MON., MARCH 3 AND TUES., MARCH 4, 2014

March 3, 2014, Monday. I did not go to the NH today. I talked to Riley and he said he planned to go see Mom. I got an email from Regina from Hospice saying that she saw Riley today with Mom and that they both agreed that Mom was having a good day!

March 4, 2014, Tuesday. Riley called from the NH this morning saying that Regina from Hospice was there and that Mom is complaining that her leg hurts. I went to the NH about 3:20 PM. Mom was asleep on her bed. I cleaned her glasses. Nurse Steve, Regina, and another woman came into Mom’s room to examine Mom shortly after I arrived. They determined that Mom is having some pain on her left hip, thigh area but doubt that it is a fracture. A C.N.A. came and assisted getting Mom up, unsuccessfully. The C.N.A. also changed Mom. They left and I talked with Regina for a bit. Mom fell asleep. Nurse Steve returned with some medicine. Mom slept. I hung up the clean clothes I brought and cleaned Mom’s nails a bit. I sketched Mom sleeping. I woke up Mom and we ate a few Cheetos. Then Mom fell back to sleep. I sat with her a bit then left about 4:30 PM. Mom knew me and responded to me appropriately but was very tired and sore.  I gave Steve some pecans and a Teddy Bear from Sharon S. to the Nurses station for another resident.

SAT., MARCH 1 & SUN., MARCH 2, 2014

March 1, 2014, Saturday. I went to the NH about 3:15 PM. The feeders were full, blinds closed. I noticed Riley signed the visitor’s book about noon. Mom was resting on her bed, watching the DVD, sound low, O2 on but cannula out of place, glasses off, teeth in.  We hung up some clean clothes that I brought. I got Mom’s pants on her and helped her into her chair. She did not have on leggings so we put those on. We played “peas porridge hot.” I cleaned her glasses, wiped her face, cleaned her hands and noted Mom coughing. I changed the channel to TCM. Then we went to the entertainment. I got Mom a coffee. We clapped hands but Mom put her head on the table so we went for a walk outside. It was a warm day so we went around the back and sat by the pansies and the begonias. Mom was very interested in the begonias. We went back inside to her room and Adam came and took Mom vitals. I gave Adam a bag of pecans. We discussed Mom’s leggings and I mentioned the leggings to Nurse Sandra, too. I put in the new DVD, High Society, looked at the card from Brooks and also at her 6ht grade report card which Bonnie sent. I took Mom to the big TV room and left about 5:15 PM. Today Mom was able to follow and recite “peas porridge” with me after three rounds. She was attentive to hanging up the clothes and noticed when it was wrong. She knows who she is.

March 2, 2014, Sunday. I went to the NH about 3:20 PM. I fed the birds, blinds closed. Mom was resting on her bed, no O2, teeth in, glasses off, DVD playing, sound low. Mom needed changing, no pants on so I called for assistance then went and asked Adam. He changed Mom and we got her into her chair. I brushed her hair, cleaned her hands, cleaned her glasses, wiped her face and we played ‘peas porridge’ but Mom could not say the words. After three times through she managed “hot”, “cold”, “old” on cue. We went to the dining room for the Episcopal service. Mom nodded and wanted communion today. She enjoyed looking at the music but didn’t sing. We returned to her room and channel surfed then I changed the DVD to Singing in the Rain. She ate a tangerine, carefully chewing up each section then spitting out the pulp. Then I gave her a caramel.  I tried to coax her to color today unsuccessfully. We looked at photos. She correctly identified her sisters but mixed others up. She could identify Carl and Brooks but not her other children. Today she could not remember her birthday and I could not get her name out of her. I gathered her dirty clothes and took Mom to the big TV room. I left about 4:50 PM. Mom showed affection to her stuffed dogs today and was out of sorts and grouchy when I first got there. She got happier during the visit. She did not speak out loud until I was leaving then she asked me to stay.

THURS., FEB. 27 & FRI., FEB. 28, 2014

February 27, 2014, Thursday. I went to the NH about 3:15 today. I added some seed to the feeder, blinds half open. Mom was resting on her bed, no O2, teeth in, no glasses. White Christmas was playing on the DVD player, sound low. I called for assistance to get Mom up and changed. I noted one light bulb out in the bathroom and Nurse Steve wrote a slip on it. C.N.A. Roxanne came and changed Mom and we got her up and into her chair. I got clean leggings out of her drawer and put them on her. I brushed her hair, cleaned her glasses, cleaned her hands, put cream on her hands and arms, got her a sweater and we went to Bingo in the Great Room. Mom tried to eat the hand cream. Mom enjoyed the activity but she mixed-up the potato chips with tokens and I had to keep an eye on her. We returned to her room. I changed the DVD and we channel surfed some. The birds came and we watched the birds. We hung up clean clothes. We played “peas porridge” and she could only sequence the words “hot”, “cold” and “in the pot”.  We looked at photos and she identified some people then out of the blue asked “Where’s Brooks? He lives in a town somewhere.” I told her he lives in Portland, OR. I found her cushion in the closet and Yvonne helped me get it under Mom and in the chair. I accompanied Mom to the dining room, got her a coffee and left with her dirty clothes about 5:15 PM. Mom’s ability to respond to cues and initiate action has declined.  She speaks in sentences. Her conversation is often non-sequential but still coherent. When I am with her in an activity, she requires constant supervision. I do not have opportunity to sketch.

February 28, 2014, Friday. I went to the NH about 3:15 PM. I fed the birds, blinds half open. Mom was asleep on her bed, teeth in, no O2. I cleaned her glasses and called for assistance and C.N.A. Marlene came quickly and helped me get Mom into her w/c. I brushed her hair, gave her a hat, cream on her face, cleaned her hands, and cream on arms and hands. We channel surfed a little then I turned down the sound and we played patty-cake. Annie came around and invited us to activities. I accompanied Mom to the Great Room for French Fries and harp concert. With encouragement I got Mom to eat some French fries independently. She did dip into her coke sometimes and sometimes just sucked the ketchup off the potato. She spilled her coke and I got a towel and cleaned it up. She didn’t finish her fries. We waved our hands and clapped and Mom still has rhythm. We returned to her room and I put the TV back on the DVD then took her to the big TV room. I left about 5:15 PM. Mom could keep time and said some words appropriately but she does not initiate or respond to cues. She requires more assistance to direct activity.

TUES., FEB. 25 & WED., FEB. 25, 2014

February 25, 2014, Tuesday. I went to the NH about 4:50 PM today. The bird feeders were full and the blinds were open. I donated a stuffed bear from Sharon to the Activities department. Donna said yes they had a candidate for the bear. Mom was in her w/c in her room alone with the DVD of Singing in the Rain playing. C.N.A. Adam told me that he left Mom with Carl. I called Carl when I got home and we talked about not ever, ever leaving Mom in her chair alone because she may attempt to get into bed by herself. I also noted new flowers in Mom’s arrangement. I noticed that she did not have on the pink leggings and put a pair on her. Yvonne brought Mom’s tray and Mom ate pretty well tonight. She ate about 1/3 of the enchilada, 1/4 of the corn & beans and some of the rice. She ate some of the fruit then I gave her a chocolate. Luz the Med Nurse came in while we were eating and talked about removing Mom’s Wander Guard since her recent decline. Mom and I played peas porridge hot. At first Mom would follow the movements but not recite the rhyme. I worked with on just the rhyme then added the hands and it worked. She played successfully. We looked at photographs. She identified her parents and her siblings but misidentified her children, mixing sibling names with children’s names. We channel surfed some and I got her nightgown on her. I called for assistance and Yvonne came. We got her into bed and I assisted Yvonne in changing her and getting her into bed. I brought Mom a new stuffed dog from Sharon and Mom was very pleased and wanted both the dogs in bed with her. I noted that the slacks Mom had on were Souhange’s so I put them in her laundry. I put the DVD of White Christmas on and left about 6:30 PM. I found both of Mom’s clean laundry bags left by Riley and Helen and brought them home. 

February 26, 2014, Wednesday. I didn’t go to the NH today.

 

SUN., FEB. 23 & MON., FEB. 24, 2014

February 23, 2014, Sunday.  Helen left to go see Mom about 11 AM. About 11:45 AM she called from the NH to say that Mom is almost out of clothes. I have clean clothes for her here but kept forgetting to mention it. I asked Helen to bring the dirty clothes home. Helen was assisting Mom in the dining room and said that Mom took a drink of water for herself. Helen also said that Mom propelled herself independently this morning and escaped from her oversight!!! That means Mom is demonstrating initiative! Mom has benefited from all this extra attention and time that Helen has been able to devote to her. Helen brought Mom’s dirty clothes home and picked up a bag of clean clothes about 5 PM. She returned to the NH to assist Mom in eating supper. Helen reports that Mom ate well at both lunch and dinner. Helen hung up Mom’s clean clothes then assisted Mom into bed, cleaned her teeth and put O2 on. She left the NH about 6:30 PM.

February 24, 2014, Monday. I did not go to the NH today. Helen went this morning and assisted Mom during lunch. She reported that this afternoon Mom said “you can go now” which Mom has said to me before. It indicates Mom is feeling perky and confident. Helen also returned around 5 PM and assisted Mom at supper. Helen said that Mom did not eat well tonight but did eat ¾ of a banana, all of an orange (spitting out the fiber) and drank most of a Boost. Helen also reported that the C.N.A. did not adjust Mom properly in the bed and Helen had to pull Mom up. Helen cleaned her teeth, put on the O2, turned out the light. Helen left the NH about 6:50 PM.

FRI., FEB. 21 AND SAT., FEB. 22, 2013

February 21, 2014, Friday. I went to the NH about 3:45. I fed the birds, blinds closed. C.N.A. Roxanne told me that Mom had gone to activities in the Great Room. I put Mom’s new DVD in her room and noted that her room is cold. I found Mom in the Great Room watching practices for wheelchair racing. We had cherry pie and cherry sodas. I drew Mom and coerced her to draw a flower. We returned to her room and I put on the new DVD. Then I took her to the Big TV Room. We played patty cake. Mom was initiating some action and playfulness. I left about 4:30 PM.

February 22, 2014, Saturday. I did not go to the NH today. Helen is visiting from CA and she went this morning about 11 AM. Helen reported that Mom did not eat much at lunch but did eat some; about ½ her potatoes a couple of bites of bread & butter,  two bites of turkey and about ½ peach cobbler. Staff gave her a Boost to give to Mom later. She said that staff was very helpful and responded to call to assist and to change Mom. The cna in the lunchroom told Helen that they just love it when her brother comes to play at lunch time. She said everyone enjoys it, especially the staff.  Helen also reported setting off an alarm by passing too close to a door. Mom spoke to Helen and asked “to go home” meaning her room, plus she was expressive and played hand games. Helen brushed her hair, gave her a back massage, played hand games and put cream on mom’s face. She also cleaned mom’s teeth after mom ate. Helen asked for help to change her, because she was quite wet. The cna came and helped right away and then mom went into her bed for a nap. White Christmas was playing. Helen left around 2:00 Helen returned to NH about 4:00 PM. and put in the Shrek movie that Helen bought for her. Mom seemed to enjoy it.  Helen combed her hair again. Then Carl and Charlotte came by. Mom smiled quite a bit while Charlotte and Carl chatted with Helen. Carl took several pictures of Helen and everyone together. Then Helen took mom outside to go to the parking lot to look at Carl’s car and the collages on the sides of it. Then they came back inside and mom’s tray arrived for dinner. Carl and Charlotte left and mom ate ½ of a eggroll, 1/8^th of some sweet and sour pork, 1/3 of her vegetables, ¾ of her desert, and almost an entire Boost. Mom really wanted to get into bed and tried to lift herself onto the bed. The cna arrived and Helen and he noticed that mom was really wet. Then she was changed by the cna. Helen and the cna found a nightgown for her. Then she went right to sleep, but Riley arrived and Helen woke her up for just a minute to say “Hi” to Riley. She was really happy to see him. Helen put in “Pirates of the Carribean.” Then she left as mom was beginning to doze off. Around 9 PM, Helen returned to the NH to put on a looping DVD for Mom. Helen found the O2 out of place, light still on and Pirates still playing. She changed the DVD to Singing in the Rain, put O2 back in place and closed the light.

TUES., FEB. 18, WED., FEB. 19 AND THURS., FEB. 20, 2014

February 18, 2014, Tuesday.  I went to the NH about 3:45 PM. The feeders were full. Mom was sleeping on her bed and Souhange was in her chair, her TV off. Mom’s TV was on playing DVD, sound down. She had her O2 on, teeth in and the window was open. The room was warm. I spoke to Nurse Steve and he came and checked the room, blinds, the window and said that they were having difficulty with temperature controls because of the changing temps outside. Mom awoke and I called for assistance to get Mom up. C.N.A. came in with two trainees and got Mom changed and up into her chair and left. I gave Mom a brush and she brushed her hair then I did too. I got her glasses and they were extremely filthy covered with debris. I cleaned them. We hung clean clothes I brought then went for a walk outside. We went to my car and I got some garbage bags out of the trunk then we walked to the front of the building. I tried to get her to sing but no luck. She enjoyed it when I sang and waved her hand. She asked to go inside. That is a First. Usually it takes coercion to get her back inside. We went back to her room. I changed the DVD. We channel surfed some. I gathered the dirty clothes then took her to the dining room. I said good bye then got the clothes.  Mom is happy to see me and has playful moments but interaction is minimal. I left about 5 PM.

February 19, 2014, Wednesday. I didn’t go to the NH today.

February 20, 2014, Thursday. I went to the NH about 3:45 PM. The feeders were full, blinds half open.  I went to Mom’s room and noted fresh flowers, Carl had signed in for today but no one signed in for yesterday. I left clean clothes in Mom’s room and found Mom in the Great Room playing Bingo. Her responses improved as I assisted her with the games. We returned to her room with her prizes and found Souhange trying to get C.N.A. Roxanne and 2 trainees to get the heart off the door. Apparently she wanted it, so I got it down and gave it to her. Mom and I hung up clothes and channel surfed some. We played patty cake which she enjoyed a lot and she actually coordinated with me on the words “hot”, “cold” and “old”. Then I took Mom outside for a brief walk. When I returned to take her to the dining room a trainee was bringing her tray so we took it to the dining room and I started Mom with her supper. Usually when she has to wait to be served in the dining room she gets her meal at about 5:55PM then they take up trays by 6:30 PM so she doesn’t get very long to eat. Tonight she will have time as I left her with food about 5:15 PM. Mom’s responses improved during my visit.  

 I returned to the NH about 7:45 PM. Mom was in bed watching Singing in the Rain, teeth still in, nightgown on backwards, no O2, no glasses. The room was quite cold. I got another cover out of the closet and put it on Mom’s bed. I got Mom’s nightgown turned around frontwards (open in the back). I was glad to see that she had on one of her own nightgowns because they are heavier than the NH issue. I cleaned her teeth, gave her a chocolate and said good night. I left about 8 PM.