Sunday 29 April 2018

Tylenol is for arthritic knees

Sunday, April 29th, 2018
Mom was up to no good at the dining table.  She had managed to open her box of Boost, but she couldn't figure out how to drink it.  Jacquie told me that she was also putting cutlery in her pocket.
I took mom to the washroom to toilet her.  Her diaper was wet so I changed it and wiped her bum.
I cut her bangs better this time.
Mom ate most of her food today.  She enjoyed her chocolate pudding and the Boost.  I gave her pieces of oranges and she spit our the fibrous parts for me.
Today the nurse told me that mom was taking Tylenol for the arthritis in her knees.
She gets it 3 times a day.  I wonder if that is giving her side effects.
Mom was very giggly today at dinner.
After dinner I toileted her again, brushed her teeth, washed her face, etc.
Donna was put in bed and told that her diaper would be changed later.  Donna couldn't play cards with us today so I asked Alan.  He was picking his teeth again.  Disgusting.  I think his eyesight is not good either.  He asked me again about typing up his petition.  I said that it wasn't necessary.
I sang Sakura with mom in the chapel.
Donna was still in bed when I went to see her.  I hope they changed her diaper.
I sat mom with Anka and they were having a good time.

Saturday 28 April 2018

Tylenol

Saturday, April 28th, 2018
Mom was sitting with Donna.  The legless lady was with them.  They were scolding mom about something.  I took mom away to toilet her.  Looked like she had already had a bowel movement.  I cleaned her up.  Her bangs looked long so I trimmed them using scissors I helped myself to at the nurses station.  I didn't do a good job.  Poor mom.  I should bring some better scissors tomorrow and fix them up.
Mom ate most of her meal.  I bribed her pieces of orange, fruit cake and Boost.
She spit out the fibrous bits of orange like she used to do.  Or rather I took them out of her mouth.
The nurse gave mom Tylenol.  Jacquie asked me what it was for.  I really didn't know.  The first nurse said it was because mom didn't want to get out of bed in the morning.  She said it was better than giving her other drugs.  I asked the nurse today and she said it was common practice to give old people lots of Tylenol.  So, I don't really understand.
After dinner Donna wanted to be toileted.  The nurses put her on her bed and went for their break.  Poor Donna.  I took mom for another pee.  She did some wet farts so I had to clean her bum again.
We played card bingo in the chapel.  I asked Alan to be the fifth player.  He was picking his teeth and not fully engaged.  Shanta had to help him a bit.  He was picking his teeth for half and hour.  I don't think he's in very good health.  He talked about getting his toes cut and it cost $40.  I told him that I knew a place that had the seniors' rate of $15.  He said he wasn't a senior.  He sure isn't in very good shape.
After the game, he asked me to sign a petition about opening the gate to the park again.  Turned out he wanted me to make up a petition.  He mentioned another person who had a relative at the centre.  He told me about different ideas for the gate.  I said fine, give me the petition and I will sign.  I told him that I had already contacted the director and she told me that it was for safety that the gate had been locked for good.  I told him several times that I would sign his petition.  I told him since he was so passionate about it, he should talk to the director or the newspapers.
He said that he was already looking into a different nursing home for his mom.
I took mom back to the room to toilet her again.  The aides had just finished cleaning Donna up and putting her to bed.   Poor Donna.
I toileted mom and took her back out to sit with Anka and Zorka for hot cocoa.  Mom and I shared a cookie and hot cocoa.  Mom didn't drink much.  After, I brushed mom's teeth again and took back to sit with the girls.

Wednesday 25 April 2018

Too much sugar

Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Chris called me from St. Michael's.  I thought he was in Mexico.  He said he was leaving this Friday.  He said Alan had told him that mom was pouring a lot of sugar into her beverage containers. I told him to tell the nurse on  duty.  He also said that she had white stuff on her face.

Tuesday 24 April 2018

Poo poo in the potty!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Mom was sitting in a wheelchair when I arrived.  We had fish today.  Mom had minced stuff.  She started eating it with her spoon.  She must have been hungry.  She ate most of her carrots.  I gave her some of my potato and fish and she liked it.  I got her to eat a few more spoonfuls of her minced food by bribing her with orange.  She liked her pear sauce too. 
After dinner I took mom outside, but she didn't like it.  She wanted to go back inside.
I took mom back to her room and she did poo in the toilet.  Hurray!  I didn't have to change her diaper, but I did have to wipe her bum.
Ming wasn't here today so the lady that did the bowling last week did the card bingo.
I won a bag of potato chips.  Shanta won three times.  Donna won a bag of potato chips too.
Donna and mom shared Donna's potato chips.  Although I asked mom if she wanted to eat the ketchup chips that I had won, she didn't seem interested.
The bowling and card bingo lady also did puzzles with mom today.

Sunday 22 April 2018

Mom hardly ate anything for dinner

Sunday, April 22, 2018
Mom and Donna were already seated at the dining table when I arrived.  I took mom to the bathroom and changed her diaper.  She was pretty clean, but the diaper was pretty soaked.
I washed her face and combed her hair.  I got her to take the back tangles out.
I went through her photo book with her.
I turned in the consent form for mom's eye test.
I took mom and Donna outside briefly to look at the dog park.
It was sunny, but there was a slight breeze.
The automatic doors do not work well.
You have to push them open, then put rocks down to keep them open.
I have to back Donna's wheelchair in when coming back in.  Alan showed me what to do.
Mom did not like her dinner.  She kept telling me it wasn't good and made faces.  She hardly touched a thing.  She did eat the piece of ham I gave her.  But she said she wasn't hungry.
She drank most of her apple juice and some tea.
After dinner I took her back to the bathroom for another pee.
I took her for a little walk, we sang some songs, I brushed her teeth, etc.
We played card bingo in the fish tank room.

Afternoon Coffee Time

Saturday, April 21, 2018
Mom and Donna were not watching the afternoon movie.  They were sitting at the nurses station with Joe, Anka and Lorne.  Mom was sleeping.  When she woke up, she told me that she couldn't eat anymore.  I had a little difficulty coaxing her to stand up.  I took her to the washroom and changed her diaper.  It wasn't that dirty, but there was poo on it.  I cleaned her up with towels.  I combed her hair, wiped her face, brushed her teeth.  I threw out her African Violet.  Her mum is managing to hand in there even though most of the stems have withered.  I'll have to bring a pair of scissors to trim the dead parts.
I took mom and Donna to the dining room for afternoon coffee.  Anka didn't want to join us.  I think Joe wanted to come, but he stayed with Lorne.
They served digestive biscuits.  Mom liked them.  Donna just ate one of hers and forgot about the other one.  Mom was eyeing it.  I broke it in half and gave half to Donna and half to mom.  I broke off pieces and handed the cookie to mom.  Mom put the pieces back together.  I think I will give her a puzzle next time.
I left Donna by the fish tank.  When I came back, Donna had been moved by the television.  I left mom with Donna.

Card Bingo

Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Mom was kind of grouchy so I decided to take her to the toilet.  She took a pee, but otherwise she seemed fine.  She didn't seem interested in her food.  I gave her some of my roasted potato.  She liked the apple crisp.  They gave her apple crisp in error.  She ate orange.  Because we went to the toilet, we got back to the dining room late and everyone had finished and gone.  An aide came over to feed mom.  Mom ate most of her food.  Mom wouldn't take the food from me.  She kept making faces and telling me that the food didn't taste good.  For this particular eastern European aide she behaved.
We played card bingo in the TV room.  Alan stayed and watched TV which kind of pissed me off because the reason we were in the TV room and not the fish tank room was because the TV was noisy.  He could have moved closer to the television and turned the volume down.  Other times I used the chapel, but because he was the only one in the TV room, I thought he would leave and talk on the phone like he usually does. At least he helped move the table.
Chris said he was going to Mexico  this Friday for a week.
I replaced the box of tissues that I left at the nurses station.
A nurse gave me a form so that mom could see an eye doctor.  I suppose they check the health of the eye as well.

Tuesday 17 April 2018

Mom won a bag of potato chips at card bingo

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Mom was in a wheelchair today.  The nurse told me that the doctor was giving mom pain medication.  Mom is wandering around at night.  She also said that I could sign papers for eye doctor visits.
Mom ate about half her dinner.  She liked the beef sausage that I was eating.  She enjoyed her orange and her chocolate pudding. 
I suspected she needed a diaper change.  The toilet in her room was dirty and had feces on the the toilet seat and outside of the bowl.  I reported it before dinner, but after dinner it was still dirty.
I did a diaper change for mom.  I also changed her pants.  They were Donna's pants.  They had poop on them around the waist.  Her shirt and jacket seemed okay.
Jacquie said the dentist had seen mom.  Poor mom.
I brushed mom's teeth and she seemed okay with it.
She doesn't like when I wash her face.  She had some white stuff on her face.
They had card bingo today.  Mom won a bag of potato chips.

Sunday 15 April 2018

Bowling

Sunday, April 15, 2018
Donna was sitting at the table, but mom wasn't there.  I found her in the hallway.  The aide was taking Anka and my mom to the dining room.  She told me that mom had already been toileted.  Hurray!
I took mom to the dining room.  The chairs were not set up yet.  Yesterday, mom was sitting beside Jacquie so I thought it was the same way for dinner.  Edward told me that we had to move by pushing the chair.  After the kerfuffle I apologized to Edward.  Mom was served first.  She ate the first mouthful by herself, but she didn't seem to like her food.  I gave her some of mine and alternated with her food.  She liked the dessert.  There were no oranges, so we got bananas.  Mom and I shared half a banana each. 
After dinner I took Donna to sit in the fish tank room.  There was supposed to be a bowling activity at 6:00, but it didn't start until 6:15. 
I toilet mom, brushed her hair, brushed her teeth, washed her face etc.  We shared a Mandarin orange together before I brushed mom's teeth. Both mom's and Donna's mums are doing poorly, but hanging in there.
I took mom for a walk and we sang.  Meanwhile Donna was bored and asked to be taken back to her room.  Once the activity was finally on its way and mom had had her turn, I went back to the room to get my things.  I asked Donna if she wanted to come with me.  She did and she ended up doing the bowling activity too.  Joe also participated.  Mom was reluctant.  I think if she had the ball in her hand, she may have been able to participate better.  There was a ramp device that was used to roll the ball off of.

New pink tooth brush

Saturday, April 15, 2018
Mom and Edward have changed places.  An aide was feeding mom.  I asked the aide to let mom eat her own dessert.  Mom started using the spoon and ate her own dessert.  I had noticed that if mom likes something, she will suddenly remember how to use cutlery. 
I gave mom some of my teriyaki chicken.  She chewed and chewed.  She kept pointing to the empty dessert dish.  I think she really liked the custard.
I told Jacquie about the Zoomer show.  She really seemed interested in going.
After dinner, I took Donna to the nurses station.  I took mom back to the room and toileted her.  I changed her pee-soaked diaper.  Mom did a little bit of poop.
I brushed her teeth. There was what looked to be some blood on her toothbrush.  She's supposed to be seeing the dentist soon for a cleaning.  We looked through her photo book together.
We played card bingo in the television room.  It was the usualy group: Michael, Shanta, Donna and mom.  Mom has difficulty.  Sometimes she picks the card and turns it over, but more often she has no clue.
I left mom and Donna in the fish tank room when I left.
I got mom a new pink toothbrush and used a marker to label it.
Her pink mum looks pretty sad as does Donna's white mum.

Wednesday 11 April 2018

Mom's toothbrush is gone

Wednesday, April 11, 2018
One of the aides was feeding mom.  I took her place.  I gave mom some of my chicken.  She was able to feed herself a little with some cueing.  Mom ate most of her food.  She really likes the orange, but then she chews and chews and takes a long time to swallow the orange membrane.  She is eating fine.
She can hold a cup and drink herself.
Donna and Edward need help with eating now.
Jacquie wasn't there today.
After dinner I took mom back to her room.  Mandy asked if she needed to be toileted.  Mom did a pee and a poo.  Then she put her left hand in her bum.  So I had to hold her hand while Mandy finished cleaning her.  I cleaned mom's fingernails.  Yuck. 
I brushed mom's teeth and washed her face.  She doesn't like getting her face wiped.  I combed her hair too. Mom's toothbrush is gone.  Time to get a new one.
I couldn't find mom's photo book.  Chris said to look at Joan's nightstand.  Sure enough, it was there.
Thank heavens!
We played card bingo and it was fun.
We left mom and Donna in the fish tank room.

Wednesday 4 April 2018

Chrysanthemum is already dying

Wednesday, April 4, 2018
We had Greek chicken, but a new recipe.  The coating was more saucy than usual.  Instead of Greek salad, we had Italian mixed veggies.  Mom had her pureed food.  Yuck.  I gave her my potatoes and chicken.  She ate my apple crisp as well.  I gave her some orange, but she was having trouble with the fibre.  She would eventually swallow it, but it was a long tortuous process.  Also, I thought I heard something strange when she was eating the chicken.  Maybe I accidentally gave her some cartilage.  She seemed to have swallowed that too.  They were already cleaning the table while mom sat there.
Mom really liked the orange.  She hardly used the spoon today.
After dinner, I toileted her.  She did a little poop and she already had some poop in her diaper.  I brushed her teeth.  She will have a hygienist look at her teeth next week.  She always gets orange fibres stuck in her teeth and then she tries to pick them out with her fingers.
Mom's chrysanthemum is already dried out.  Donna's plant still looks pretty good.
We played card bingo with the usual group.
Chris arrived late.  He said traffic was bad on the Queensborough bridge.

Monday 2 April 2018

Ethel's visit

Monday, April 2nd, 2018
Mom was sitting with Donna in the fish tank room when I arrived at 9:30.  I took mom to her room and toileted her.  She did a poop.  I brushed her teeth and combed her hair.
We picked up Donna and went to sit in the dining area with Michael.  I thought tea would be served at 10, but it was 10:30.  Ethel arrived at 10:00 and we chatted.
We went to the fish tank room because they were setting up for lunch in the  dining room.
Mom kept dozing off.  After mom left, I took her to her room and let her take a nap until lunch.
I toileted mom again and this time, she did a really wet and runny poop.  I had to change her diaper.
Mom was distracted at lunch, but in the end she did eat most of it.
I toileted her again.  This time her diaper was full of poop. 
I brushed mom's teeth, combed her hair, etc.
She was happy.
I returned her to Donna in the fish tank room.