Alzheimer’s Disease Good Days
After the bad day Friday, I was tired and retired at 11:00 pm. Friday evening and forced myself to sleep until 6:30 A.M. After some chores I proceeded to the nursing home to arrange to sign Anna out of the facility for the day and return her at 6:15 PM Saturday evening. I was hoping today would be one of those Alzheimer’s disease good days
I was amazed at how she looked when I arrived in the A.M. to pick her up. She was vibrant looking, had lipstick and rouge on and her hair was combed and teased. It seems like everything at the nursing home was beginning to reflect what I had asked for the night before with the Administrator and the Supervisor of Nurses. Apparently they left instructions Friday evening to give Anna the attention I had requested and she deserved.
Anna seemed very happy to be with me and as she entered the car she said “this is my car.” I responded, jokingly, ” It certainly is, except I own half with you.” We arrived home in ten minutes and I unloaded the car and stored the items from shopping. Anna did not have breakfast so I served her a cup of tea and half of blueberry muffin and she consumed it all by herself without help. We both lounged around in the living room and our aid was cleaning the dishes and the entire apartment plus a two week accumulation of laundry. Everything was coming together and seemed like old times even though it was just a week that Anna was in the nursing home.
Lunch was served at 11:30 A.M. and Anna enjoyed one third of a hoagie sub that we cooked up sausage onions and Swiss cheese. I watched T.V. until dinner time and Sheila our aid showered Anna and I had asked her to let me know if there were any issues that she could find on Anna’s body. There were minor black and blue marks on her behind and also a pretty bad rash Sheila applied desitin ointment to the area and put her housecoat on and we relaxed till about 4:00 PM and start cooking dinner. We all enjoyed the T-bone steak with all the trimmings. Sheila cleaned up the dining room and kitchen dressed Anna and we left at 5:45 PM to return Anna to the Nursing Home. She was vibrant and looked as pretty as ever Sheila brushed her hair applied lipstick and rouge.
We arrived at the Nursing hope at 5:50 and Sheila Anna and I entered the facility I showed Sheila the lounge area downstairs where I sit with Anna on the first floor when I visit each day. We then proceeded to the third floor and the hard part arrived we had to leave Anna she asked if I was staying and it broke my heart to tell her I was going downstairs to see a staff member and would return shortly.
The bus stop was right in front of the facility and Sheila waited on the bench and I waved good bye to her as I headed home. I documented the issues we found with Anna for future use to advise the staff and watched T.V. until I retired for the night.
Tags: aging, alzheimer's, caregiver, Caring for Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Getting Old, Living with Alzheimer’s, Nursing Homes