Mental Decline & Dependency/Coping With Aging Loved Ones

Same here - two former students I had at university now do such in our region :wink:

Storm warning for the Noddy Straights.

So the nurse phoned me this morning and informed me that she's called an ambulance to bring mother to (the local) hospital.

It seems (as I found out, looking around in the hous, phoning with the nusrses and what my sister - who phoned mother at 8pm yesterday night) that mother laid for at 10 hours, may be 12, downstairs, on cold stones [outside temperature during the night: 20°F], just wearing socks, underpants and a bra.

She has nothing broken, but a couple of blue-red haematoma (temperature-related, mostly) and a body temperature of 91°F in the ear (it was impossible to get it elswhere because she was shaking more than a leaf).
She's in intensive care now.

My sister said that such news could hinder them to make their planned Sunday trip to some christmas markets.

Oh dear Walter, I am so sorry to hear that. Both things.

Sympathies Walter!

One of the mom's has fallen out of bed and not been able to get up two times in the last 48 hours.

Thus each time laying on the floor for some hours before contacting us, after which my wife would drive over, subsequently getting insufficient sleep. It does not help that the mom is incontinent - messy and frustrating business this.

Walter--

This may be the beginning of the end of independence. I hope for your sake that your mother can remember how cold and frightened she was last night. Unfortunately your mother seems to have an excellent forgettery.

My sympathy to your sister for having her holiday shopping plans disrupted. I know your heart also lunges out to her with appropriate emotions.

Chumley--

Obviously the Mom is caught up in a "Well, it was just one time...." state of optimism. Has she been taken to a doctor? She could be having small strokes.

How is your sense of proportion this morning?

Chumley--

Interesting paradox: Independent wife has clingy mom.

I just got back from a Christmas gig so my sense of proportion is biased by shapely women in slinky holiday attire requesting their favorite tunes.

Yes this Mom is rather optimistic / stubborn, and yes she should be in a home IMHO. In a sense I cannot blame her, as who wants to give up a level of autonomy, it's one of the hallmarks of being a functional human being.

Yes this Mom has become demanding (or perhaps more accurately her circumstances have become so) but my wife invites this to some degree because my wife cannot help but feel very responsible and thus accommodating, perhaps to a fault. A friend of mine classifies my wife as "hyper-responsible".

How is the weather in the Noddy Straights?

Chumley--

The snowplow man will show up after every storm. Of course I'm wasting money, but....

Indeed.

Mother wanted the go home already (you know, she can perfectly live alone, arranfes everything and does all on herself [she told the people there]), and my sister phoned with the emergency care if there's a need that she comes.

Temperature went up, cloce to normal by now (but was actually lower than the above mentioned), she got a couple of catheters and is on three monitors. The physician-in-chief had told her (and me) that she has to stay in hospital at least a couple of days ...

Mrs Walter fears now that I've to stay all nights, too, at my mother when she will be home again. (No!)

Walter--

Mrs. Walter is a good woman. She has my sympathy.

Mental Decline & Dependency/Coping With Aging Loved Ones
Walter/Noddy/Chumly - These are dreadfully difficult days for you all, and being the holiday season is no help, psychologically. I can't say anything to help any of you except that you are in my thoughts.

PS - Walter - such a pity your sister's Christmas preparations are being interrupted.

Re: Mental Decline & Dependency/Coping With Aging Loved


Not really the preparations - it just didn't put her in put into good 3rd advent humour.

I guess I'll be perplexed if they let her go home, Walter. Anyway, sympathies continue. Perhaps there'll be another hearing..

Walter, I know what you're going thorough. I hope that you get the support that you need this time.

Since she'll has got nothing for worth staying at intensive care, mother will be moved (most possibly is already) to the normal interior ward.

And from there - my guess - she'll be going home tomorrow afternoon (if they follow strictly what she says) or at least Tuesday: the blood test results were excellent, besides some showing 'fall parameters'.

---

Tis in between and a bit ranting: when I phoned my sister - she had phoned here earlier this evening when I was in the hospital - she was quite happy .... and asked for mother's phone number. I told her that mother had still been in intensive care when I'd left hospital, that I wouldn't drive there again to arrange it and that no-one hinders her to come up here to talk with our mother face to face.
- She has a lot to do before christmas and can't leave her son and husband.
- Here, all is done by elves and little house gnomes. And Mrs Walter can't think of sopmething better as me being away.

I could have spared my irony - she wants to phone me tomorrow morning again.

Walter, perhaps when your sister next calls, she can tell you what arrangements she has made for your mother to come stay with her.

Walter--

I know you're a good Catholic, but you must have moments of wishing that Karma would hurry up and bash your sister.

If you don't have moments like that, you are a sainted Catholic.

Actually, I'm rather far away from being accepted for canonisation :wink:

Walter--

You can't say your sister isn't doing her bit to hurry your halo along.