Mouse poop!

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Mom was dozing off in her wheelchair.  Edward, Jacquie and Donna were all having dinner.

I removed the folded up afghan in mom's lap.  I think she was overheated.  She was amenable to spoon feeding today.  She ate all of her veggies and some of her pureed chicken.  She drank all of her beverages and my apple juice and all of her chocolate pudding.

A few people told me that mom didn't talk.  Zorka, mom's roommate, is always on mom's case about proper greetings.  Mom doesn't like the tone of her voice.  The big guy that comes to visit his mom also said that mom doesn't talk.  

I noticed that mom's hedgehog was missing and reported it to the nurses' station.  I also reported that mom's undershirt was missing, the one from Uniqlo.  Shortly after, Chris noticed it at Shanta's old table in the dining room.

Mom does say some stuff:  I'm not good.  Yes.  Thank you.  In Japanese, she says:  This stinks.  

After dinner, we took mom back to her room.  I wiped mom's face with a face cloth and wiped the hedgehog's hat clean.  I trimmed mom's bangs.

The gave mom Tamiflu orally in strawberry jam.

We took mom for a short walk.  We put her back in her wheelchair and then Chris took her out to sit with Donna.  I noticed mouse poop in mom's closet.  Lots!  I reported it to the nurses' station.  I asked to borrow a broom and dustpan, but they said they would call housekeeping.  I hope it gets cleaned up.

The country mouse and the city mouse

Sunday, February 24, 2019
Mom was sitting with Donna and Edward when I arrived.  No Jacquie today.
Mom refused to eat through most of the meal.  She started to eat after I finished my dinner.
She ate most of her green pureed stuff ( broccoli? peas?)  She liked her meat.  We had cheesy beef casserole today so I suspect that was what her meat was.  She didn't like her apple sauce at first, but she ate it all in the end.  She drank all her beverages.  She drank my apple juice too. 
I took her back to her room to toilet her.  Her diaper was relatively clean so I didn't change it.  She just peed.  I cleaned her up.  I cleaned under her fingernails, washed her hands, combed her hair.
I put a headset on her and walked her out to the lobby area.  We looked through her photobook.  I read her the Country Mouse and the City Mouse in Japanese.  She was engaged.  She pointed to the pictures in the book.  We walked back to her room.  I put her in the wheelchair.  I gave her some water in a paper cup and squirted some flavouring in it.  Mom drank some.  I wheeled her back to the fish tank room to sit with Donna.

Dislodged hard stool in mom's butt

Saturday, February 23, 2019
Mom was seated at the dining table when I arrived.  She is out of quarantine.  The whole gang was there.  Edward didn't have his glasses or his watch. 
Mom was disagreeable at first, but she started to eat.  She ate most of her pureed beets.  She had all her beverages.  She ate very little of her chocolate pudding. I suspect that she was having a bowel movement.  After dinner, I took her to the toilet.
She had a full diaper.  She had poop.  I was cleaning her bum and putting on her new diaper, when I realized that more was coming.  There was a round poop in the toilet and another one coming out of her bum.  Mom had complained about something being hard (not difficult, but solid) earlier and I wonder if it was the poop stuck in her bum.  I squeezed the area around her anus and some poop came out.  I continued to do this and other chunks of poop dropped into the toilet.  I cleaned her up again.  She was relieved and happy. 
I washed our hands and then I changed mom's pants because they were a little loose.  I put on a pair of gray sweat pants.  All her sweat pants were in her closet.
I cleaned up the bathroom.  Chucked the dirty towels in the dirty clothes, wiped down the toilet and sink with disinfectant.  I put a nightgown and an undershirt on her bed.
I put the headset on mom and was able to get her to drink a cup of water.  I put some artificial flavouring in the cup to entice her to drink.
I took her for a walk in the lobby.  We sat there for a while and she tried to have a conversation with me.  She pointed to the small bag that we carried the walkman in and the quilted wall hanging.  I took her back to her room and put her in her wheelchair.  I wrapped a quilt around her legs.  I put the hedgehog in her arms.  I took her out to sit with Donna in the fish tank room.
I found a mouse poop in mom's closet.

Mom is quarantined

Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Mom was confined to her room today with Zorka.
All mom's table mates were at the dining table.
Mom had a good appetite.  She ate all her veggies and some of her mashed potatoes and pureed chicken.  She ate all of her vanilla pudding and drank all of her beverages including my apple juice.
Donna was getting a diaper change so I thought it would be a good time for mom and me to be scarce.  Zorka didn't seem to mind being left in the room with Donna.
I found two mouse or rat poops in her wheelchair and reported it to the nurse.
I took mom for a walk and she was relatively steady on her feet.  We played with the balloon.  Her reflexes are good.
I took her back to the room.  I gave her the photo book to look at by herself, while I prepared the bathroom.  I put mom on the toilet, but I guess she had already peed into her diaper.  I just changed her diaper.
She complained of stiffness, but she was relatively cooperative.  She pulled up her pants before I had put the clean diaper on her.  I had to be patient and negotiate the pulling down of her pants and the putting on of her clean diaper.
Mom's pink comb went missing, but the aide found it in Donna's drawer.
I haven't seen mom's Uniqlo heat tech undershirt in a long time.
I put mom in her wheelchair and wrapped her up in a flannel sheet.  Her legs seemed cold.

Influenza

Monday, February 18, 2019
Mom was in her room when I arrived.  Cecile called to tell me that mom had the flu and she was confined to her room.  I was expecting mom to be sick in bed, but she was sitting in a wheelchair.  I checked her diaper and it was relatively clean, but I changed it anyways.  I changed her pants because the pair she was wearing was too loose on her.  I also put an undershirt on her underneath her long-sleeved t-shirt.  I put her wool socks on her too.  She was holding one sock in her hand.  She was relatively cooperative.  I decided to take her for a walk.  She was all smiles and engaging with other residents.  I got a ball and took her to the lounge in the entrance hall. We passed the balloon back and forth.  I asked her if she was tired, but she said she was fine.  She continued to play.  About 10 minutes later, I was going to take her back to her room, but she wouldn't get out of the chair.  She slumped way down in the chair.  She was telling me to go away.  I wonder if she pooped her pants.  I went to get her wheelchair.  The male nurse stopped me and asked if I would administer her medication.  He gave me a cup of apple juice with the Tylenol.  I had to keep stirring the apple juice so that the Tylenol would sink to the bottom.  I left the cup with mom and then walked away.  Sure enough, she drank from the cup.  Finally, she got up, but now she wouldn't sit in her wheelchair.  I walked her to the dining table.  Jacquie had already finished and Edward was getting ready to leave.
I went back and retrieved mom's wheelchair.
Mom eventually drank all of the medicated apple juice.  She ate most of her pureed carrots and all of her vanilla pudding.  She drank all her Boost, my apple juice and all her milk.  I took her back to the room and I let her listen to some Japanese music while she popped bubble wrap.  Then we went through her photo book.  I brought some Japanese soup broth and she drank some.  When I went to take the paper cup away, she insisted on keeping it.  

Mom put the bubble wrap in her mouth!

Sunday, February 17, 2019
Mom was sitting with Donna when I arrived.  She had drunk all of her apple juice.  She was in a good mood.  She was chatty.  She was enjoying the flowers at each table.  She pointed to them.  She said look at those flowers by that man.  I was surprised. 
I gave mom some bubble wrap to occupy her before dinner.  She popped everything and then stuck the plastic in her mouth to bite the bubbles.  I was shocked.  I had to pry the bubble wrap from her.
The male nurse called me over.  He wanted me to administer mom's medication because he wasn't able to.  I told him to mix it in her apple juice.  Surprisingly it worked.  She drank it all.
Mom ate all of her pureed pumpkin.  She even fed herself with the spoon.  I was shocked.  Then suddenly, she stopped so I helped her.  She ate all of her chocolate pudding and drank all of her Boost.  She drank all of my apple juice.
After dinner, I took mom to her room to toilet her.  She was cooperative, but seemed unsteady on her feet.  Her diaper was soaked so I changed it.  No poop.  I combed her hair, washed her face, her hands, etc.
She wanted to sit on her bed.  I put her headset on and grabbed her photo book and some bubble wrap.  She was cooperative.  I was able to get her to walk.  She said her left hip hurt.  She was not walking very steady.  I would have thought that the Tylenol would have kicked by that point.
Mom walked all the way to the lobby, but then she kind of lost her balance.  She clung to the walkman so it didn't fall on the floor.  She apologized.  Poor mom.  We sat in the lobby and looked at her photo book.  We looked at it twice.  She was happy and engaged. 
I had some trouble getting her to stand up.  She took a rest a little ways up the hall.  Then we were able to get to her room and I was able to get her into her wheelchair.  I gave her some Boost with a straw.  She was puzzled about what to do with the straw.  I squeezed the drink box and some Boost shot up the straw, then she started to suck.
I wrapped a blanket around her legs and took to her to sit with Donna and Joan.  I tried to get her to drink some more Boost, but she refused.

A good day!

Saturday, February 16, 2019
Mom was sitting at the dining table with Donna.  What a relief!  I thought she might be sick in bed.  Edward came by later, followed by Jacquie, much, much later.  Jacquie said mom had spent the last two days in bed.  Mom has a phlegmy cough.  She starts to cough and it surprises her.  She wonders what is wrong with her.  I brought some Vietnamese green tea.  She drank some, but didn't seem to like it so much.  We had lentil curry soup, chili con carne, cornbread, salad and carrot cake.  It was delicious.  I helped Donna with her food today.  She spilled some soup down her bib.  Some of it got under the bib too.  I cleaned her up and got her a new bib.  Mom was quite indignant about the soiled bib bringing it to my attention.
I helped both mom and Donna with their food.  Donna ate most of the soup and chili by herself.  I helped her with the salad and cornbread.  Mom ate some of her pureed food.  She spoonfed her all of the curry lentil soup.  She drank all her Boost and all of my apple juice.
After lunch, I took her to the thrift shop and we looked at clothes.  She was engaged.  The girl at the shop apparently took mom for a walk on Wednesday mornings.  She could say "Let's go for a walk" in Japanese.  Mom was happy.
I took mom back to the room to toilet her.  Her diaper was hardly soiled, but I changed it anyways.  I combed her hair, wiped her face, her hands and her bum.  I put earbuds on her and played Japanese music.  She was happy.  We went to Ailene's room and delivered some oranges.  I found a balloon so I took it and we played with the balloon in the lobby.  Mom enjoyed throwing it back and forth.
I don't think she wanted to stop, but I didn't want to tire her out.
I walked her back to her room and tried to toilet her again, but nothing.  She was quite cooperative.  I changed the pad on her wheelchair because I think there was poop on it.  I had her sit down and wheeled her to the dining room for afternoon coffee. I sat her with the Chinese lady because Donna was in the TV room watching a movie.  She seemed happy.
I brought a couple of pairs of pajamas and two nightgowns for her.

Mom has a cold

Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Mom is quite dopey.  She's falling asleep.
She is contrary at first, but then she allows the nurse to administer her medication.  This is a Korean nurse.  She mixes the medication with brown sugar and apple sauce.
Mom allows me to feed her most of her pureed carrots and all of her pudding.  She drinks all of her beverages.  She keeps nodding off.
I massage her legs and am surprised that her legs are not too cold.
She is listing and seems to like to put her left arm under her left buttock.
I take her room to toilet her.  She is relatively compliant.  I get her to sit on the toilet, but she only pees a little.  I change her diaper because it is full of pee.
I wash her hands.
She is very warm.  I think she has a fever.  Mind you, she is also on Tylenol which probably masks her fever.  The nurse says that she will request cough medicine.  She has a phlegmy cough.
I dress mom warmly and put her to bed.  Joan and Donna are already in bed and it is only 7:00 p.m.
I try to give mom some water, but she doesn't know how to drink from a straw.  I find some tissue paper in her mouth and try to extract it.  This is disturbing to both of us.  I try to get her to drink by physically lifting her, but I spill water on her neck.  I give her a towel to wipe herself.  I put the head of the bed a little higher.  I hope she will be okay.

Donna's sister and nephew come for a visit

Sunday, February 10, 2019
When I arrived, all the doors were closed.  Apparently, a fire alarm had gone off so all the doors closed automatically and could not be held open by the magnets.  I found mom in the fish tank room with Donna.  They had just finished their morning coffee.
I took mom to the room.  The cleaning lady had arrived so I took mom out by the nurses' station.  I had the walkman on her and she was playing with bubble wrap.  She was happy. 
After the cleaning, I took mom back to her room and toileted her.  She just peed.  Her diaper was clean.  I cut her hair a bit.  The cleaning lady said that a new hairdresser had been hired.  I hope she fixes up mom's hair. 
I changed mom's pants because the ones she was wearing were too big.  I don't even think they were hers.  I gave them to the nurse.
I dropped off a box of chocolates at the nurses' station as well. 
I took mom back to the dining room.  She ate and drank very little.  She ate about half of her vanilla pudding.  I got her to drink a little more Boost.
Donna's sister and nephew dropped by and took Donna away. 
I took mom back to the room because she wasn't going to eat any more.  I wonder if I should bring her instant noodles.  Or would that just be encouraging her to hold out for junk food?   We went through mom's photo book.  I noticed it was snowing quite heavily so I decided to leave.  I took mom to sit with Donna and her sister and the nephew.  Donna's sister is tall.  Her son is a high school teacher.  They left shortly after me.

Poopie diaper

Saturday, February 9, 2019
There was some kind of activity using words and categories going on when I arrived.  Mom wasn't there.  Donna and Jacquie were participating.  I found mom sitting beside Barbara in front of the fish tank.
I took mom to her room to toilet her.  It took some time, but I was able to get her out of her wheelchair and into the washroom.  She refused to sit down on the toilet.  At first, she wouldn't let me pull down her pants, but then she agreed that something was not right and let me pull down her pants and diaper.  I removed the poopie mess.  I cleaned her up.  At one point, I think she touched her bum with her left hand so I wiped it with a warm towel.  She remained standing throughout the whole process.  I put a new diaper on her, but her pants were wet.  Maybe she soiled right through to her pants.  I was going to get her to sit down with the toilet lid closed, but she insisted on opening it.  I removed her shoes and pants and put a pair of the gray sweat pants on her.
I washed her hands and combed her hair and walked her over to the dining room for coffee.  I went back to her room and put her trousers in the laundry hamper.  I had to dispose of the diaper and put the soiled towels in the linen hamper.
Jacquie asked me to cut her bangs.  I hope she liked my work.
Mom wouldn't drink coffee.  She wouldn't eat the half a banana either.  I ate it because I was starved.  I came straight from taking minutes at a meeting and only had cookies for lunch.  I drank some coffee.  I think mom may have drunk some of my coffee.
A gospel choir came to entertain the residents.  I pushed Donna over.  She didn't want to be in the front row.  I brought her a small quilt for her legs.  She was wearing a dress and they were bare.  She never complains, but when I asked her, she said if it wasn't too much trouble, she would like a blanket.
I took mom for a walk.  I put the headsets on her and gave her some bubble wrap. She was happy and occupied.  I cleaned her fingernails. We went through her photobook together.  She was very engaged.
I took mom to the fish tank room and sat her with Joan.  She could see two young boys playing badminton.  We looked at a newspaper, a cat book, and a magazine together.  I left her with the magazine.  I think she liked turning the pages.

Mom is ornery

Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Everyone was seated and had their food when I arrived.  Mom ate a couple of spoonfuls of food by herself. Then, the nurse brought her medication and asked me to give it to mom.  Mom would not take it.  She wouldn't eat any more food.  She ate a few spoonfuls of pudding.  She was grouchy.  She did drink all her Boost.
I mixed her Tylenol and strawberry jam into her milk.
Chris arrived.  I decided to take mom to her room and toilet her.  Joan was being toileted, but the aide said Joan was relatively fast.
Because mom was so ornery today, I decided to bide my time.  I gave her the Tylenol, strawberry jam, milk concoction and she drank about half. I combed her hair, massaged her legs, gave her some bubble wrap, etc. before I tried to get her out of the wheelchair. 
She came out of her chair quite willingly, although she was kind of unsteady on her feet.
She walked to the toilet and even helped pull down her pants and diaper.  It was easy.  She peed and pooped into the toilet.  Hurray!  She became quite cooperative.  It was easy to clean her and put on her new diaper.  I washed her hands.
I got her to drink a little more of the Tylenol drink.  Chris and I walked her around a bit.
We brought her back to the wheelchair.  I gave her some bubble wrap to play with.  Then I exchanged it for her stuffy.  We sat her with Donna.  Mom was sad when we left.

Mouse!

Monday, February 4, 2019
The whole gang was there.  Everyone had been served.  Mom was nodding off to sleep.  An aide came over and woke mom up.  She gave mom her Boost to drink.  I started feeding her.  Mom ate about 1/3 of her food:  pureed beans and mashed potatoes, chocolate pudding.  She drank all of her beverages.  She seemed to be in a good mood and talkative.  I wonder if they changed her meds.
I took her to her room.  She was cooperative.  I sat her on the toilet.  I combed her hair, wiped her face, cleaned under her fingernails, etc.  She farted but didn't poop.  I changed her diaper because there was some poop and pee. 
I took her for a walk to the lobby and we looked at her photo book.  She enjoyed it.
I brought mom back and put her wheelchair and wrapped a quilt around her legs.  She was very happy.  I gave her some bubble wrap.  The nurse took it away because some people try to eat it.  I gave mom the stuffed hedgehog that Ethel gave her.  Mom held it.  It was so cute.
I saw a mouse run into the utility closet by the sink in mom's room.  I reported it.  I think it was the same mouse I saw a couple of weeks ago.  I think it's twice as big now.

Mom ate very little and pooped in her diaper

Friday, February 1, 2019
Mom was sitting with Donna and Edward when I arrived.  No sign of Jacquie.  Today's meal was tater tots and fried fish balls.  I gave mom a tater tot and she ate it.  She ate some fish too.  I took off the coating.  She chewed and chewed.  I gave her some beverages to wash it down, but it seemed to be in her mouth forever.  She started coughing at one point which worried me.  Her nose was a bit runny.  I gave her some apple sauce.  She hardly touched her mashed potatoes, fish and broccoli.  All pureed of course.  Not very tasty. 
After dinner, I took her to the hit the balloon with a foam stick activity.  She likes it.
After the activity, she drank a little Boost.  I took her to her room to toilet her.  She was cooperative.
She had some poop in her diaper.  While she sat on the toilet, I wiped her face with a towel and combed her hair.  I draped a towel over her thighs.  I gave her some bubble wrap to play with.  I could smell poop, but I couldn't see any poop come out of her bum.  I cleaned under her nails with an orange stick.  I hope it wasn't poop under those nails.
When I finally got her to sit up a bit so I could wipe her bum, there was poop.  I used several towels to clean her up.  I changed her diaper.
I brought her back to the fish tank room.  She drank a little hot cocoa and ate a little meringue off my leftover lemon meringue pie.  She hardly ate or drank anything.  She was happy with the bubble wrap I got for her.