Thursday, July 24. Took Aunt to the Doc for a check up on her leg. It is lookng so much better. Have another apt scheduled for the 29th just to make sure it is healing as should be.

Thankful to be getting all of this leg stuff under control!

Bought her some new shoes this morning. Bigger sized. And some socks also. Don't know if they are shrinking or just the swollen feet. Took them in about 10. (Took several pairs so that Aunt Dot could find one that fit) She chose one and had it on when I left. It was about 11:30. When Renae went in about 1:30 she had taken them off and had on her bedroom slippers.!
When I was in there she had no red tennis shoes, no plaid slip ons and 1 slipper. Just the right one. I don't know where her shoes keep going. Does she stash them somewhere or do other residents take them from her room?
From what I saw this morning and the report from Renae, Aunt Dot was in very good spirits and feeling so much better.

Going to take in a pan and some Epsom salts. Whenever one of the girls are in to visit I will ask them to soak her feet.

I did not realize that Alzheimer's patients do not know pain. There is something there, and it makes them crabby, but they can not tell you it is pain. Now, it you poke on a pained spot they will react, but not the other. I wondered why no one was giving the pain meds. They are on an as needed basis. She is continually asked if she is in pain and she always says no.

Today I learned something else. They cannot distinguish black and white on the pavement. When it comes to the darker concrete or the asphalt it looks like a deep cavern to them. That is why all of the hesitation when walking. They think they are walking off a cliff or something!
The mind is an amazing thing!!!!!!!!!!

Aunt Dot got a letter from Jack and Adriena. She was pleased to get it. I had to open it for her. She thought someone had left there own mail in her room. And in the note was a picture of Jack and Adriena along with a line stating "we are friends from Pasco".
That helps so much... Thank you so much for writing to her.

Well - again - that for taking an interest in Aunt Dot. It means a lot. Have a good weekend.

Medicines

So this is what I discovered on Tuesday.

The Doctor, on Monday, had switched Aunt Dots pain aid and also her antibiodic from what the ER doc on Thursday had recommended. To a pain med that is easier for older people to handle and an antibiotic that is more specific to her cellulitius. What they had her on made her climb the walls and the anti was just very general.

Darvasat is a narcotic. So they can not fax it to the home. It has to be a hard copy. But no one shares this with me on Monday so I think everything is fine. I find out this information on Tuesday morning so I am in the process of getting back my car so that I can go pick up the prescription and have it filled and get it to Grace. I call Grace to let them know and they say she is doing fine and that they are still giving her the original antibiotic so she is not going without.

Later I call and find out that the doc did indeed fax over the prescriptions but that Grace has to have the hard copy when the meds are delivered. Since we spent all afternoon in the ER I figure Grace can handle it with the pharmacy!

I still have not been to the doc office! Aunt has an apt this morning so I am just going to wait. Wouldn't it be great to get Hospice, Grace staff and the doctors and nurses all together so that we were all on the same page!

Another fall

Tuesday, July 22, Aunt Dot fell. She was in the dining room having her nails painted. The girls left her in her chair while they assisted another resident to the restroom and when they came back Aunt Dot was on the floor. Flat on her back. They tried to get her up but she complained of pain in her left hip so they had to leave her and call 911. Standard procedure for a fall. Ambulance took her to ER where they x-rayed her hip. There is nothing wrong. Took her back to Grace where she immediately went to the table for dinner.
I try and try to remind her that her foot-leg is sore and that she cannot walk on it. She acted like she would remember now but today is a new day! I will keep you posted!

July 17
Call from Grace. Aunt Dots leg is pretty swollen and red, felt feverish. They felt like I should get her to the doc or into the emergency. Took her into St Luke's ER. She has cellulitis (I am not sure of the spelling) which is an infection under the skin. Not sure how she got it. Somehow related to when she twisted her ankle a bit ago due to the corn on the bottom of her foot. Hospice felt that she was trying to keep her weight off the corn. Anyway-she got a prescription for pain and an antibiotics. On Monday they called and felt it had gotten worse. No fever but bigger and redder. She went back into Doc and was given a new antibiotic and pain aid.

I don't know where the miscommunication lies when dealing with Nursing Homes. I feel like between Renae, Patty, and myself we are there quite a bit. Yet I still feel unsettled about it. I got an e-mail from Grace about 9pm last night saying Aunt was in a lot of pain and they were doing what they could for her. When I called to check on her I discovered that the new orders for pain and antibiotics were not received so the prescriptions were never filled. WHY NOT? The doc office was faxing it to Grace who would send it to their pharmacy that brings them right to the home. Easy as can be. Only Grace did not have it. Did the doc office not send it? Did Grace not get it to the pharmacy? Did the pharmacy not deliver it? I wont have any answers until they all get up this morning. But I will find out.

Like when Patty took her to the doc office. The doc says they did not know that she had been to the emergency room on Thursday. Grace says they talked to the doc office. Who do you believe? I want to believe Grace as that is who we have trusted to care for Aunt Dot but it does make you wonder. Well, I will get it all straightened out.

Hope everyone is doing fine. Thanks for being interested. Have a great day. Rhonda

Just a quick update.
Hospice has been such a help. They are constantly calling me with updates and letting me know how Aunt Dot is feeling and doing. Last week was pretty bad. Hospice called and said that she was so upset. Crying. Wanting to know where her mom was. Insisting that she was going to meet her mom and dad. (This is generally all she refers to. Mom and Dad. She never mentions any sister or brother) I left work on Wednesday and went to see her and it was such a great visit. We set on her bed facing each other and talked. I got her a half sandwich, which we shared, and stayed for about an hour. She was in good spirits and doing great. Her foot was hurting her but she knew that and was staying off of it. Said it hurts her every year at this time and that it would be better in the morning.
Went back on Thursday afternoon with my granddaughter, Ella, and it was like night and day. She was cursing and beligerant. Cranky, crabby, mean. BUT she had company already and it was warm in her room. I think we made too much noise and it was overwhelming. Ella had brought her harmonica and thought the two of them would play a tune together. No go. We did not stay long and when I left I checked with the nurses. She was way overdue for her pain meds. I am not a big believer in pills but no old lady should be in that kind of pain that she does not even know what is going on.
Went back on Friday and she was good again. Getting ready for dinner. We visited and she was nice and did not even know there was anything wrong with her foot. Feeling that much better.

One thing I have learned through this is to harden up. I can not go in there and take everything personally. She has good days, bad days and GREAT days. You just have to gamble on what you are going to get and handle accordingly.

Thanks for being interested. Have a great day.