Dementia for 2

Since hubs and I have had to go down to one vehicle, I am not able to go anywhere on my days off. I have been keeping up with Granny via my mom. For the most part, she has been doing very well hence the lack of posts concerning her.

I was able to go and see her for a bit yesterday. She was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her. Mom was also there as was the Nurse on duty. Once again, there are issues with Granny's health.

We have been very blessed in this area this year. Granny has not been in the hospital and her overall physical issues have been at a minimum. She has an aide that truly cares about her and that makes all the difference in the world. But, we all need a break and I must confess that mom and I both cringe when we know that "T" is going to be off work. It is a crap shoot on which aide will be taking care of her for those 2 days. I think that some of us forget that we will need someone to take care of us in some fashion at some point in our lives. We teach others how to treat us. While Granny is not abused, there are things that are consistently cropping up.

Lately her eyes are starting to become irritated. We are not sure if this is an infection or something that can be taken care of with over the counter remedies. They have started using antibiotic drops in her eyes and are following that up with what is called "eye scrubs". Hopefully, this will clear up any infection she may have or prevent one from starting. Since this will be done 2x a day, we should see an improvement rather quickly.

The other issue is her posterior. This has been an ongoing issue and I am sure will continue to be one. Since granny is no longer mobile, sitting or laying for long periods is a major factor is this dilemma. This time it does seem to be worse and mom has spoken with the Doctor about this. Another problem is that everything is on a schedule and if there is a kink in the chain, it is very difficult to get someone to break their routine to help. While I realize that routine and schedules are important, I don't know of anyone that would like to sit in their own urine or feces for an extended period of time just because it isn't time for them to be checked. Part of this problem could also be my grandmother. She is very particular about the people that take care of her in this arena. If she isn't happy with them for whatever reason, she will not tell them she needs to use the restroom. So knowing this, I cannot blame any one event or person for her current condition. I do hope that we are able to take care of this before it gets to terribly bad.

I feel that Granny is still getting very good care and that she is happy. I would say that overall the aides in this facility are hard working, caring people. In any type of environment you are going to have a few "bad apples" and a nursing facility is no exception. I try to remember this every time I go see Granny. It can be difficult to keep the right perspective when someone you love is not getting the type of care you feel they should be getting. I don't think that anyone will ever be able to care for Granny exactly like we think she should be and I try not to be harsh with anyone concerning her. I realize that she is MY grandmother and just another patient to them regardless of any attachment they may have to her. But there are times when this is a difficult thing to do.