Monday, April 03, 2006

Come and Play with Me

Today is the first day of the new schedule in which Ocean View cares for Mom 6 am to 2 pm, I show up at 2 or 3 pm, and Mom has a private caregiver for only 6 hours, 5 pm to 10 pm.
I was hoping things would go smoothly and I would have a quiet morning to work on the income tax returns.
But at 9 am I got a phone call.
"This is your mother. What are we doing today?"
I felt like saying, "I am not your playmate. We are not doing anything today!"
But I talked to her about her fresh permanent and other plans.
"Today is Monday, and usually you get your hair done on Monday, but you can't today because of your new perm. So you will just have to sit in your chair and watch tv or go out and do whatever the group is doing in the main room. I will come at 2 pm and we will go buy some V-8. Who helped you to call me? Bethlhem? Can I talk with her?"
"How is she doing?" I asked. "She can just sit in her chair in her room and watch tv if she wants to. Or you can keep her out there and make her do whatever activities are happening this morning. I don't care."
Somehow she made it through the morning, but she was angry about having to sit with the group for a conversation.
"It was boring," she said. "Those people just sleep, or they don't talk."
I could picture the scene all too well.
We went out for our exciting trip to the supermarket, where I pushed her up and down the aisles. And then back to Ocean View.
Will she adjust to having no one to manage her mornings?
It's not starting well, but at least we are saving money.

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