Got Back to Work
Tuesday, December 27th, 2022 08:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudioYesterday we got Dad's bed. The guy came so early I had no time to try and get dad out of the old bed first. We had to move out other furniture to make room for him to assmble the new bed next to his old bed, and then he left!
I had called the FD non emergency and left a message requesting a lift assist, but they weren't calling back.
So I had to just line up the new bed right next to Dad's old bed, and raise it to the exact same height... then, using the pull sheet, I dragged him across to the new bed!
Once he was in the new bed, I moved it as far as I could into one corner, so that I had just enough room to get out the old mattress, box springs, and frame. Then I vacuumed the shit out of the floor and mopped it... then moved Dad back into position.
After that I moved all the furniture back into the room.
There are only two outlets in that room, and the bed has two plugs, taking up one whole outlet. So, I had to run out and buy two power strips, in order to plug in all the other stuff we have in there, like his lamp, fan, clock, phone charger, and the Alexa.
Lonnie, the head nurse paid us a visit and... like our first two visitors, kinda did nothing but take notes and tell us to wait a couple more days for other people to come and take their notes.
The fire deparment never called back.
--<>--
Today, Tuesday the 27th, we had a visit from Sue, the social worker who... took a bunch of notes, and had Dad sign forms giving me power of attorney in writing.
She said he could only have one sitter a week for one hour. Which sucks ass!
I had to leave him alone and go back to work today, but, because the kids are on Christmas break, I was able to leave an hour earlier than normal, and was home before 6:30PM. And thankfully he was still safe in his bed.
------------{=0=}------------
Yesterday he ate very little, and again today, he's eaten nothing, so far. Every time I ask him if he'd like a little of this or that, he thinks about it and says, "Eh... maybe later."
Yesterday he mostly slept, and didn't even smoke or drink any Guinness.
Today, however, he was fairly awake and lucid when I got home from work and was talking about how he wanted to get out of bed and get dressed. And how he wanted to go in the kitchen.
I told him, as I have before, that he's too weak right now, and that he has to start eating more, if he wants to get up and around.
He agreed, but... when I told him Helen from work had made him home made chicken noodle soup, and would he like to try some, he said... "Eh... maybe later."
He did drink some Gunness however, and smoked a few puffs of a Newport.
--<>--
He was concerned about being able to call 911 if he was alone in the house... which was a valid concern!
And that made me realize I'd seen a phone jack in the room when I was moving stuff around.
So I brought his land line phone in from the living room... plugged it into the jack and into the power strip, and it works!
So now he's got a working phone on his overbed table, which is good!
He CAN call 911 if something happens while I'm gone. But also, I can call him from work and check up on him. And if he has Alexa call my phone, I can call him back on the land line.
Also, now other people can call him any time of the day.
It doesn't make him that much safer, but it's something!
--<>--
Everybody, meaning the family, the hospice people, and my coworkers think it's not a good idea for me to be leaving him alone in the house for four hours.
But hospice won't give me even a sitter to keep an eye on him. No family member can possibly be there for him that long term. And the government in general has no program to pay me to stay home!
The only program that pays you like that is medicaid, but it's a LOAN and they expect all the money to be paid back or... take a lein on the house!
So...
Everybody thinks it's a bad idea, but... nobody has a fucking solution!
We are barely surviving with the money I make part time, and I need the health benefits for my own goddam health!
Dad can't bear to go to a nursing home, so... this is how it is!
------------{=0=}------------
I'm personally fairly convinced now, that he's already in the early stages of dying and doesn't have all that long.
Lack of appetite is one of the first stages. And he's drifting in and out of consciousness... and of clarity... from hour to hour, and moment to moment.
He's still able to hold a fairly lucid conversation, at times, and speak clearly... though at other times he mumbles, and doesn't quite follow you.
From what I'm learning, that's just how this stuff goes.
--<>--
Sheila will be here on Thursday, for a one day visit.
Other siblings have scheduled visits for later in January... three and four weeks from now.
He will no doubt rally for Sheila, and she'll probably get him to eat stuff and look like he's gonna rebound. But as soon as she's gone, he'll revert back to base level.
That's what happened with Mom, back in the day. She rallied when everybody came at once to visit her in the nursing home for a week. And as soon as they left, she took a dive, and died a month later.
I expect that he may pass away before Kevin, Colleen, or Tim's scheduled visits in mid January.
--<>--
Some of them are still holding out for the big turn around, where he gets back to normal life for a few years.
Some of the hospice nurses are still acting like he's got several months, because they haven't spent any time with him yet.
But I'm on the front lines, watching his decline over just a single week, and... at this rate, he's only got a couple weeks left!
--<>--
One week ago... he WAS on death's doorstep, already!
An IV the next day gave him the jolt of life necessary to get him into my car, and back into the house.
But after he fullfilled that desire to be back at the kitchen table, drinking a Guiness, and smoking a Newport, with Yvette at his feet, last Wednesday night... he quickly lost steam.
He could still get into the kitchen with the walker and gait strap on Thursday.
By Friday it was pivot and transfer immediately to the wheel chair.
And by Saturday, he just couldn't get out of bed at all.
He had his little Christmas Day rally because of the phone call, where he ate stuff and got super lucid for them.
But the next day he was back to base line and not eating anything.
And the same was the case today.
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
I had called the FD non emergency and left a message requesting a lift assist, but they weren't calling back.
So I had to just line up the new bed right next to Dad's old bed, and raise it to the exact same height... then, using the pull sheet, I dragged him across to the new bed!
Once he was in the new bed, I moved it as far as I could into one corner, so that I had just enough room to get out the old mattress, box springs, and frame. Then I vacuumed the shit out of the floor and mopped it... then moved Dad back into position.
After that I moved all the furniture back into the room.
There are only two outlets in that room, and the bed has two plugs, taking up one whole outlet. So, I had to run out and buy two power strips, in order to plug in all the other stuff we have in there, like his lamp, fan, clock, phone charger, and the Alexa.
Lonnie, the head nurse paid us a visit and... like our first two visitors, kinda did nothing but take notes and tell us to wait a couple more days for other people to come and take their notes.
The fire deparment never called back.
Today, Tuesday the 27th, we had a visit from Sue, the social worker who... took a bunch of notes, and had Dad sign forms giving me power of attorney in writing.
She said he could only have one sitter a week for one hour. Which sucks ass!
I had to leave him alone and go back to work today, but, because the kids are on Christmas break, I was able to leave an hour earlier than normal, and was home before 6:30PM. And thankfully he was still safe in his bed.
Yesterday he ate very little, and again today, he's eaten nothing, so far. Every time I ask him if he'd like a little of this or that, he thinks about it and says, "Eh... maybe later."
Yesterday he mostly slept, and didn't even smoke or drink any Guinness.
Today, however, he was fairly awake and lucid when I got home from work and was talking about how he wanted to get out of bed and get dressed. And how he wanted to go in the kitchen.
I told him, as I have before, that he's too weak right now, and that he has to start eating more, if he wants to get up and around.
He agreed, but... when I told him Helen from work had made him home made chicken noodle soup, and would he like to try some, he said... "Eh... maybe later."
He did drink some Gunness however, and smoked a few puffs of a Newport.
He was concerned about being able to call 911 if he was alone in the house... which was a valid concern!
And that made me realize I'd seen a phone jack in the room when I was moving stuff around.
So I brought his land line phone in from the living room... plugged it into the jack and into the power strip, and it works!
So now he's got a working phone on his overbed table, which is good!
He CAN call 911 if something happens while I'm gone. But also, I can call him from work and check up on him. And if he has Alexa call my phone, I can call him back on the land line.
Also, now other people can call him any time of the day.
It doesn't make him that much safer, but it's something!
Everybody, meaning the family, the hospice people, and my coworkers think it's not a good idea for me to be leaving him alone in the house for four hours.
But hospice won't give me even a sitter to keep an eye on him. No family member can possibly be there for him that long term. And the government in general has no program to pay me to stay home!
The only program that pays you like that is medicaid, but it's a LOAN and they expect all the money to be paid back or... take a lein on the house!
So...
Everybody thinks it's a bad idea, but... nobody has a fucking solution!
We are barely surviving with the money I make part time, and I need the health benefits for my own goddam health!
Dad can't bear to go to a nursing home, so... this is how it is!
I'm personally fairly convinced now, that he's already in the early stages of dying and doesn't have all that long.
Lack of appetite is one of the first stages. And he's drifting in and out of consciousness... and of clarity... from hour to hour, and moment to moment.
He's still able to hold a fairly lucid conversation, at times, and speak clearly... though at other times he mumbles, and doesn't quite follow you.
From what I'm learning, that's just how this stuff goes.
Sheila will be here on Thursday, for a one day visit.
Other siblings have scheduled visits for later in January... three and four weeks from now.
He will no doubt rally for Sheila, and she'll probably get him to eat stuff and look like he's gonna rebound. But as soon as she's gone, he'll revert back to base level.
That's what happened with Mom, back in the day. She rallied when everybody came at once to visit her in the nursing home for a week. And as soon as they left, she took a dive, and died a month later.
I expect that he may pass away before Kevin, Colleen, or Tim's scheduled visits in mid January.
Some of them are still holding out for the big turn around, where he gets back to normal life for a few years.
Some of the hospice nurses are still acting like he's got several months, because they haven't spent any time with him yet.
But I'm on the front lines, watching his decline over just a single week, and... at this rate, he's only got a couple weeks left!
One week ago... he WAS on death's doorstep, already!
An IV the next day gave him the jolt of life necessary to get him into my car, and back into the house.
But after he fullfilled that desire to be back at the kitchen table, drinking a Guiness, and smoking a Newport, with Yvette at his feet, last Wednesday night... he quickly lost steam.
He could still get into the kitchen with the walker and gait strap on Thursday.
By Friday it was pivot and transfer immediately to the wheel chair.
And by Saturday, he just couldn't get out of bed at all.
He had his little Christmas Day rally because of the phone call, where he ate stuff and got super lucid for them.
But the next day he was back to base line and not eating anything.
And the same was the case today.
°¦}
