Update On Mom: Rehab Again

Hello Everyone,

As of yesterday mom is now in rehab again. Two weeks ago this Saturday she was sitting on the side of her bed and apparently ( no one was in the room at the time ) dozed off for a moment and she went down on the floor landing on her knees. At the time my brother who lives out of state was in for a visit. The entire day was spent with the 4 of us in the ER with mom. As the hours passed and the tests came in we were encouraged when told that she did not break anything, which is remarkable because the doctors have told us for many years that mom's bones are so thin from osteoporosis that fractures come easy to someone like her. In fact she fractured her toe just bumping it against the shower edge. Thankfully this time no breaks, however her knee did have a huge split in it and required 12 stitches. I think maybe because she was suffering from edema at the time that perhaps the extra water protected her? ( just a guess )

The doctors would not admit her but did want to keep her for observation, which as we all know does not count as a hospital stay to be admitted into rehab. Since it was Saturday she actually stayed 2 nights in observation. We explained to the doctors as well as the social worker that taking her back home without rehab and healing time would be impossible as she needed two people to help her now, not just one, and getting her into the bathroom would be impossible. The social worker explained to us there was another option and that was to have her go to a rehab hospital ( which there are two in our area ). She could stay there for a few days and then be transferred to a regular rehab facility and medicare would consider her stay at the rehab hospital an inpatient stay of 3 midnights, thus qualifying her for coverage in the rehab facility. What a relief this was to my sister and I because there was no way to handle her at home right away.

Mom loves this rehab facility. She knows much of the staff and even with her very limited eyesight - macular degeneration - having been there before, she can find her way around in her wheelchair somewhat. She told us once she would like to live there she likes it that much! We did look into that last time she was there however they require she have enough money to self pay for 1 year, and at the price they charge it was just out of her reach.

For now though she is getting good therapy both physical and speech, as she has been having memory issues the last 6 months and the speech therapist told me yesterday they will work with her to help her regain the use of her brain to find the right words. I know this will make her feel much better as she cried to me just the other day saying she was so frustrated and embarrassed that she could not remember things or find the right words to use. She knows her memory is failing a bit and it really makes her sad. We are hopeful that all this therapy will allow us to bring her back home again.

The older our folks get the harder it all becomes. Instead of the joy we now have worry. Instead of the optimism we experience despair. Instead of the energy we just feel tired ( all the time ). Watching a loved one age or decline due to illness is not only heartbreaking but exhausting. It wears you down, like hiking a trail that has no end in sight. Because we love we hurt, because we care we grieve. Because we tread new territory we worry. Emotions run the gamut when dealing with the issues of care giving.

When I looked around the ER room while mom was laying in the bed and saw all of her children there circling the wagons if you will, to make sure she was taken care of, I felt proud that we could all work together for the good of mom. I also thought how proud my father would have been of us. Knowing that we were doing our very best to make sure mom had the best life possible right up to the end. Yes it is exhausting, frustrating at times and painful, but I wouldn't change a thing. I love mom so much and want her to be as happy as she can be until it's her time to go.

Until Next time
Take Care,
Ruth Anne