One Year Later...

I began chronicling this portion of our lives on June 24, 2007. Since that time, all of the physical causes for memory loss that the neuropsychiatrist mentioned have been ruled out. Whatever she asked Pop to do, medically, he did. And Mom’s health continues to be good (for an 83-year-old!). She actually seems to be in better health than Pop.

However, she has begun to shuffle her feet instead of walking normally. Evidently she has lost her sense of space. Most likely the dementing process has damaged the areas of the brain that control muscle movements. When a person begins to have difficulty walking, it is time to do an inspection to eliminate dangerous areas, such as: bathrooms where handrails are needed, scatter rugs that may slide when a person steps on them, and traffic patterns that become cluttered. (See pages 89-90 of The 36-Hour Day for a more detailed list of safety suggestions.) We are all on the lookout for areas concerning Mom’s safety.

One year after the first visit, Mom is on three medications, the antidepressant, Seroquel, and Depakote. The doses have been adjusted a time or two, but the three work well together. Her mood is stable most of the time, and sleeplessness has not been a problem. Sometimes she becomes quite confused in the late afternoon though. At these times Pop takes her for a ride around the neighborhood. Upon returning home, she appears to be more content and feels “at home.” The most important (and most difficult) aspect concerning the giving of medication is consistency. The more dependable the schedule for giving her her pills, the more predictable her behavior. And that, my friends, cannot be stressed too much!

One year later, the “no-driving” stipulation is in effect. Only occasionally does Mom mention something about driving her car, and that is usually when she has missed a dose of her medications. That is when her anger flares almost out of control. But she does not drive. (She thinks she does drive, most of the time.)

As far as their financial business, Pop is just as private as always. There was talk concerning who has his Power of Attorney and who has Mom’s. But the truth is, we don’t really know. At first, they had each other’s. He insisted he would take care of the matter, but no one has been informed about it if he has.

The home-health directive has not been followed the way Dr. Tee originally asked for it to be. She wanted Pop to have someone into the home three times a week to help with house-cleaning, cooking, or visiting with Mom. So far none of this has come to pass. He has had one lady come to clean. She was so thorough that he says he only needs her about once a year. Of course, if she had not been efficient, he would not want her back at all. I think they just don’t want “strangers” in their home. They (he, especially) would much prefer that the daughters make a schedule and take turns bringing them food and helping clean. For the record, they get this treat three times each week by the three who live closest to them.