Assessment Results - Now Where?

So the Nurse Practitioner's assessment -- along with council of the Medical Director and Director of Nursing --

Mom's blood gases are in acceptable ranges

Remeron is not causing confusion

AND -- she is progressing well through therapy and they are working on scheduling a Home Visit but they are concerned about her understanding safety with cooking.

Well, Mom never was much of a cook except during holidays and she hasn't cooked at all in probably 10 years, so no worries there.

We begin wondering -- do we really try to get "in-home care" service? What if she does have Dementia? What if we get her home and she refuses assistance?

None of these decisions are easy and you want to make the right decisions when it comes to your parent -- or spouse -- or any loved one!

We talk with some very fine folks at a few of the organizations that provide in-home care. We talk with folks that are very familiar with the different types of care and all options. We learn about "Assisted Living Memory Facilities".

These are facilities that are as we think of "assisted living" or "retirement communities" but skilled with memory challenges -- such as Dementia and Alzheimers. WOW! They provide apartment or residential style settings and can provide all levels of care and really know how to care for the elderly. There are 3 in that area -- 1 is 100% full -- so we have two to visit. We are going to tour both facilities this weekend and have been told that we will be impressed -- GOOD!

Next step is we need to determine just where Mom is mentally. Sometimes -- we learn -- elderly folks have mild dementia after an illness or trauma like Mom experienced -- and sometimes they come back later on. However, these experiences can accelerate some mild Dementia or Alzheimers into full speed. If it is mild or recoverable, then Mom could end up back home -- with some slight assistance. If not, then going home could just create a worse situation and more confusion. Mom's safety and well-being are at stake here. We will have to learn how this mental/memory evaluation is done and by whom.

This evening Sister finds Mom just talking and acting like typical Mom but certainly confused.

Confused such as her and her roommate went to the dining room for dinner but ended up carrying their trays back to the room -- but Mom told it as they went to town and got some dinner but there were all old people there, so they just brought the food back home.

It appears that Mom does very well with her roommate -- so if she ends up in assisted living -- maybe having a roommate would be better than a private room?

It seems to me a nice facility built, staffed and run by people that understand memory issues that can provide residential style living with potential for friends and activity would be far better than living alone or with limited assistance if you do have Dementia. I know at this point in my life -- when I'm mostly of sound mind and body -- that I would like to be in such a facility if I wasn't all together upstairs. Hopefully I could socialize, play Wii games and just hang out. ;-)

To be continued...............