LIFE: On Tuesday, after the dentist, and on Wednesday I tried to get back to work and caught up with a bunch of “stuff”. In between moving Kathy from couch; to toilet; to couch; to kitchen… I had to finish an ad for Holyoke Medical Center that was to run in the Sunday Springfield paper. I was starting a few… Read more →
Tag: caregiving
The Dentist: part 2
CAREGIVING: Tuesday I took Kathy to the dentist to have those fillings taken care of. Only problem was I got the day wrong. I got her up early. Gave her a shower. Got her bathroom chores out of the way, so she wouldn’t feel like she had to go there. Fed her breakfast. Cleaned her teeth really, really well. Got her… Read more →
The Way It Is
CAREGIVING: This afternoon Jennifer from Greater Springfield Senior Services (GSSSI) visited to talk about how things were going and to line up more help for Kathy. I had just hung up the phone with Louis & Clark, the medical supply firm that had provided the transport chair. They were having trouble getting reimbursed from Health New England (Kathy’s Medicare Advantage insurance)… Read more →
Help, Help Me Jennifer
CAREGIVING: I remember back when Kathy was getting help from the VNA and health aides from the two agencies, I joked that “The cavalry had arrived.” I was worried about parking logistics during the winter. Should I finally get a snow blower? Should I park my car at the neighbor’s house? At the beginning, we had two nursing visits a… Read more →
Bidin’ My Time
CAREGIVING / MUSIC: Hump day doesn’t mean a lot when you are doing what I’m doing. Part of you is fairly content. The week is going along. There’s a bit of paying work to do. But when things get frustrating you become impatient with the patient. Impatient with time in general. With not knowing what is going to happen next.… Read more →
Out to Lunch
LIFE: Today Kathy and I went out to lunch. To the average person, going out to eat is no big deal. But when you are taking care of someone with Huntington’s or dementia or any number of conditions, going out might be a challenge. Part of it is just fear of the unknown: Will feeding an adult in public make… Read more →
HD-TV: Art Imitates Life
CAREGIVING: Last night we were watching TV. Our usual routine is to watch the news (MSNBC or CNN) before dinner. Then we watch something entertaining on our Roku box before I clean Kathy’s teeth and get her into bed. We got caught up on all the back seasons of Downton Abbey and Foyle’s War that way. We have been watching… Read more →