Garden Terrace

The van from Garden Terrace came at about 6:00 PM last night.  Mom and Mark had been busy getting things ready for dad to move into the nursing home facility.  Marking clothing, labeling personal effects and equipment.  Collecting medical information to communicate to the nursing home.

Earlier in the day, dad's doctor faxed in the order, and medical history required for dad's admission into the care center.

We had one last supper together at home.  Mom made her chicken gumbo soup sloppy joes.  It has been some months since dad has been able to sit at the kitchen table to eat.  He got so that he could not get up out of the kitchen chair.  So instead, mom and Mark set up a card table in the living room (complete with table cloth) and scooted the card table right up next to the recliner chair that dad would use in the living room. Then they would set up some folding chairs around the card table, and have dinner together in the living room.

We all gathered together last night.  Mom, Mark, Jeannette and myself (Dave).  Our brother Doug I'm sure would have been there too if he could have been, but Virginia is a little too far a commute.) We like to think that he was there in spirit.

We had one last prayer and blessing on the food together at home before dad was to be transported.  Dad quite enjoyed his meal. He even told mom that it tasted good!

At six o'clock, the doorbell rang.  The driver from Garden Terrace had arrived.  He brought a wheelchair into the living room.  We put dad's coat and shoes on.  We positioned the walker in front of his lift chair (recliner) and then got dad moved to the wheelchair.

Mark and I were prepared to help the driver get down down the stairs from the house.  However the driver was very expert in his wheelchair handling skills, and had dad down off the porch and into the van in no time on his own.

Mom and I rode with dad in the van to the care center.  Dad got along pretty good.  It was dark, and he watched the lights go by as we drove.  He didn't appear anxious or unnerved.  Mom told me that dad had not been out of the house since last June for a doctors appointment.  He has not been able to get up and down stairs since then.

When we arrived at the care center,  they took us right to his room.  Dad has a roommate now (Fred).  We had one of the CNA's, a stout young Hispanic fellow, help dad get out of the wheelchair, and onto the bed.  We put a blanket over dad, and he appeared to rest comfortably.

Mom and Mark went with the intake nurse, to collect medical information about dad.  Meanwhile, Jeannette and I stayed with dad in his room.  Fred, the roommate made an appearance.  Fred could walk and get around just fine on his own.   He just came into the room, lied down on his bed, and promptly went to sleep.  Fred didn't move again for the rest of the evening.

Eventually one of the CNA's came into the room and helped us get dad undressed and ready for nighttime.  They put an alarm on dad, in case he tries to get out of bed.  It will alert the nurses to come and check on him.  One of the great fears we have had (both at home, and in the care center) is that he will try to get out of bed, fall, and hurt himself (such as a broken hip).  The care center's approach to this is to lower the bed as close to the floor as possible, place cushions on the floor in case he tries to get out of bed, and have the alarm attached to dad.  Hopefully that will prevent injury. 

Mom and Mark sat with dad until about 10:00 PM.  Dad was drifting off to sleep.  I hope he was able to sleep well.