Tag Archives: dementia
Parental Journal 12 from Planet Elderly: Pals in Unit C
Fri. May 8, 2015 – 2 p.m. Winding down a 7-week stay with my Mom. Monday I leave to go visit MO for what I hope will be about 6 weeks. I’m going to kinda miss some of my “pals” … Continue reading
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Tagged aging, dementia, long-term care, planet elderly, skilled nursing unit
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Parental Journal 11 from Planet Elderly: A Frisky Day for Dad
April 30, 2014 5:30 a.m. Into a fairly regular routine with its good days and bad days. When Mom gets snappy or angry about a question or suggestion, I just go into quiet mode. There’s no point in trying to … Continue reading
Parental Journal 10 from Planet Elderly: Some Days Are Like Walking on Eggshells
Parental Journal 10 Fri. April 17, 2015 5 a.m. After a few good nights’ sleep, I woke at 2…finally came downstairs and made some coffee around 3:30. What woke me up was the realization that I think I missed my … Continue reading
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Tagged caregiver guilt, cognitive functioning, compulsions, dementia, elderly, Garden Fresh, long-term care, Sketchers
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Parental Journal 09 from Planet Elderly: Gradually Adjusting to a New Chapter
Sunday, April 12, 2015 6:30 a.m. Very calm day yesterday. We had a nice visit with Dad and Mom didn’t cry much. At one point yesterday she asked me, “Do you think Dad is ever coming home?” I told her … Continue reading
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Tagged Condell, dementia, edema, elderly driving, elderly parents, ER, forgetfulness, long-term care, mental decline, Victory Lakes
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Parental Journal 08 from Planet Elderly: Issues and the Oxygen Argument
Tues. April 8, 2015 morning Dad had a low grade fever yesterday, so the nurse kept him in the dementia wing during lunch. We visited with him there, but he did not eat anything. Nursing staff are concerned about the … Continue reading
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Tagged Alzheimer's, caretaker stress, confusion, dementia, DNR, elderly caretaker, short-term memory loss, The 36-Hour Day
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Parental Journal 07 from Planet Elderly: Wearing Out My Welcome
Parental Journal 07 April 6, 2015 I think I’m kind of wearing out my welcome. On one hand, Mom is extremely grateful I’m here helping to organize paperwork, help advocate, keep her on track, do a little cooking, etc. On … Continue reading
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Tagged Alzheimer's, benefits, caregiver guilt, dementia, elderly, incontenence, nursing home, respite care
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Parental Journal 05 from Planet Elderly: Insistance, Confusion, and Rip Van Winkle
It’s interesting to re-read journal entries and edit them a bit, before I post them here. I’m an only child baby boomer who has elderly parents dealing with dementia/Alzheimer (Dad-93) and short-term memory loss (Mom-almost 89). We live 400 miles … Continue reading
Parental Journal Entry 04 from Planet Elderly: Some Interesting Acquaintances
Parental Journal 04 March 26, 2015 afternoon Transition time ahead. Dad goes from the rehab care paid for by Medicare to respite care, not paid for by Medicare. The facility allows up to three weeks of respite care paid for … Continue reading
Parental Journal 01 and 02 from Planet Elderly: Apprenticeship Begins
This is the year I’m involved in a genuine apprenticeship on Planet Elderly. I gave up a part-time community college teaching assignment in order to be on call if/when my elderly parents need my assistance. They live in the NW … Continue reading
Posted in Parental Journal
Tagged Alzheimer's, caretaker, dementia, elderly parents, journal, parental confusion, short-term memory loss
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