BRONCHITIS, MONDAY, OCT. 21 & TUES., OCT. 22, 2013

October 21, 2013, Monday. I got a call from Nurse Todd at RNC saying that Mom has bronchitis and they are starting an antibiotic. I asked what I should do and he said just “be supportive.” I played phone tag with Nurse Regina from Hospice today. We communicated by email. Dr. Maxwell wants to put Mom in a high back chair to slow down falls. I don’t know how that will help? But okay. I went to the NH about 5 PM. There was birdseed in the feeder and I added some more to the flat feeder. Riley signed the book this afternoon. Mom was on her bed under the covers, O2 on but cannula out of place. I fixed it up and started getting her set-up to eat in bed. Someone brought a tray with spaghetti but Mom was coughing and there was a nebulizer on the desk by her. I went to nurse station and asked for chicken soup. Nurse Diane brought chicken soup to the room. Mom ate some fruit, some soup and some of the veggies. A man brought the new chair and another nebulizer  wrapped in plastic. I put Mom’s old chair out in the hallway, took the leg rests off the new chair and put them under the chest of drawers (those things tear up Mom’s legs when she reaches for the floor.) A. C.N.A. came and took Mom’s tray. I cleaned Mom’s teeth and plugged her bed back into the wall and adjusted the bed. I got Mom’s dirty clothes together. I changed the DVD to Swing Time, gave Mom and Tina candy and left with Mom’s dirty clothes about 7 PM. I spoke to Nurse Linda before I left to say the new chair and nebulizer had been delivered

Note about swallowing: Mom often chews up food then wants to spit it out. If I give her a Reese’s Pieces, or cake or cookie, she has no difficulty swallowing.

October 22, 2013, Tuesday. I went to the NH about 5 PM. There was some birdseed in the vertical feeder but I put more in and the flat feeder. I was going in as the C.N.A. was leaving the tray on her table. Mom was on her bed, O2 on, glasses on, teeth in and she did not want to get up. I got her a hat and set up the table over her bed. Mom ate about half of the tuna off her sandwich and about half of her brownie then Nurse Linda came in to give her the breathing treatment. We discovered that Mom was sopping wet and also had a BM so I assisted Nurse Linda to change and clean up Mom. She put the nebulizer on Mom with a double dose of whatever it is in the contraption. The mask kept sliding off. I turned it off after about 20 minutes. I got Mom into jammies and left her on top of the bedcovers with three lap blankets over her and a hat. We saw 10 parrots tonight. I left the TV on DVD Swing Time. I cleaned Mom’s teeth and gave Mom and Tina candy. There was a Boost sitting in the room unopened. I left about 7 PM.