My mother took a bad fall last September (see the old post). I have been wanting to get down to Arizona to see her but was waiting to be able to go help her once she got home. However, the recovery is taking much longer than anticipated. But I did finally get down for a week to see her and Dad. She is finally getting out of bed for the first time in nearly 9 months. Her 83-year old muscles have atrophied quite a bit. She is working on recovering mobility but it's going to take awhile.
This is the dining room at the nursing home. The breakfast being served was: orange juice, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, cream of wheat (Mom drank hers out of the bowl- since her hands shake quite a bit, it's easier than using a spoon), a piece of Texas toast French toast with a spoonful of cherry pie filling on top and syrup on the side, some mandarin oranges, and a sausage patty. Mom drank the juice, a carton of milk, ate the sausage patty (she has a weakness for sausage and bacon), drank the cream of wheat, and ate one little piece of the French toast because she was full. It really is a pretty good portion of food. This nursing home is a pleasant place- considering. The staff is kind and as attentive as they have time to be. It's clean and the rooms are large enough to accomodate visitors.
I couldn't help but feel sad for the residents who will probably finish out their days here. Some of them are old (a smiling man whose wheelchair is always near the door is 99) but some are just the unfortunate victims of illness or accident that leaves them needing lots of help. As always, I got philosophical and wondered how I would react if I ended up living in such a place. I try to eat right, get exercise, avoid bad health habits, wear a seat belt, and just live sensibly. However, there is always a chance I could end up with a serious disability. So how can I prepare? The patients who are smiling and pleasant are certainly easier for the staff to care for than the ones who bark, demand, and complain. So I can focus on being a nice, grateful type of person. The staff is really busy so sometimes the residents look out for each other by making sure the forgetful ones don't get lost and seeing to it that the quiet ones get help when they need it. So I can develop the habit of paying attention to the needs of others. I wish no one ever had to be helpless but it happens. I pray that I will have the inner strength to deal with it if it ever happens to me so I won't further burden people by being annoying or depressing.
This is the dining room at the nursing home. The breakfast being served was: orange juice, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, cream of wheat (Mom drank hers out of the bowl- since her hands shake quite a bit, it's easier than using a spoon), a piece of Texas toast French toast with a spoonful of cherry pie filling on top and syrup on the side, some mandarin oranges, and a sausage patty. Mom drank the juice, a carton of milk, ate the sausage patty (she has a weakness for sausage and bacon), drank the cream of wheat, and ate one little piece of the French toast because she was full. It really is a pretty good portion of food. This nursing home is a pleasant place- considering. The staff is kind and as attentive as they have time to be. It's clean and the rooms are large enough to accomodate visitors.
I couldn't help but feel sad for the residents who will probably finish out their days here. Some of them are old (a smiling man whose wheelchair is always near the door is 99) but some are just the unfortunate victims of illness or accident that leaves them needing lots of help. As always, I got philosophical and wondered how I would react if I ended up living in such a place. I try to eat right, get exercise, avoid bad health habits, wear a seat belt, and just live sensibly. However, there is always a chance I could end up with a serious disability. So how can I prepare? The patients who are smiling and pleasant are certainly easier for the staff to care for than the ones who bark, demand, and complain. So I can focus on being a nice, grateful type of person. The staff is really busy so sometimes the residents look out for each other by making sure the forgetful ones don't get lost and seeing to it that the quiet ones get help when they need it. So I can develop the habit of paying attention to the needs of others. I wish no one ever had to be helpless but it happens. I pray that I will have the inner strength to deal with it if it ever happens to me so I won't further burden people by being annoying or depressing.
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