Tuesday 28 February 2017

Quarantine is still on

Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Shortly after our dinners arrived, mom said she had to take a pee.  I pointed her in the right direction, but then I thought I had better check up on her.  Sure enough, she had come back.  She asked me if I was taking her home.  Home meant her room.  Someone had left something in the toilet so mom pointed it out to me so I flushed the toilet for her.  She wanted to make sure that I was staying so that I could escort her back to the dining area.  She was able to flush the toilet, but I noticed she wasn't washing her hands so we washed our hands together.  It made me wonder if she washes her hands regularly.
Dinner was lemon fish, rice and mixed veggies.  Dessert was an egg tart.  Yummy!  Mom got a banana from the fruit lady and then offered it to me.  Edward motions a ball with his hands for an orange.  He always gets an orange.
After dinner we went back to the room.  I got mom to comb her hair.  Then we brushed her teeth.  I told her to make sure she got the back teeth.  There was some laundry in her closet, in her drawer and in her clothes hamper.  I cleaned her toothbrushes.  She has 3 now.  I put 3 pairs of poopy underpants in the communal hamper.
I think the quarantine is still in effect.  I played cards with the usual gang.  I got Michael to deal the cards. They had to take Shanta away for some kind of treatment, but they brought her back in 20 minutes.  Donna won twice, Anna won twice, Mom won once, Michael won twice.  Shanta didn't win at all.  Shanta's the only one who remembers my name.

Saturday 25 February 2017

Mischief

Saturday, February 25, 2017
Mom and Donna were watching a documentary about the royal family.
We had tea together.  Donna seems to have a case of the sniffles.
We ate the clementines that Aunti Sumi gave mom.  The cake was a really nice peach cake still warm from the oven.  I gathered the orange peels and went to throw everything in the garbage.  When I got back I noticed that mom and Donna had helped themselves to another orange from the bag.  It made me laugh.
We played cards.  Mom won 3 times, Donna won 4 times, Anna won twice and Michael and Shanta didn't win at all.
A couple of the workers were watching us.  I seemed to be going through the cards quite quickly, but I was only going the speed of the gang.  Everyone was in deep concentration.
We all had fun.

Friday 24 February 2017

Friday night card bingo with Monopoly money

Friday, February 24, 2017
Mom, Donna and Edward were seated.  Mom had consumed all her beverages.
I took Jacquie's spot.  Aunti Tomoko had sent us a letter so I gave it to mom, but mom said she couldn't read it because she couldn't see.  I showed mom the photos of her sister and brother-in-law, but she didn't know who they were.  I showed Donna and Edward too.
We had barbecued "pork ribs" (reconstituted pork), mashed potatoes and gravy and mixed veggies (minced cauliflower, broccoli and squash (quite tasty).  Dessert was a peach cobbler.  Yummy.
I put the photos of Aunti Tomoko and Qyu-san and family on her wall.
We went back to the room.  There was an easy chair by the window.  Donna went to sit in it, but couldn't get up.  She recalled that she had done this before and mom had helped her get up.  We tried using her walker with Donna holding onto the walker and mom holding it in place.  That didn't work.  Then I suggested moving the walker and having mom pull Donna up by holding her hands.  That worked.  They both have trouble getting up from chairs.  In the exercise class they hang onto a railing to get up from the chair.  At the dinner table, mom gets confused.  They are eventually able to get up from the table.  It's interesting.  I don't give it a second thought.  It's like a reflex, but they have to figure out how to get up each time.
Barbara was listing as she came into the room.  She said she was very tired.
I tidied up mom's stuff.  Her laundry hamper was in the washroom, the lid was on her bed.  There was dirty underwear in her drawer which I put in the communal hamper.
Mom and Donna both had had their hair cut.
Anna greet me very warmly when I came in.  She was in a good mood.  Anna's daughter came after dinner.  It sounded like Anna had been moved to a private room.  She came to tell us that she had moved.
We played cards in the fish tank room with mom, Donna, Shanta and Michael.  Michael went to get his Monopoly money.  Mom won twice, Shanta won three times and Michael won twice.  Poor Donna didn't win at all.  Shanta was very excited that she had won three times.  She's been sick, the poor thing.  I can hear a lot of fluid in her lungs and she coughs a lot.
Donna's nose is runny.  She says it's allergies.  I hope so.
Ming said that there were no reports of stomach illness today.  He thinks things will be back to normal by Monday.

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Afternoon tea

Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Came in at 2:05.  I didn't see mom or Donna in the television room or in the dining room.  I saw Michael in the hallway.  Mom was standing in the doorway of her room.  Donna was just coming out of the washroom.  They were probably watching the afternoon movie.
I asked what had happened to Mary.  Donna said that she had passed away.  She seemed okay to me, but then I haven't seen her for some time.
Donna went back to see the movie.  I got mom to comb her hair.  I put her clean laundry in her drawers and put her dirty clothes in my bag.  Her underpants were poopie so I put them in the communal laundry.
Barbara was sleeping in her wheelchair.  I told her it was time for coffee.  She asked me to pick up her sunglasses from the floor.  Then she put on some really red lipstick.  It looks good on her.
Mom and I went to the dining room for coffee.  Michael was already sitting at a table so we joined him.  I set a chair for Donna who was watching the movie in the TV room.
Mom tried to give Michael her tea, but explained that Michael's coffee was coming.  Donna joined us.  She has her coffee black.  Today the snack was a cheese biscuit.  I gave everyone a mandarin orange that Sumi had brought for mom.  Barbara wanted to sit beside mom.  She knows mom's name. She said that when her leg hurts at night, mom comes and touches it.  She says mom is so sweet.
Barbara has trouble hearing and she is also blind in one eye.
Michael said he had gone out to the dog park.  He said a little dog was chasing a big dog.  Barbara said her family always had a dog growing up.  Her last dog was a Shitzu.  He only weighed 10 pounds.  Michael said he liked all dogs except for Chihuahuas.  Donna talked about her dogs.  One of them was a dachshund.  Mom just smiled.
Barbara and Michael had both lived in New Westminster.  Barbara was born in Victoria, but raised in New Westminster.  She said she worked on front street.  She said once the fishermen were on strike. Her sister asked if she could buy a fish and the fisherman said gave them two big fish.  She said they were very heavy.  Michael said he lived on Royal street.  They said they had good lives.
Donna talked about how she only weighed 3 lbs when she was born and she was in the newspaper.
The exercise lady came to round up the residents for strength training.  Mom didn't want to leave Barbara at the table, but Barbara didn't want to participate.
In the end mom and Donna were doing their exercises.  Mom was counting with gusto as she lifted her weights.  She wasn't following exactly, but she was participating.

Monday 20 February 2017

Visit from Sumi and Reiko

Sunday, February 20, 2017
Mom, Donna and Edward were seated.  Mom had consumed her apple juice and most of her milk.  I asked her for half her tea because there was no more tea left in the decanter.  She courteously complied.
I asked mom about Sumi and Reiko G. visiting on Saturday.  She seemed to remember vaguely. I talked to Reiko later and she said mom recognized her and she ate 4 cookies!  Reiko said that mom talked with her, but mostly said "I don't remember."Sumi brought oranges and Reiko brought monaka and cookies.  I took the cookies home and left the clementines and monaka.  I may collect them on Tuesday.
Dinner was macaroni and beef casserole with mixed veggies.  Dessert was lemon meringue pie. Mom ate most of her meal and was very interested in her dessert.  I was served a huge portion.  We shared mom's pie.  It was really sweet with a graham cracker crust.
We went back to the room.  Mom was trying to wipe the floor under the toilet.  I told her that I would do it.  Someone had missed the toilet and peed on the floor.  She was quite bossy.  When I went to throw the paper towels out and get new ones she wanted to know why I hadn't finished.
I got mom to comb her hair at the back where it gets matted.  The cookies and monaka were in a bag at the foot of her bed.  The clementines were in a bag in her drawer.
There was a lot of laundry again.
We played card bingo.  Michael went to his room to get his Monopoly money.  It made it more fun. Donna won 3 times.  Everyone else won 2 times each.  Shanta wasn't there.  The nurse took her away for some procedure.


Friday 17 February 2017

Gastroenteritis and pregnant with twins

Friday, February 17, 2017
I was wondering why I couldn't get in.  I saw a sign on the door that said we should only visit family and in fact not to visit at all unless it was necessary.  Yikes!
Suddenly, I heard my name.  It was Jacquie having a smoke and a coffee outside.  She said I couldn't get in because a resident was sitting too close to the door.  I hadn't seen him because he was in an alcove.  I forgot his name, but he is always trying to leave.  He is so happy when his son comes to visit him, but when he leaves, he always waits by the door.  I've never heard him speak, but I've seen him smile when his son visits.
Anyways, a nurse came to get him because it was time for dinner.  It's like herding cats.  The care aide rounds up the wheelchair bound residents and then they forget why they are there and leave.
It was taking a long time for the meals to be served.  Donna said that she and mom were trying to eat less because they were gaining too much weight.  Mom lifted up her bib and touched her stomach. Donna said she looked like she was pregnant with twins.  I told mom and she laughed.  Donna said it again.
I bought some rice and salmon rolls for mom, but she said she didn't want to eat them.  They weren't that good anyways.  She had honey pork, assorted beans and rice.  Everyone seemed to like their meal.  I had to tell mom to chew everything and swallow before she stuffed more food in her mouth.  I was worried she was going to choke.  It's ironic because she used to always tell me to chew more and wait before I stuffed more food in my mouth.
We shared mom's Jello.  She didn't even want to eat it at first, but I told her to try it.  She told me it was good, but insisted that I eat some too.
We had a couple of pieces of cut orange too.  Mom likes oranges.
We went back to the room so mom and Donna could use the toilet.  Mom had a lot of laundry.  There was a banana peel wrapped in a napkin, some rolled up tissue balls and a piece of banana.  I took the underpants that had poo streaks and even a pair of pants and put them in the communal laundry.
I trimmed mom's bangs and combed her hair.  Her hair was really matted at the back. I asked mom to comb her hair and she did it like a pro.
I thought there was horse racing tonight, but it turned out to be hand washing.  Because of the gastroenteritis, Ming was disinfecting the residents' hands and finishing with moisturizer.  He told us that Edward had died.  He had vomited blood.  Yikes!  His poor wife.  Ming says she knows something happened, but hasn't really processed it.
Anna was in the hallway talking to her family on the phone.  She motioned playing cards so I nodded in the affirmative.  I asked her to find Michael.  Shanta's son brought Shanta.  I guess Shanta preferred to play cards instead of spend extra time with her son.
Anna helped mom, Michael helped Donna and I helped Shanta.  Shanta knows her cards, but has trouble flipping.  Mom gets her cards right half the time.  Donna can recognized the card if you cue her.
A wheelchair resident had gotten caught escaping.  Michael wondered who would want to leave this place.  I think he genuinely likes it here as do the rest of the group except for Anna.  Anna misses her family.



Monday 13 February 2017

Sushi surprise

Monday, February 13, 2017
Today is Family Day.
Mom, Donna and Edward were seated.  Mom had drank all her beverages.  She had poured water in her mug. I poured out the water and got her some tea.  I asked Donna if we could have some of her milk as mom had already drank hers.  Donna obliged us.
I bought sushi and sweet potato tempura.  Mom enjoyed it.  I ate mom's beef stroganoff and peas.  It was pretty good.  Mom ate all her tapioca pudding and did not ask me if I wanted any.
Mom almost ate the wasabi so I had to stop her.  She tried to pour soya sauce in her tapioca.  Yikes!
After dinner we went back to the room so mom and Donna could use the washroom.
I tidied up mom's drawers and closet.
We went for a little walk and then I suggested we play Snakes and Ladders and card bingo.  We found Michael.  He disappeared for a bit and came back with Monopoly money.  We played one game of Snakes and Ladders and then several games of card bingo.  Michael gave us the Monopoly money when we won.  We had a good time.  I gave them all a Lindt chocolate.

Sunday 12 February 2017

Emergency

Sunday, February 12, 2017
Mom and Donna were in their room.  They had just come back from arm class.
Donna chatted briefly with Barbara.  Barbara was asking how Donna could have been a teacher with such a tiny voice.  Donna said it wasn't necessary to yell.  Barbara is hard of hearing.
I took mom and Donna for a little walk since dinner was at 5:00 and it was still only 4:00.  We went for a walk in another wing.  A nurse stopped us and told us some people were very ill in that wing and that we should stay away.
So we went to the fish tank room to look at the fish, then we sat on the couch to watch some television.  Then Donna said she had to go to the washroom and so did mom so we all went back to the room.
I tidied up mom's drawer.  Mom often uses her laundry hamper as a garbage can.  I guess I could get another receptacle without a lid.  But then, I don't think the staff would empty it and it could be a mouse problem.  There were some underpants with skid marks so I put them in the communal laundry hamper.  There was also a pair of clean underwear that I didn't recognize.  I left them at the nurses' station.
We went to sit at the dinner table at approx. 4:40.  The drinks were laid out.  I noticed that Edward's spot looked messy.  He had also used mom's napkin to wipe up a spill.  Donna said he would probably come back at dinner.  She said he thought he had Alzheimer's.  I know he seems to be hard of hearing.  I asked him how old he was and using his fingers, it looked like he was telling me that he was 97.  Holy cow!
The person who had been serving coffee and tea seemed to have disappeared but she had left the cart so I helped myself.  Donna, Jacquie and Edward are coffee drinkers and mom and I drink tea.
We had baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and mixed veggies.  Dessert was an apple crumble.  Mom's chicken came chopped up.  I got a couple of orange slices from the fruit lady.
 Jacquie was a now show.  Ailene came in late.  Someone else was sitting in her place at her table, so the care aide put her on the other side of the table.  She seemed fine with it.
After dinner we walked around a bit.  Two ambulance attendants came with a gurney as we walked out to the lobby.  Mom and Donna had to use the toilet so we headed back to their room, but there was a traffic jam at the nurses' station so we had to wait.  The ambulance attendants wanted the area cleared out, but kitchen staff had to move trays and we had to use the washroom.
The ambulance was for Shanta.  Poor thing.  She has something wrong with her lungs.  I wonder if her son and daughter-in-law smoke.
Barbara had her television on and it was very loud.  I wonder if her earphones are broken?
Mom, Donna and I went to play card bingo.  The fish tank room was full of people in wheelchairs so we went back to the dining room.  Michael and Anna joined us as well.  Anna is so loud when she wins.  She won 4 times as did Donna.  Everyone complains that Anna is too loud, but Anna is oblivious.

Friday 10 February 2017

Giant bubble wrap

Friday, February 10, 2017
No Jacquie today.  Mom, Donna and Edward were sitting at the table.  Mom had consumed all of her beverages.  There had been a Valentine's Day happy hour, but Donna didn't seem to remember any of it.  Mom just smiled.
We had lemon chicken, green beans and rice.  The chicken wasn't as good as usual.  It didn't have crispy skin and the flavour was more sweet than salty.  Dessert was tapioca pudding.  That was delicious.  Mom ate everything.  She only had a bite of the tapioca pudding.  She did not object when I helped her cut up her chicken.
Today she didn't seen to have any trouble taking a pee by herself.
I went through mom's drawers and tidied up.  I found only a banana peel in her laundry hamper.
Mom and Donna didn't sit together for the horse races.  Donna won twice!  Mom kept asking why she didn't get anything so I had to tell her that her horse didn't win.  I don't know if she understood.
Some of the residents didn't want to play the game.  One was eventually taken back to her room.
I tried the giant bubble wrap with mom and Donna but they didn't really like it.  Donna couldn't pop any bubbles.


Tuesday 7 February 2017

Pee confusion

Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Everyone was seated at the dinner table except Jacquie.
Mom has trouble getting out of her chair.  So does Donna, but for different reasons.
Mom had already drank her milk and apple juice.
We had ginger pork, rice and broccoli.  I got cauliflower too.  Dessert was carrot cake.
Edward asked for an orange.  He signed it rather that spoke it.
Mom was wearing the nice top from her sisters from Japan.  She refused to wear a bib today.  Donna and I were both concerned that she would drop food on her top, but mom was adamant.
After dinner we went back to the room.  I tidied up mom's drawer.  I found a pair of dirty undies in her drawer.  I emptied her hamper.  There were orange peels and some pastry crumbs.
I found a 3rd toothbrush with mom's name on it.
We went through mom's photo book.  She always enjoys that.  I also opened up her package of bubble wrap.
Donna and mom went off to play card bingo.
I mentioned to the nurse on duty that mom's pee smelt sweet.  She said it could have been something that mom ate, but that she would report it to the doctor.  I thought it was diabetes.
Barbara won two bags of chips at card bingo.
After the game mom said she had to go to the washroom.  I took her to the one next door because Donna was using the one in her room.  I went with mom.  Mom was confused about what to do.  I told her that she had to pull down her pants.  I had to tell her to pull off her panties.  She found the toilet rather low in the other room.  She asked me what she was supposed to do so I made sheeee,  sheee sounds, but that didn't work.  I guess she just didn't have to take a pee.
Donna and mom went to sit with Shanta in the fish tank room to await hot cocoa.

Saturday 4 February 2017

Snowy day

Saturday, February 4th, 2017
I was 40 minutes late for lunch.  I met Jacquie having a smoke outside as I came in.  Mom, Donna and Edward were still sitting at the table.  They had already finished their meals, but they continued to sit while I ate.  Meat pie, lentil soup, peas and canned mandarin oranges for dessert.
Mom noticed I was having difficulty getting at my peas so she told me to move my soup bowl.  It was a good suggestion. I wanted to have some milk with my tea so I pointed to the milk by Edward and he smiled and passed it to me.
Luckily 1:30 movie was cancelled and they had arm classes at 1:00.
Mom, Donna and Shanta joined the arm class.  Michael was dozing by the television.
They were having fun.
Mom had a lot of underpants with skid marks in her laundry hamper so I put them in the communal hamper.  The aide said she had put mom's pjs in the communal hamper as well.  I said that was fine.
I found a pair of pants that smelt like pee.  It was sweet pee.  I wonder if mom has developed diabetes.
I overheard Barbara talking on the phone to her daughter.  She mentioned that she was constipated but she wasn't allowed to have a laxative.  I wonder if that is true.
I had mom try on the top I bought her from Costco, but she didn't really like it.
We played card bingo.  Mom, Donna, Shanta and Michael.  They always want to play one more game. We played 8 games.  We could see huge snowflakes falling outside.  Yikes!