Saying "Thanks" helps so much...

I love my sister.  Here it is, a year, no, it's two years later, and she still unrelentingly expresses heartfelt appreciation for my efforts.  I feel like maybe I'm being egotistical for it to matter so much to me, but just having someone say Thanks means so much to me.

And Mom does say Thanks too.  She says it very nicely - often she says she doesn't think she could have done this without me.  Well, of course she could have ... Marilyn or Bob would have very willingly had her move closer, though their situations (in varying degrees) aren't as optimal as mine.  Or she could have stayed in Concordia and been cared for.  Still, her appreciation, her recognition of my contributions, also helps a lot.

"I'm being neglected..."

Somehow she thinks that being on hospice means she will have attention 24x7.

She keeps saying, "I'm being neglected" or saying whiney things. Just attention - more attention... more ... insatiable. She says rude things but with a smile like "I'm just kidding" (but rude) to the service providers.

I told her she is absolutely not being neglected. (She listened, and said, "you need to keep telling me that..." which is of course good but also a call for more attention from me...) She's getting all the attention plus some. Other clients of hospice have desperate situations - she doesn't.

More later.

Hospice

Wow - it's been over a year! Things eventually quieted down and created a routine.

But...

After a quick series of four falls and a one-week hospitalization, she returned to CLV much much weaker and more confused. The unit manager suggested we consider hospice.  And, she is now on the highest level of care in the assisted living facility. 

Called in hospice. We are now trying to fathom the tremendous help they offer. It's almost too much to absorb. Nurse Margaret, Aide Cynthia, LPNs Chalitha, Jo, Elsa, and more. Director Cathy. Chaplain Dan. Social worker Floydene. Doctor somebody. Along with the occupational therapist, physical therapist. And they're all coming in to introduce themselves and start their service in the last few days. Most will fade back into just monthly visits.

But wow they offer a lot of services -

• a special mattress (some kind of special air-moving thing to prevent bedsores for really sick folks);
• a hospital bed (goes up/down, legs up, head up etc).
• showers twice a week and/or other hygiene help.
• Transportation - they will take her places - 24x7 if she wants.
• help with meds (reviewing, ordering, and paying for some)
• do blood sugars a couple of times a week
• home visits by the physician, at least once at first and at some interval after
• medicines related to her terminal illness (which is congestive heart failure) - so her copay will be covered for that, but not for diabetes, for instance
• medicines related to her comfort - pain pills
• laundry
• volunteers to come sit with her
• briefs ("Depends")
• physical therapy
• other supplies and needs to aid with her comfort.

amazing. but wow... really overwhelming right now.