Photos

Home, Sweet Home

Alyce’s 82nd birthday seems like a good time for a long overdue update.  

On July 14, Mom was discharged from the rehab center – her 100 Medicare days were up, and it was JUST TIME!  With Jeff and Brian’s help, we made some home modifications and installed a stair chair, which gently lifts Mom from the garage to a waiting wheelchair and into the house.  

It is beyond wonderful to have her home again. Dad would say that it feels like home again.  After a few weeks of working out all of the logistics and purchasing the necessary equipment and supplies, we’ve settled into something of a routine, although it seems we still learn something new every day.  

Although we expected something of a bounce back, or maybe just a bump, in Mom’s level of alertness and ability to communicate after being back in her familiar surroundings, that hasn’t really happened.  She certainly seems happy to be here, but continues to be very tired and speaks only rarely.  Therapies through home health have begun: occupational, physical, and speech. In fact, if we’re not careful, days become way too busy, and she doesn’t get the needed rest and relief from stimulation.  

Mom is not walking, so she needs to be repositioned every few hours during the day and night to keep her comfortable and avoid skin problems.  We have been fortunate to have found five lovely nurses/care providers with a lot of experience who work several nights a week so Val and Nancy can sleep and at least one day a week to help us focus on our work.  

Dad is in charge of hand-holding, which he is very good at.  You’ll often find the two of them holding hands in the living room or the back deck, looking out over the beautiful woods.  

We don’t have a clear idea of what is ahead, but are working hard to make each day happy and comfy for both Mom and Dad. No matter how tired and sad we might be, we always find something to laugh about.   

Thank you for your love and support.