blinds. When I went to Dining room II, Tina told me that Mom had gotten a card and she had put it in the 2^nd drawer. I got it from Mom’s room plus lip balm, glasses wipe. Mom read and enjoyed the card, identified Quembe. During program she looked out the window and asked if that was our car. Startled I said “yes”. It was the only car parked out there but still, good call! At the end of the program, Mom wanted to “go”. So we went around the facility, going to covered patio where she complained of the cold so I gave her my jacket. We returned indoors and I accompanied her to the dining room. I got her a coffee. Her eye looked better today and appeared to have been cleaned and wiped. I left about 4:45 PM.

February 10, 2013, Sunday. I went to the NH about 3:10 PM. I fed the birds, blinds half open. Mom was in the dining room waiting for Episcopalian services to begin. We returned to her room and did some personal care. I opened the blinds. Her L eye looked about the same as yesterday, no better. Judging from the evidence of the debris in her teeth, I think she is getting puree food. We returned to the service and enjoyed the hymns and greetings. Barbara from A.G.E. was there. We returned to Mom’s room. I changed the DVD to American in Paris and left about 4:10 PM.

February 11, 2013, Monday. I did not go to the NH.

February 12, 2013, Tuesday. I went to NH about 10:45 AM. I fed the birds blinds closed. I hung up a few clothes then found Mom in dining room II at activity, sleeping in her chair. We played question game then I accompanied Mom back to her room. I touched up her nails, brushed her hair. Mom was very anxious, agitated. We played some hand games, personal care then I left her in her room coloring and watching CARMEN on TV about 11:30 AM. I returned to NH about 2 PM. Mom was sleeping on her bed, no O2. I cleaned her glasses and wiped crud from her LEFT eye, cleaned her glasses. She did not want to get up out of bed. I left about 2:30 PM. Riley telephoned from the NH about 4 PM to say that the dentist had come to take an impression of Mom’s lower for new dentures.

February 13, 2013, Wednesday.  I went to NH about 2:30 PM. I fed the birds, half the blinds open. Mom was resting on her bed and initially refused to get up. I changed the DVD, gave her a hard candy and we did some personal care. Then Mom got up into her chair and we went to dining room II for painting and activities. Mom had a different wheelchair. I found the foot rests for the previous chair and told Nurse Diane about them. I took the foot rests off the new chair as they seemed to be in Mom’s way. Mom insisted at first that she wanted to go with me then became interested in painting with Pat Stebbins and I left about 3:20 PM.

February 14, 2013, Thursday. I went to the NH about 3:40 PM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. Mom was at the bingo activity. We played for awhile. Mom ate a banana and bag of Cheetos, very slowly with difficulty. We went back to her room. We did some personal care and I carefully checked her wheelchair and her wound on her shin. It does not lock when she stands. I asked Nurse Diane about this and she said that the contraption they have does not fit this chair either. I left Mom in the TV room about 4:50 PM.  I emailed Mary Gilmore at Hospice about the wheelchair.

February 15, 2013, Friday. Foxy and I went to NH about 4:10 PM. Riley had come by earlier and delivered new flowers from Carl. I fed the birds, blinds closed. I met a new C.N.A., Norma. There was a big party going on in dining room II but Mom was in her room on her bed, O2 on incorrectly, sound turned down. I put Foxy on the bed with Mom and gave her a new coloring book for Valentines. I gave her a piece of chocolate from her stash. She petted Foxy vigorously and ate her chocolate. I got her dirty clothes to take to wash. Norma got Mom up while I talked to the exterminator who came at Tina’s request. We did some personal care and I changed the DVD from Carmen to Parrots. Then I accompanied her to the dining room for supper. I left about 5:15 PM.

February 16, 2013, Saturday. I went to the NH about 6:50 PM. Mom was in her bed almost asleep in darkened room, O2 askew, sound down on DVD. Tina was watching Animal Planet. Mom and I hung up clean clothes that I brought until we ran out of hangers. We did some hand cream, personal care, hair brushing and arm exercise. Mom was vigorously petting stuffed dog. I brought Mom about ¾ of a banana and she ate it without her teeth. I turned out light and left about 7:30 PM. I told Yvonne that Mom had hair brush in her bed. There was posted, in Spanish, a warning written on paper towel about watching out for dentures being discarded. Tina says that Riley made the sign, today.

February 17, 2013, Sunday. I went to NH about 10:30 AM. Fed the birds, blinds half open. Mom was resting on her bed, DVD on, sound down, no teeth, O2 out of place, no water. I put water in the O2 machine, brushed Mom’s teeth which were soaking in cleanser. We did some personal care. I got Mom into her chair and we cracked nuts, pecans.  Tina was watching TV in the room, too. I changed the TV to a different DVD and turned the sound up a bit. Mom wanted to “go” so we got on jackets, scarf, hat and went for a walk. Mom did some wheeling herself then we went out the front door. The wind was cold so we went around the corner to the slightly protected patio. Mom watched me draw the Iris with attention but did not want to draw herself. We returned inside as it was cold outside and Mom was glad to get indoors. We strolled back to her room. Mary (resident) greeted us and showed me the hand game she said she has been teaching Mom….”here’s the church and here’s the steeple….” We successfully went through the rhyme, motions. In Mom’s room I got out her new coloring book and got her started coloring. I left about 11:45 AM.