Hi all. SKendall, thank you for your words of encouragement. I'm glad that your Dad is at least in a nice nursing home - I suppose at some point I better figure out what one of those looks like so I will know the difference - just in case I ever need to know that. (hope not...but I'm realizing that you never know!). When we had the bed pan disaster at this current lousy excuse for a "nursing" home, the gals asked where Dad's "diapers" were. He has not lost control of that function - the issue was them giving him 1) "if needed" instruction laxatives on a continual basis and 2) not wiping when they pulled the bed pan away. My poor Dad and the look on his face when these nasty girls were asking where his diapers were..... Anyway, I suppose it's good that your Dad is accepting of the circumstances. I'm sure that doesn't make it any easier for you to watch your Dad slowly deteriorate......
Mary, my thoughts will be with you this week. It is so tough. I'm with WIP on the valium. I don't think it serves us well to switch one substance to another. Valium scares me. I don't know what others might think, but I have found both GABA and L-Tryptophan very helpful when I'm in stressful situations that prompt my brain to drinking thinking. Have you ever tried either of those? Will you be able to log in once in awhile during your trip? We will be sending you vibes whether you can log in or not. Few more days...
WIP, your situation sounds SO stressful. Are you still thinking about the psychiatric hospital for a few days? Guardianship sounds unappealing....but might be something in your mother's best interest at this point??? Boy..talk about uncharted waters (for me personally...)
I am SO hoping this "trial run" goes smoothly. I thought about going down there, but I doubt they would allow me to actually help with anything since I would not be there to help on a regular day. And I suspect having "on-lookers" (even me) would just add to what I'm sure will be stressful for Mom and Dad anyway. It sounds like Dad is doing good - LOL yesterday he made it all the way to the nurses station to b*tch about something without his walker....he forgot it. What will really be
to me is if things go well, and they actually follow through taking him BACK to that god awful place for the night and then do it all again tomorrow. I'm sure my Mom would be more than happy to make a quick trip into town to get his stuff and sign some paperwork and just leave Dad be at home where he wants to be. Funny...I've thought several times that it seems as though he's in jail. I'm sure my Mom could just walker him right out of there and take him home without their permission. But I suspect there might be medicare repurcussions or future treatment problems or something.
Anyway...will be on pins and needles until I hear how it went. I'm sending positive vibes to everyone dealing with aging parent issues today.
DG