For those of you who have been so kind to ask about Mom, I apologize for taking a while to get back. This summer of ’09 has been one for the records for several reasons. In order to stick to the blog’s purpose, I will sum things up by saying this. Mom was in rehab for about six weeks. Then we moved her to a lovely home in McKinney where she will continue to live for as long as possible. Now Diane will continue the narrative:

After Mom fell, it was clear she could not go back home. Pop used the time Mom spent in the rehab facility to locate a place for her to live. It is a hard decision to make. You have to consider so many things, such as leaving your loved one in the hands of total strangers, knowing that she can no longer tell you what happens when you are not there. The legal matters are complicated, and the financial burden is costly. There are many publications and websites full of information, but we received the best leads from the hospital social worker, along with doctor recommendations.

Mom has now been in her new home for a couple of months. We could not be more pleased with Pop’s decision to put her in a “resident facility.” She is now receiving her medications on schedule, regular bathing, and home-cooked meals. She can roam around the house as if it were her own and visit with the other residents. She has her own room overlooking a large back yard, and she can watch the birds gather around the bird feeder just outside her window.

There are now no more days filled with worry about Mom falling. We don’t wonder if she will go outside and wander down the street. The time now is spent trying to communicate. Mom’s speech is no longer what it was. She struggles with each thought, trying to get the correct word out. Most of the time the words she uses don’t make much sense, but at least she is still trying. We are hoping for approval for Mom to get the new “patch,” thinking that maybe it will help with her clarity. “Exelon” is the newest drug for Alzheimer’s/Dementia/Parkinson’s Disease.

I recently read a very helpful book entitled The Validation Breakthrough, by Naomi Feil. In it the author teaches simple techniques for communicating with people with Alzheimer’s-type dementia. I highly recommend this book to help people maintain a measure of communication with loved ones who are prone to withdrawing due to this awful disease, and possibly prevent progression toward a vegetative state during their later years.