We needed to go out of state to see some of our family. Dad wasn't, nor has he been, in shape to make that long of a trip for quite some time, now. What we do is stop by to see Dad at the Veteran's Home on the way out of town and stop back by to see him on the way home.
After visiting Dad on the way to go see family, I stopped for a bathroom break before we got back into the car to head out of town. When I got out of the restroom, my husband asked, "Do you want to go to this meeting? I think it's about your dad." I asked him if it's the regular meeting they do quarterly about patients, he thought so. I hadn't known about the meeting, but didn't really have anything much to address. I didn't want to delay our start on our trip, so we weren't driving to the hotel in the dark. As I walked by, the staff motioned me inside.
They asked me if I planned to stay for the meeting. I told them I didn't really have anything to address other than Dad would prefer the chocolate Ensure-type drink they gave him rather than vanilla. We talked about small potatoes topics for a while, like what types of foods Dad might like to eat. That led to the real topic that needed to be addressed. I was getting ready to leave, but the head nurse on my dad's wing, wanted to make sure I knew that although they've tried many things, Dad's continuing to loose weight and is staying in bed more and more. Then she said, that she didn't expect Dad's going to bounce back this time. She wanted to make sure I was aware of that. I told her that I suspected that, but just try to focus on enjoying every day that we have with Dad. She asked if I had thought of getting Hospice services for Dad. I told her that he isn't in any particular pain, other than when his legs hurt from time-to-time because of the Parkinson's Disease, but his legs just need to be adjusted. I said that if he seemed to be in more consistent pain, I would reconsider it, though. I also mentioned that I had signed some papers some time ago for the Veteran's Home to support Dad with Palliative Care. The following link with the National Institute on Aging tells The difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care services.
Care Giving Tips Video: Alzheimer's At 46: Living With Young Onset Dementia/Talking Point
By: George and Lynn Chong, CNA Insider via You Tube
Always Check with a Doctor before Implementing the Suggestions in a Video!
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