The Summer Solstice

What a beautiful day in my neck of the woods!

Longest daylight shortest night of the year, 
the summer solstice.

It's said that one should celebrate this day.
Did you?

Mom and I went out shopping.  It was a great day.  Mom made lots of purchases from the different stores we went to.  I, on the other hand, didn't make a single purchase!  Nothing jumped out at me and said, "Buy me!"  I have days like that, and that's okay... my hubby is usually pretty happy when this happens!  wink wink

Any way, I find I am having to repeat a LOT to mom.  And when it's repeated, it's said in a louder tone than when first said.

I've suggested she get her hearing checked... I think she needs hearing aids.  When I first mentioned this, she wasn't up to that discussion and made a few comments about how many doctors she already sees, etc... This time though, she didn't give me grief but didn't agree either, she merely said, "Perhaps."



So, how did you spend your summer solstice 2014?  


And if you have an elderly parent and had to care as they progressed in age, how did you handle the hearing aid discussion?

Free Bird

Whoa!

You'd think we had her jailed up.  Mom's been out just about every day since getting her keys... except for the day that the steering belt went. She was stranded.

Well still within a mile or so of my house and my brother's house but she couldn't drive the car.  She made a call to my brother who tried to drive it but he, too, failed.  

They called the mechanic and dropped off the keys so they could bring it to the shop.

Cost just about $250 with parts, labor and towing!  Yikers.

Now that she has her T-bird back, she's a free bird and fancifully flying about doing this and that.  That's right, the this and that that was so important to her for her independence.

Mom's happy.

As the saying goes, if Mom's happy...EVERYONE's happy!  
(Including ME!)

And She'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun Now that Mama Has Her T-Bird Horray!

Well, mom's been doing pretty well so we decided to make her happy.

She's been chomping at the bit to get her car back so she could pick up and go.

My brother gave her back her keys to her car and she was out and about today.

Mom went on errands and picked up a pork roast & potatoes for dinner.

It was nice to have a real dinner.

I was nicer to have a happy mom!

Family Pow Wow With Mom

Yesterday, we gathered (all but my youngest brother, he had commitments) with mom for an update.  My sister, the orchestrator or the commander as my older brother calls her, called for the meeting.

Not seeing any agenda, I had sent out topics that I believed needing discussion and asked the others to add as they saw fit.  They thought my agenda was good and no additional topics... My older brother said he was very happy to see that I had sent out an agenda.  My sister had said she thought we'd meet at 10:30am and be done about noon, so as not to take up our whole day.

The agenda I emailed was...

Disposition of Garage

Readying House for Market

Update on Sr. Living Visits and Assisted Living

Update on Doctor's Appts

Update on Mom's progress/home health aid/care

Oh and near and dear to her... driving her car.

Well we talked, and we talked, and we talked.... then I said are we going to decide anything?  So we made a few decisions!  YAY!

We're a month behind 'schedule'.  June 1st we wanted to have the house on the market... it's not!  Nothing has been done for a month over there.  We were trying to get mom back to 'good working order'.

Garage 
Contractor was there when my sister arrived checking it out.  Our choices are to fix it or knock it down.  He believed it would be worth saving.  A two car garage is worth more than no garage.  But then again, he'd do the work and get a job.... we also asked for an estimate to knock it down and haul it away.  We are awaiting his estimates.

Readying the house for market
We've decided it's best to have one of those companies that come and clean out your house come and empty all the rooms.  Knowing we'd like to get the house up in July, we set a family deadline of June 16 to grab anything out of the house we want.  First come first served except for known items that people have stated they want.

Scheduling the hauling company the week of June 17th to empty the contents.

Update on Sr. Independent Living & Assisted Living
One word, expensive!  Not the path we want to go down at this time.  Mom decided to put getting an apartment off the table and continue along the shared living with her children.  She'll head to my sisters July 4 to spend the summer months at her place with the chance to use her pool (when someone is home, of course.)

Funny thing, when we were trying to get mom to make her mind up, my sister say, "I have no problem making my four bedroom home a four  bedroom home... getting cable in the 'tv room' and furniture for mom but mom, I am not going to rearrange my  house only to find you decide two months into it that you don't like it!"

My brother said the look on my face was priceless!  My jaw dropped and I said, "Yeah I have her at my house living out of a suitcase for that exact reason!"  OMG WTF?  I could not believe she said that.  My brother was saying that was her expressing her 'bother' feelings... mom does not want to be a bother to any of us.

It really a good thing that my younger brother was not present... he may have jumped up and pummeled her! LOL

We discussed her latest doctor appointments and future doctor appointments, how well she's progressed and how her meds and meals continue to be a concern.

As for driving, my sister told mom about the neurologist's instruction to have her pass the PennDOT Driver's Exam and she can drive.  Ugh, we'll have to see if we can get an exam scheduled or how to go about it and what's involved because she sure wants to drive again!

And here's a hint to the next post... free for all at mom's!  Another WTF moment ;)

#momscare, #eldercare, #seniorcare, #decisions