Wednesday 31 October 2018

Stacking toy

Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Mom was sitting at the table without a wheelchair.  She seemed quite alert. 
Nevenka was feeding her.  Mom was eating.  She only ate a few mouthfuls however.
Jacquie had sent me a photo of mom in a green hat.  She said mom was a leprechaun. 
Mom ate half a banana by herself.  I was able to feed her apple sauce and a few more mouthfuls of her dinner.  She had drunk all her beverages.
I toiletted her after dinner.  She just peed.  Her diaper was clean.
Donna was already put to bed. 
I got mom's photo book and her stacking toy and we walked to the lobby.  We went through mom's photo book and then we played with the stacking toy.  I took the donut shaped pieces apart and then handed them to her one at a time.  With some cueing, she was able to stack the pieces.  She was quite pleased with herself.  We must have done it 10 times.  She could have done it more.  Each time, it was like it was new.
I took her to the chapel and sang and walked with her.  She couldn't remember the crow song, but she remembered the sunset song a bit.
When we got back to her room, she was very tired and she didn't want to get up.  I let her lay down and removed her shoes and put a blanket over her.

Sunday 28 October 2018

Mom is so dopey

Sunday, October 28, 2018
Mom was sitting with Donna and Edward when I arrived.  A nurse was helping her drink her Boost.  I mentioned that if she drank too much, she wouldn't eat her meal.  I guess it doesn't really matter.  Mom refused to eat and then she was falling asleep.  I took her food back to her room.  I took Donna to the fish tank room.  I was able to get mom to eat half a teaspoon of chocolate pudding before I took her back to her room.  She wouldn't get out of her wheelchair.  I had her do some exercises, but she just didn't want to get out of the chair.  I fed her some banana, a spoonful of her dinner, a half spoonful of the azuki bean mixture and a cup of milk.  She kept falling asleep.  Her feet were cold.  I put a blanket over her legs.  I combed her hair.  It was so matted and tangled just from yesterday.  I wheeled her out by the nurses station.  She was so dopey.
I had brought a Fisher Price toy that Charlene had found second hand.  It was a stacking toy.  Mom was not interested in it.  In fact she seemed anxious.  I took it apart and put it back together many times, but she just watched.

Saturday 27 October 2018

Mom's Birthday

Saturday, October 27, 2018
Mom was sitting with Donna and Edward when I arrived.  I noticed that my place had not been set.
Mom had already drunk her beverages. 
I noticed mom had poop in her finger nails.  She noticed too and started to pick at her nails.
When her food came, she refused to eat.  She refused her Tylenol, but finally she succumbed. 
I brought some red bean paste and mixed it with a little creamer.  She refused to eat it at first, but once she tasted it, she was amenable to eating it.  She even ate a little of her dinner, but not much. She ate half a banana. 
After dinner I could smell poop and mom even pointed to her nether regions.  Sure enough, mom had filled her diaper.  I had to change her trousers too.  Unexpectedly, the aide offered to help me. I told her that I was fine.  She even thanked me.  That has never happened before.  Obviously someone new. 
I tried to clean mom's nails with the finger brush, but in spite of soaking, very little came out.
I combed mom's hair and trimmed her bangs.  Mom's hair was so tangled.
I tidied up mom's closet.
I found a pair of socks and a shirt that did not belong to her.
Suddenly mom became very tired. I was going to take her for a walk, but she refused to budge.  I had her lie down and I put a quilt on her.
Donna had already been put to bed.


Wednesday 24 October 2018

Mom drank my apple juice

Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Mom was sitting in a wheelchair with all her table mates.  She was just beginning to inspect my cutlery.  Actually, I think she had already inspected it and was back at it.  I took my cutlery from her.  I noticed she had already drunk my apple juice.  Mom didn't eat anything.  I took her food and put it on the table in the family kitchen area so she could eat with Chris when he arrived.  Edward was still eating at the table alone.  I even saw him eat a piece of carrot.  Usually he doesn't eat vegetables.
I took mom to her room.  Donna was already there washing up.
I changed mom's pee soaked diaper.  She said it stunk.  I could definitely smell poop.  She did a poop in the toilet.  Mom wiped her bum with toilet paper and she threw the poopy paper in the toilet.  Hurray!  Usually I just try to distract her, but she was okay.  I finished cleaning her up and put on a new diaper. 
I took mom for a walk back to the family kitchen and started to feed her.  She took one bite and was uncooperative.  I got her photo book out.  Chris came.  I was able to get mom to drink all her milk. She ate very little of her dinner.  She started eating her banana.  I gave her a baby cookie and she ate that too.  She also drank some of Chris' apple juice and some water through a straw.  She was in a much better mood today. She was alert and engaged. 
After Chris left, I took mom back to her room and put a sweater on her.  She did up the top buttons.  Donna and Joan were already in bed.  I put mom back in her wheelchair and left her at the nurses station.


Sunday 21 October 2018

Mom is uncooperative and dopey

Sunday, October 21, 2018
Mom was sitting with Donna and Edward had just arrived.  Mom had drunk both my apple juice and hers. Mom was dozy.  Mom and Donna's food came first.  Mom wasn't eating anything.  I put her hand on the spoon and she started to play with her food, mixing it up.  Then she took a very small taste and made a face.  She kept drifting off to sleep.  I was able to get her drink most of her Boost.
After dinner I took Donna to sit at the nurses station and took mom to her room.  Donna soon joined us.  The aide left Donna at the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face.  Donna was there for a long time.  She asked me to push her back.  The aide was changing Joan's diaper. 
I was trying to get mom to get out of her wheelchair, but mom was not cooperating.  I went through mom's photo book with her.  After the aide was finished with Joan, I tried to get mom out of the wheelchair again.  This time I was successful.  I went to prepare the bathroom and get her diaper. towels, etc.  In the meantime, mom had sat down in a chair and she wouldn't get up.  The aide got mom to get up.  Mom thought she was going to sit in her wheelchair, but I walked her to the washroom.  The aide removed mom's diaper.  I think it was just pee.  I sat her on the toilet, but she didn't do anything.  I just wiped her and put a new diaper on her. 
I took her for a little walk and then brought her back to the room.

Saturday 20 October 2018

Clean diaper

Friday, October 19, 2018
I arrived late because of bus trouble and an alternate route.
Larry was feeding mom.  She wasn't being very cooperative.
I started feeding mom.  She was cooperative at first, but eventually she started to get upset.
She drank all her beverages, some with the aid of a straw.
I gave her a mouthful of food and then I let her drink something.
After dinner I toileted her.  Her diaper was pristine.  She didn't even pee.
I took her to play with the foam noodles and balloon.  The residents enjoy this.  I am surprised at their reflexes and strength.  Mom used her left arm to swat the balloon and something she used both hands grabbing onto the noodle to hit the balloon. 
Mom seemed weaker than usual today.  She also seemed to have pain when she got up from her chair.  She still walks around okay.
After the balloon activity I tried to toilet her again, but again nothing.  I brushed her teeth.  I didn't used toothpaste.  I gave a cup of water to rinse with, but she took two sips and swallowed both.
We went through her photo book.  It always makes her happy and she does recognize herself still.
Michael had gone to Metrotown today.  Apparently he goes by bus and comes back by taxi.  I was surprised that he was allowed out.


Thursday 18 October 2018

Not a good day

Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Mom was in a wheelchair.  She was not happy.  I took her to the washroom and she peed. 
She had poop in her fingernails.  As I was washing her nails, she looked very tired and weak.  I sat her back down in the wheelchair.  She was confused.  I brought her back, but she still wasn't eating.  She took a couple of bites from her banana.  Finally I took some of her food to the kitchen area and I did manage to get her to drink all her beverages: Boost, milk, apple juice.  She was able to use a straw, but I had to hold the cup and the straw.
I tried putting some Abreva on her lips.  Her lips looked fine.
I went through her photo book.  This made her smile.
We took her to the chapel to sing, but she fell asleep.
We took her to sit with Shanta.
Michael wants to play cards and I do too, but mom is too far gone.

Sunday 14 October 2018

Sunday with mom

Sunday, October 14, 2018
I took mom to the washroom and changed her wet diaper.  She was cooperative.
I put the Abreva on her lips.  She tried to push my hands away, but once I got it on her lips she was happy.  I got a straw for her because I thought she was having trouble with the apple juice, but when I got back she had already finished her apple juice.
She ate some of her food and all of her pudding.  She drank all her Boost.
I tried sitting her on the toilet another couple of times but she didn't even pee.
We looked through her photo book and we walked around and I took her to the chapel and sang with her.  The others were playing Black Jack at Casino Night.
I put mom in a cardigan and then I put a vest on her.  She seemed cold.  Her nose was a bit drippy.
Mom is in a wheelchair more and more these days.
Jacquie didn't show up for dinner.  Edward was there, but he hardly ate anything.

Saturday 13 October 2018

Donna is MIA

Saturday, October 13, 2018
Mom was in her wheelchair and had nodded off.  Edward wasn't at lunch today.  Apparently he had had a fall.  He looks so frail. 
The nurse was able to give mom her meds, but it was slow.  It was a combination of antibiotics for her cold sore and Tylenol for her arthritis.
She ate very little and didn't drink a lot either.  I fed her canned Mandarin orange, but she fell asleep with it in her mouth.  She ate all her apple sauce.
After lunch, I took Donna to the fish tank room and I took mom back to her room to toilet her.  Mom did some poop in her diaper and some in the toilet.  It was quite soft.
I entertained her while she was on the toilet.  Eventually she did more pee and poo.
I got mom cleaned up and then I went to look for Donna, but she was no where to be found.  A couple of aides went looking for her, but no luck.  Finally she was found.  Sylvia had taken her away for physical therapy.  Mom missed it.  Thank heavens we found Donna.
I tried to put some Abreva on mom's lips, but she tried to push my hand away.  Finally, I was able to put some on her lips.  It was just like the teething commercial where the baby is crying and then they put the Anbusal on its lips and it starts to smile.

Thursday 11 October 2018

Cold sore

Thursday, October 11, 2018
Jacquie sent me an e-mail saying that mom had a cold sore and needed medication called Camex. It was probably Carmex which is a lip balm.  Anyways, Charlene went ahead and bought Abreva for mom.  She tried to find the Carmex and was unable to.  We went to apply the Abreva, but mom's lip was already healed.  Turned out she's on antibiotics and her lip looks like it has already cleared up. They were doing a group sing-a-long.  Mom was mostly nodding off.

Wednesday 10 October 2018

Aide fed mom

Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Mom was sleeping in her wheelchair when I arrived.  The whole gang was there.  Ray served us all at the same time which was nice.  I woke mom up at about 5:20 to feed her.  She was quite cooperative.  The nurse said she ate her meds without any difficulty.  Larry said he had changed mom's diaper.  Nevenka fed mom large spoonfuls.  Mom mostly cooperated.  She also drank from a cup.  I don't think mom eats that well for me.  Mom ate half a banana by herself too.  She ate well.
I took her to the washroom and she took a pee and a poop.  Her diaper was clean.  I cleaned her up and took her to the talk.  It was about MOST.  The residents who were still of sound mind, didn't seem to enjoy the talk.  Mom dozed off, but she didn't want to leave.
I talked to someone in charge and told her about the people parking at St. Michael's and going somewhere else.  At first she was not receptive to what I had to say.  I don't know why Chris didn't want to talk to her. 

Monday 8 October 2018

Lunch with mom

Monday, October 8, 2018
The whole gang was there today.  Staff was trying to get mom to take some Tylenol when I arrived.  I told her that I would handle it.  She also gave me some constipation medication to give to mom.  Mom took one mouthful and said she didn't like her food.  She wouldn't even try her dessert.  A male aide who spoke some Japanese got mom to open to her mouth, but she wasn't being cooperative.  I got a tray and took her drinks and medication back to her room.
I took mom and Donna to the chapel and we sang some songs.  Then I brought Donna back to the fish tank room.  I took mom back to her room.  We looked at her photo album.  I was able to get her finish off her Tylenol and constipation medicine.  She enjoyed her apple juice.  Each time she took a sip she said it tasted good.  She was shaking a bit as she brought the cup to her mouth.  I was able to get her to drink all her Boost with a straw.  She didn't want to drink milk.
We went to look at the thrift store.  Mom wasn't interested in anything.
I tried to toilet her, but she said it wasn't necessary.
I took mom back to sit with Donna.

Saturday 6 October 2018

Mom won't eat

Saturday, October 6, 2018
Everybody except Jacquie was there.  Mom was very contrary today.  She wouldn't take her medication.  She wouldn't drink from her straw.  She just wouldn't eat.
My dinner took forever to arrive.  I wonder if that had anything to do with it.  She seemed kind of paranoid.  She seemed to think that there was something wrong with the food, even though I tasted it for her.  She ate maybe three spoonfuls.
After dinner, I packed up her drinks and took them to her room, along with some banana and a container of her food.
I got her to sit on the toilet with no problem.  She peed and her diaper was relatively clean.
While she was on the toilet, I got her to drink her Boost with the medication with a straw.  Hurray!
We sat on her bed and went through her photo book.  She enjoyed that.
I tried again to get her to eat and drink.  She drank all her milk and some of her apple juice.  She choked a bit.  She refused to eat anything from the spoon.
I took her to the chapel and we sang.  She enjoyed that.
I brought her back to the fish tank room to sit with the other girls.  Donna was taken to be toileted.
I brought a box of cookies for the staff.

Wednesday 3 October 2018

Mom still has diarrhea

Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Mom was sitting in a wheelchair.  The whole gang was there including Jacquie.
Mom seemed like she was in a good mood.
I asked her several times if she needed to go to the washroom, but she said she was fine.
She ate well.  First, she didn't want to eat her food, but she ate half a banana.  Then, she was ready to eat her pureed food.  She ate about a third of it.  She ate all her pureed fruit.  She drank all her beverages.  I used a straw.
After dinner, I took her to the washroom.  She had pooped in her diaper.  It was completely covered.  She pooped in the toilet too.  I cleaned her up.  I was surprised to see dried poop from earlier on her hip and waist on the right side.  I wiped that up too.  Then, I discovered that her socks, pants, undershirt and top were wet.  Poor mom.  She must have been cold.  I changed her clothes, washed her hands, washed her face, cut her bangs.  I tried to brush her teeth, but she would have none of that.
Chris showed up and we went through mom's photo album.
Chris tried to get mom to get up, but she refused.  I was able to get her to stand up. 
We walked her to the fish tank room and sat her with Shanta and Donna.