Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Adult Day Program Starts Today

Jim and I will be going for our blood tests this morning, and then off to Gilpin Hall for the Adult Day program. Jim will be riding the Paratransit home. He is concerned about that after a newspaper article this morning about how the system "abandoned" a disabled person for stood outside his DRs office for 6 hours waiting for the bus, until a stranger picked him up and took him home. I told him all he had to do was call me and I would come pick him up.

Liza drove him to his "light bulb" treatment today, and they talked about a Senior Center instead of an Adult Day Program. Jim came home asking about the difference and why I had chosen an Adult Day Program. I explained to him that I've been planning for this for a month now (while he balked and fought and had a cranky day at Eden Rock), and at the time the planning started he had demetia, could not ambulate well, and was occasionally incontinent. The Senior Centers won't take someone who is not independent because they don't have aides and nurses (as do the Adult Day Programs) and they don't monitor clients who "wander."

I told him we would go check out a nearby Senior Center after I take him to his light bulb treatment on Wednesday. He may be well enough at this point to use that instead of Gilpin Hall. And, of course, there would be a huge cost differential. Except for "special day trips" and "lunch" (which of course Jim would not get), the Senior Center are, I believe, virtually cost free.

Today, Jim did his laundry, made his own lunch, cleaned and cut up fruit we had bought on Sunday, made meat loafs for the freezer, and helped with dinner.

I was gone to physical therapy and having a pre-op EKG when the Hospice aide was here this morning, but Jim directed her activities and made himself a hot breakfast. On the days he will have to be out of here early for the Adult Day Program, she will make him a cold breakfast--cereal and the like. (How was it we got an aide who doesn't cook and who doesn't have any interest in learning to do so?) But her other job is as an EMT, so even though as a Hospice aide she cannot give medical care, it's nice to have her paying attention to his physical and mental condition.

I am really looking forward to my surgery next week. There is something wrong with this right expander implant, which has been in there almost a year now, and I want it OUT.

I got alot of my office cleaned up yesterday. I was shreading "to do" notes from 16 months ago. I still have a long row to hoe, but I made a huge dent in it. Within a couple of days, I should be all set up and ready to work-work.

My best to all, and my sympathies to Jess, who's brown tabby Earl today lost his brave battle with many serious physical conditions. Fly free Earl.

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