Well life is changing again

[Guest guest]

I think alot of you will remember that I am changing jobs to be able

to work closer to where Dad lives. I was traveling 70 miles to my

job from my hometown, which is the same town Dad lives in. So a

couple of more days of the commute and then Monday, July 21st starts

the new job only 5 1/2 miles from my house, YIPPEE. It turns out to

be just in time as we are having to move Dad to the Long Term Care

Center from the ALF. The ALF just can not take the proper care of

him any longer that I believe he needs, a couple of things have

happened recently, no serious, but enough cause for concern that the

move was prompted. So my little sister, believe that, came over with

her whole family in tow for a visit, they haven't been here since

February for the Guardianship court stuff, and she got to see how

much Dad had changed and go to a doctor's appt with him. So we went

to the LTC center and will move him over there by the end of July. I

feel real good about the move, Dad was quite coherent and asked very

good questions of the head nurse, but of course he also talked about

stuff that made no sense to her but she was great. They talked to

Dad the whole time instead of just us, which I really liked, made him

a real part of the decision. He is all for it and even after several

days still seems okay with all of this. Guess we'll see on the day

of the move. The place is nice as our town is small and the LTC is

connected directly to the hospital and urgent care clinic, it's all

one big building. Across the driveway is the regular doctor's office

and across the street is the specialty clinic where the specialist

doctors come to when they come to town, so everything will be real

close and I'll only be 5 minutes away starting Monday.

This will be alot less stressful on me and Dad, as I can visit more

often, like everyday at lunch if I chose, and he won't be upset that

I'm not staying long enough when I visit after work and that long

drive home. He will also be getting the proper care he needs and

deserves with a qualified nursing staff. Dad is at the point where

he really can't do anything for himself any longer and needs alot of

care and at the ALF they just weren't equiped to handle people like

that, just people who need assisted living not full on care. It will

also be cheaper, as they give 18% local and pay on time discounts,

that will save us about $900/month. I also don't have to buy all the

stuff I have to know, like the Ensure and wipes, will only have to

buy the diapers so that is also a savings. That Ensure is expensive

and he is supposed to drink 5 times a day.

So we'll keep our fingers crossed that all goes well when we go to

move him and that he is having another one of his good days that

day. Will try to do it in the morning when he is usually in a better

mood.

Oops this got long, I couldn't sleep tonight, lots on my plate and

obviously my mind this week, guess I just needed to put the words

down on paper to get them off my mind. Thanks all for

listening/reading, Meri Jane