Dad this week

Overall, it appears that Dad has regressed a bit in this 2nd week back from the rehab unit...he is wanting to participate less and less in therapy and helping with transfers and such, thus the caregivers are needing to use the hoyer lift. This then becomes a bit of a vicious cycle in my opinion because I believe Dad is uncomfortable with that as well as when he needs to be lifted by the caregivers (sensitive and sometimes crying out with even the slightest touches), and thus he resists even more, making it all the more difficult to move him.

Here is a brief summary of my experiences for the week with Dad since last Friday when I was there with the therapist and we had fairly reasonable success doing exercises with Dad (while sitting) and getting him to stand up with walker in front of him (using electric chair that lifts him.) At that point, the caregivers may have used the lift once or twice during that 1st week.

Sunday---brief visit to deliver medication. Caregivers reporting that Dad would not stand for transfers so needed to use lift.

Monday--therapy with PT...PT reports that Dad seemed to have more difficulty with the standing and less willing to participate.

Tuesday--PT called me in the morning to say she had to cancel with Dad for the day to personal health issues. She mentions that perhaps Dad needs stronger pain meds. I was contacted in the morning by administrator Chris who is concerned that Dad is not participating because he is in pain and that's why he's not participating. She's suspicious of problems with surgery site and is anxious for Dad to follow up with ortho doctor and have an xray. He has a scheduled appt for Friday but I put a call into the doctor I went to the house around 1pm and was there with other administrator, Janice. Dad is more receptive to me and Janice at this visit and we were able to get him to participate in some leg exercises while in the chair, as well as coming up to stand at the walker 3 times. When he is standing, he is only bearing weight on right leg...he has difficulty shifting to put any weight on left leg and wants to sit back down.

Later after I got him, the doctor returns my call and is doubtful there is a problem with the surgery site. He mentions that it doesn't seem too unreasonable that Dad is still experiencing some pain just a little more than 3 weeks since surgery, particularly since he was not that active before. Says it's not necessary to push him too much with therapy at this point, though obviously good to get him using his muscles as much as possible. We also talk about the trade-off between going with stronger pain meds vs the narcotic effect. Suggests tylenol should be adequate (note tylenol with codeine is prescribed and available as needed...caregivers have given it once or twice and no noticeable differences were noted.)

Friday--I went to meet the wheelchair accessible taxi at Dad's house around 9:15 for his ortho appointment. At the appt he required 2 big guys to help lift him onto the xray table. On the table they were trying to put a wedge on one side of him and we were trying to ask Dad to roll a little to his side---when he didn't do it himself, as the technician (and I) tried to help move him, Dad went into his "resistance" routine...He pushes back in the direction of what you're trying to do. Also his face clenches and he sticks his tongue out in an odd way from his mouth. Everyone was doing their best to calm him---it appears to be a very defensive maneuver as if he's dreadfully afraid of something. It's very disheartening to see it. Xrays showed everything was fine. When doctor came to see him, Dad was pleasant, but for the most part would open his eyes to speak to the doctor and/or respond to his questions or to me when I talked to him, but then he would just close his eyes, fold his hands and rest. Doctor and I discussed that we obviously want to continue with as much therapy as possible, but understands the difficulty for Dad to participate with his dementia. He still thinks tylenol is adequate (and better than narcotic if not needed) but also said we could Advil in between if desired.

Upon the return to the house, Anna the caregiver was mentioning how difficult it has been for the transfers and that the morning routine is quite difficult, particularly on Thursdays when it's Al's day off. She said they really don't have the time to do the leg exercises that the therapist had left papers on to be done daily, particularly when it's difficult to get him to participate.

After our discussion, I spent some time with Dad again trying to do exercises, focusing first on just trying to get him to lean forward. His pattern is that he sits in the chair, often leaning to his right side and just digs his back into the chair. Any touches to his arms or back to encourage the leaning forward invokes an "ow" or facial clench described above. With a LOT of verbal encouragement, I was finally able to get him to come a little forward and then finally he was successful coming to a stand at the walker.

Saturday--I went to visit Dad this afternoon and try to do a little therapy again. It was a struggle...my approach as always is to verbally try to get him to be willing to participate in the therapy. He often will agree, but as the attempt is made to move to a stand, he resists and then pushes back. Note that I NEVER force him to do anything, but am offering a lot of verbal encouragement. Today he would start and then say "I can't do it" several times. I respond that I know he can, he is strong, he did it yesterday, etc. At one point I asked him if he was giving up and he said yes. Eventually he did stand up, which was helpful as Al then brought the wheelchair behind him so he could eat his dinner.

I clearly have concerns and questions about the best way to move forward and am fearful about Dad's future and the best way to care for him. I do fear that Dad is giving up and if that's the case, how do we care for him?

I had left a message with Janice, the administrator who called me back a little while ago. We both agree that the ideal minimum goal is just to have Dad willing again to at least stand and support his transfers to make his care easier, and also to avoid the vicious cycle I mentioned above. She did not mention that assistance was necessarily needed, and also wants to talk to the caregivers about doing more with the exercises so Dad will get stronger and at least stand. But she said if he doesn't do that, they will have to use the lift and seemed to be taking full responsibility for caring for Dad no matter what. It eased my mind a little bit because based on some of my prior conversations with the other administrator Chris, I had concerns that perhaps Dad was too hard to handle. I did mention to Janice that I am willing to pursue hiring additional help that could be an extra set of hands that are dedicated to Dad to hopefully give us a better chance of having Dad meet this minimum goal. In my opinion, it does require the right personality, particularly someone with patience as again I think motivation is the key here and it's more important to take the time to get Dad to agree to help himself than just another set of hands to help lift him from point a to point b. Anyway, Janice and I agreed to meet on Tuesday at the house, talk to the caregivers about what they are seeing and the difficulties they are having and try to develop some strategies for moving forward.

Note that It has been a little confusing with me as far as which administrator is responsible for what (Chris vs. Janice) but Janice let me know today that she is the main point of contact for the residents, so she is the one I'll be dealing with (which I'm happy about.)

i'm sorry to be reporting these difficult circumstances. Perhaps Dad just needs more time and things will look better next week...I certainly hope so, but am not that optimistic. Everyone's input and/or suggestions welcome and appreciated.

Dad's Recovery at Emerald Isle

I have been to see Dad every day this week since his discharge from the rehab, all the while coordinating with the doctors and Emerald Isle administrators, filling prescriptions, and working with the physical therapists and caregivers on Dad's rehab and hopeful return to pre-fall abilities.

As Justine reported for me, Dad is looking so much better since returning to EI. I'm usually seeing him in mid to late morning, after he has received his morning shower and breakfast. He just seems so much more comfortable and relaxed and has been much more alert and responsive than how he was in the rehab. I really like the physical therapist (Lauri Malloy) ... from the 1st day of therapy (Tuesday), we identified the need to ensure Dad's "buy-in" so to speak in participating in the therapy. I believe that in the rehab, despite the best efforts of the PT Kristen, Dad just was not comfortable with all the shifting, adjusting, poking, prodding that typically goes along with 3 shifts of workers a day, and he developed a fear of moving (understandably due to pain that he had experienced) and truly resisted most efforts to get him up and around (in fact would push back any attempts to even lean forward for example). Furthermore, he seemed to want to sleep all the time, or at least keep his eyes closed (shutting out the world in my view).

Anyway, he is now participating in the PT, thus far standing up from a chair (they have an electric one like Mom's, so they are using that to boost him quite a bit) up to his walker (with arm support on either side helping him up), standing for a period of time, and taking some small steps. The caregivers are reporting that he is usually assisting similarly when going through his various transfers during the day, including shower time, though sometimes he is doing the "ow ow" thing and is getting more of a lift from the caregivers. When I saw him yesterday with the PT, he clearly was showing difficulty or at least not wanting to put much weight on his left leg (same side as broken hip). We are trying to sort out the use of medications to ensure minimal pain, while at the same time not wanting to knock him out. For the most part, he is on a regimen of Two 500mg regular Tylenol, every 6 hours. He was also prescribed Tylenol Codeine as needed for pain, so we (therapist, EI administrator, myself) have been talking about using that 1st thing in the morning to help with the morning hygiene routine and subsequent therapy session to see if it makes a difference, Note that the caregivers (Al, Juana) are fully engaged while the PT is there as well and Lauri has been instructing them on exercises to do with Dad, as well as reinforcing the idea of being patient with Dad, communicating with him what they want/need him to do, and getting him to participate, which seems to be going well.

Also when I was there yesterday I tossed the ball with Dad....therapist was trying to get Dad to raise his arms over his head and he wasn't quite getting it so I showed her this activity which we've been doing with him for the last year. She was pleased to see how engaged Dad was in that activity and encouraged it. We also tried putting it at his feet and asking him to kick it, which he did very slightly with his right foot. He also participated in raising/lowering both legs, both with knees bent and legs extended. We witnessed evidence of more pain in his left leg, particularly when trying to raise the bent knee.

In addition to the PT, who will be seeing Dad 3x/week, the doctor prescribed a home health nurse to come out to administer an injection called Zestril. This is a precaution against clotting which can be common in post-surgical patients. Dad is on a fairly small dose, 2.5 mg, and he will receive it for 7 days.

Thought I'd post a separate note describing Dad's remaining meds to serve as an easily searchable as needed source of info in case needed for the future for whatever reason.

Dad has a follow-up appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon next Friday which I will take him to.

Finally, got Dad's taxes submitted (after having to recreate since having my computer stolen...much easier though as I had documented quite a bit and had some printouts done as well.)

Dad returns home to Emerald Isle

I spoke with Barb and got an update on how Dad is doing. Barb saw Dad on Sunday, and saw that there did not seem to be significant progress in his recovery. On Monday, the doctor at TCU recommended discharging Dad from their care and Barb agreed. It just seemed that Dad was very unhappy and confused there. He was not able to understand what was happening so seemed to be resisting any attempt at therapy. Barb reports that since his return to Emerald Isle, things are looking up considerably! The home is more familiar and much calmer than the rehab centre. When they arrived in the evening, they had saved dinner and he quickly dug in to the meal when seated at the table. The caregivers are adjusting to his new needs but still able to manage getting Dad to the toilet and to shower for cleaning. When Barb visited on Tuesday he was sitting in his wheelchair and looked much fresher and responding to her. She worked with the new homecare physical therapist, who reported after the first visit that she was confident that Dad will be able to progress and eventually walk (with assistance). The PT will visit 3 x a week for the time being. She said when she visited this morning he was even more alert. Barb will post more details later. She is very busy right now, not only with getting Dad settled, but with finishing off his taxes, and attending to other business after her holiday. She certainly enjoyed the vacation, but sadly had her computer stolen which has added more tasks to her 'todo' list the past few days!

Friday update

Today I spoke with the nurse who does the afternoon/evening shift. She told me that yesterday they saw that Dad had not eaten a lot and woke him up at 8 or so, reheated his dinner and he ate it. They are still feeding him most of the time, though. The doctor was in on Friday (Dr. Sheedy) and ordered the surgery staples removed. I also spoke with Kristin, who told me Dad was very sleepy both times that she went to do therapy. He kept his closed most of the time and didn't really talk to her. She discovered that yesterday he didn't actually get the stronger medication. He was given it today, and she thinks it may indeed have made him sleepier. In any case, she wasn't able to get him to do much in terms of moving himself. She says he will start to move his legs, but then stop and not respond when asked to continue. I asked about the next Team conference and she said it is scheduled for Thursday. I do find it rather confusing trying to get a good sense of what is going on, with different people reporting. I know that Dad's state would of course be different at different times of the day - and I guess that can be the difficulty with a facility - there isn't much of a true overview. All they can do is read the reports from others. It's good though that the same PT does see him every day - even though it is only for a short time.

Thursday update

I spoke today with Kristin. She reported that the doctor approved changing Dad's meds to Tylenol with codeine. This did not change Dad's alertness during therapy, but unfortunately it did not seem to make any difference in his willingness to move. She now feels that his cognitive state may be the biggest factor holding him back. She thinks he is afraid perhaps. At the same time, she says he enthusiastically engages in upper body exercise involving throwing/catching a ball, so I wonder if pain is in fact real. She did however raise the issue that they expect patients in this rehab centre to be progressing more quickly in their therapy - the average stay is 10 days. If he is assessed to be 'plateauing' (or not progressing), they will recommend moving him out. She is very sympathetic and wants to keep working with Dad if she can. She hopes the new meds will help in the next few days. She suggested that one of the issues is that the policy about 'plateauing' is governed by the insurance coverage. She suggested talking to the Case Manager (Suzanne - hope that's a good sign) more about this area, when I said I thought Dad's coverage would be better than most. Suzanne will not be available until Monday, however. I also spoke with Haydee tonight. She said Dad was more sleepy today than during her previous visits. He didn't finish all his dinner, and she had to help him eat most of it. She said he did take the ice cream and fed himself to finish it off though. She confirmed that he does not want to move much, and she thinks he may not be able to get back to walking on his own as before. If he does it will take quite a long time of therapy. I know this is not really what we are hoping to hear, and it is still early days yet. I think we need to take one day at a time and continue to work toward full recovery, but may need to accept that Dad could be entering a different stage of ability and consider mainly how to ensure he is as comfortable and happy as possible.

Updates for Tuesday/Wednesday

I wasn't able to call yesterday, so got an update today for both days. According to the nurse, Dad is now able to feed himself and eating 100% of his meals (no surprise there!). They have removed the IV needle, since he is no longer receiving the antibiotics. His blood work showed some improvement in levels of hemoglobin. He was transferred from the bed to chair today for a while. In speaking with the therapist she indicated that she is concerned that his pain meds are not working sufficiently. He is clearly in pain and not wanting to do the therapy because of it (although he does cooperate when asked). She talked to the nurse and suggested we consider something stronger. Dad is now very alert and she said he participates in throwing a ball quite willingly. I told her we had been concerned when he was so knocked out after surgery and receiving morphine, but now that he has become more alert would be willing to have the doctor try something stronger so that he is more comfortable during therapy. There will be a team conference tomorrow where this will be discussed. I will speak with the nurse or with Kristin tomorrow to see what they decide.

Monday

I spoke with Kristin, the physical therapist. She worked with Dad only once, after lunch. She says that Dad still has pain in his hip, notices it primarily when shifting him on the bed to a sitting position. Dad is generally confused and does not know why he is in pain. She thinks this may make him more anxious and resitant to moving. I asked if she knew if he was getting the Tylenol on time, and she said yes. She says he does have the strength, and when finally positioned (sitting or standing) is not in pain. He is unable to take steps, however, so today she put him in a standing frame, rather than go to the gait training area. With the standing frame he can hold himself up and put weight on his feet for several minutes at a time. I spoke as well to Carol again. She reported that he is doing well, eating and having regular BMs. He does sleep a lot of course. Dr. Lai saw him today and ordered an injection to reduce potential for blood clots (as he is lying down so much still). He will get more blood work done on Wednesday.

Sunday

The nurse said that Dad was up sitting in a chair today for a few hours. I asked about alertness and she said he was more awake, but had gone back to bed after lunch and was sleeping. There is no PT on Sundays, so nothing to report there.

Saturday

I called the nurse station and spoke to Amena (sp?). There is nothing unusually to report on Dad's status. Vitals are fine, he is eating (but still needs assistance to do so. I couldn't get much on his mental state or alertness. He is still on oxygen as well. She transferred me to the therapy office, where I spoke with Abby. Although Abby had not worked with Dad, she read the report to me, which indicated he still required 2 people to assist him to get to the edge of the bed and to stand and transfer. They took him to the gym to the gait trainer (parallel bars) where they did some 'pre-gait' exercises, which seem to involved stepping forward and back. The report indicated that he is confused but cooperative, and that he does exhibit signs of pain still. Ken was to visit this afternoon, so I look forward to his report.

Friday

Saw Dad today from around 10:30 to Noon. He was more alert today. Nurse said he ate all of his breakfast. When I arrived, PT was just about to start therapy. Dad still cries out a bit with moving...we moved him to the edge of the bed, then we helped move him into a wheelchair. We headed to the "gym" area...we discovered Dad had not yet received any pain meds (new medication nurse had not gotten to him yet, even though his order says he should get Tylenol at 8am and 1pm). She came to give him the meds and PT suggested I walk Dad around a bit and then return for the therapy. He seemed to enjoy the stroll around the place--kept his eyes open. I left him with the therapist to begin therapy, but I had to leave (kids have short day today.)

When strolling we saw the Doctor who was pleased with Dad's alertness. On my way out I asked her if she had any medical concerns (reminding her I was leaving for the week.) She said not anymore having seen him more awake today. Said Dad would be in good hands while I was gone.

I brought in our family beach photo to leave by Dad's bedside.

Thursday

Went to Transition Care Unit at 11am today. There was a planned "team meeting" that the doctor had mentioned yesterday. Each therapist (speech, Physical, Occupational) provided some status on where Dad was with respect to therapies. I had not yet met the OT so I had the opportunity to speak up about Dad's pre-fall capabilities (e.g., could feed himself). Goals were discussed, and doctor (not the same one Justine and I had met the day before) indicated that Dad seemed to have a ways to go, so would definitely not be leaving before Monday the 12th, though they will re-assess at next week's meeting. PT mentioned that she had been unable to arouse Dad earlier in the morning to perform any therapy.

After meeting I went and checked in on Dad and he was sleeping. I tried rousing a few times, got an occasional verbal nod or response with eyes closed, or he would open his eyes for a moment or two...he was definitely not as alert as he had been the morning before when Justine and I were there. I inquired about how he had slept the night before. The nurse said there weren't any notes to say he had been awake in the night. I spoke to the bedside nurse who reported that Dad ate breakfast well. Note that they had removed the catheter, apparently earlier in the day.

Occupational Therapist (not same one who was at meeting) came in a little later and I went over Dad's history with her. She tried doing some grooming with Dad...handed him a wet washcloth and prompted him to wash his face, which he did. Speech therapist arrived shortly after, and lunch arrived. OT left and I worked with Speech to help Dad eat lunch. When Dad knew lunch was in front of him, he did perk up enough, to indicate readiness to eat. Most of the meal though, his eyes were slit and he only opened to find the food. Like the night before last, we would give him the spoon and he would fill the spoon, needing help to ensure spoon was loaded properly, and he also needed help guiding spoon to mouth (he would get it just shy of his mouth.) Towards the end, he was doing better with his aim and was pretty persistent to work through his entire meal.

Dad was doing a lot of complaining when being moved in the bed today...after lunch the bedside nurses needed to change the sheets and with each roll, Dad cried out...not sure how much is pain or just irritation with the process, though I'm sure there is some pain. Today, the dressing had been removed and I could see his sutures on his left thigh. Another odd thing was it appeared he had a bruise on the top of the penis....perhaps from the catheter?

I left around 1:40pm. Around 4pm I got a call from the PT (who offered to call me after doing the therapy)...she was able to move (with help) Dad to the edge of the bed like the day before, and said he stood again a few times, also taking a step to one side. She also mentioned that he was standing straighter than the day before.

At 4:30pm I returned to meet Haydee and show her the place and see Dad. Had Dylan with me so could only stay for a short time, but left Haydee there who was going to stay for a couple of hours. I had brought some magazines and cards as options for her to engage with Dad, when he gets to that point. Spoke to Haydee later this evening who said Dad did eat all his dinner, though still not overly alert. Note that while there, I discussed with Haydee the need to ensure Dad is adequately swallowing with each bite per the instructions from the Speech Therapist.

I will return again tomorow. Spoke with Ken who plans to visit the next two Saturdays. Haydee will be able to spend a few hours with Dad Tu/Th/Fri, and perhaps Mon and Wed as well (if she's not too tired from other job, said she would stop by.)

Wednesday Update

Barb and I got to the rehab centre around 9 this morning. Dad was being evaluated by a speech therapist, who identifies any issues with eating and swallowing. Dad does have a little difficulty still, so he is on a chopped food diet for now, and an eating assistant will be with him for meals to prompt him, or help with feeding and drinking if needed. She mentioned that Dad's CT scan had shown some evidence of 'hematoma' or bleeding. We hadn't read the report yet, but the doctors had never mentioned this. Later the rehab doctor came by and we discusssed Dad's conditions in more detail. He said it is possible that the fall could have caused some temporary brain issues that are affecting Dad's speech and coordination, though it could also still be the after effects of surgery and anesthesia. (FYI - the scan report also mentioned evidence of chronic small bleeds, not unusual in the elderly). Dr. Sheedy went over medications with us, and also the expected course of therapy. Generally, patients with hip surgery take 2 weeks in the rehab centre. Dad's morning medications came around 10:15. He takes pills with a little applesauce, one at a time. There are a couple of medications that were ordered from the hospital, but mainly just the ones he has been taking before. The doctor agreed that he will not get any sedating medications unless we are called. He will get tylenol twice a day to manage pain. If this is deemed not sufficient, they will call us. After the meds and finishing off a dish of applesauce, Dad went to sleep. When the PT came for evaluation at around 11:15, it was difficult to get him to wake up. Nonetheless, we did get him to sit at the edge of the bed and even stand up. He had had another bowel movement as well. The PT felt that Dad was too sleepy for more work, so he was put back to bed. The CNA came to help clean him up. Barb and I left around noon. I will be returning to Vancouver tonight. Barb will visit again tomorrow, as well as Friday morning. We decided to see if Haydee might be able to come by a few times while Barb is in Costa Rica (for a week starting Saturday). While his care is fine, when he is awake he does like to have company and interaction. The staffing at the nursing centre does not allow the caregivers to spend much time with anyone. I plan to be in touch with the centre on the phone daily to get a report of progress and can continue to post any news. Please let us know if you have any specific questions to ask the doctor or therapists.

Dad moves to Transition Care Unit

Dad continues to make slow but steady progress. He is eating more, even though he is still not very wakeful most of the time. He seems to have difficulty talking (very soft and not clear) when he is awake. He is on Tylenol for pain now, no narcotics. He was able to work with the PT a bit more (moving his legs), but still cannot sit up long without support. He was also repositioning himself on his own though. He was given a suppository and successfully had a bowel movement, which is why the doctor said he was ready to be released from the hospital to the rehab centre in the afternoon. During his 2nd PT session at the hospital, he was helped to a standing position. He didn't seem to experience as much pain during this, but couldn't yet stand on his own. He was transferred around 4:30pm. The new facility is just a couple of blocks from the hospital. Barb obtained copies of all the hospital reports so that we have a complete record for the future.

At the new centre, we began the process of helping the new staff get to know Dad. We made sure to review the medications as it seems his record includes quite a long list of things which we are not sure when they were ordered (many are just 'as needed', but even so we want to minimize the different drugs if possible). His vital signs are all very good. He is on oxygen for the moment, and was diagnosed with pneumonia so he is receiving antibiotics. At dinnertime, we tried to get Dad to feed himself for the first time. He was as usual VERY hungry. He held the fork/spoon and tried to feed himself, but is not able to lift it all the way to his mouth. Barb and I helped him with each forkful and he ate 100% of his dinner: beef/vegetable stew, lentil soup, pears, chocolate pudding.

We will return this morning, hoping to catch the therapists when they come to do his initial evaluation. I will be returning to Vancouver this evening.

Monday

When we arrived this morning (after 9), the physical therapist was just finishing with Dad. He wasn't responding very much. They said they would be back later. Dad actually started to wake more a bit later, so we were very relieved. He was able to eat some oatmeal and drink some juice. He responded with nods or yes when asked if hungry, and started opening his eyes much more. Both Dr. Park (ortho surgeon) and Dr. Lai came by. Dr. Park said that his leg was fine to stand on and from that point of view he was ready to leave the hospital for intensive therapy. Dr. Lai told us his blood count was still a little low. During his exam, Dad cried out when the doctor was palpating his stomach area. Not sure what the reason for that was. Dr. Lai came by after we had seen Dad waking, so he said he would come back later and maybe he would be able to be released to the transition care unit (therapy). PT returned around 11:30, and saw that Dad was now more alert. They began with leg exercise and noted that he was resisting (flexing muscles) and responding to commands to move sometimes. Unfortunately, not having had any pain meds for over 24 hours, when they moved him to the side of the bed to sit up, he cried out quite a bit. He remained sitting for a while, but he was looking down and it was difficult to get him to hold his head straight. After they finished, we asked the nurse to get him some pain meds. we decided on vicodin instead of morphine and gave it to him crushed in applesauce. He finished the applesauce, but after that became quite sleepy. Barb and I left to have lunch, and when we returned he was quite sleepy still. We could get him to rouse a bit, but not really eat or drink much. Clearly the drugs were making him sleepy, plus perhaps the effort of sitting up. Barb had to return home for Dylan, but I stayed through the afternoon until after dinner. He was mainly sleepy all day. He would occasionally rouse (I would talk to him and gently shake him every 15min or so). By 5 he was a bit more awake and I fed him some more applesauce which he took well. At dinner, he ate several bites of pulled pork, some cheddar potato soup, and mashed potatoes. We discussed with the nurse to admnister tylenol for pain instead of vicodin if he requires it, and we will ask that he get some before the next PT. We are hoping he can move to the transition care unit tomorrow.

Sunday Update

Barb and I visited Dad around 5pm, Sunday. He was still sleeping, and the nurses said he had not really woken, although when moved he did sometimes groan or grunt. They were giving him blood, due to readings from a blood test earlier, and his face was flushed. He also still had a small fever (99). Barb and I tried to get him to wake by talking, gently shaking or rubbing him, even using a cold compress on his forehead and neck. We gave him oral swabs with water to help relieve his dry mouth, and with some prompting, he did suck on it. He seemed to rouse slightly sometimes, making facial expressions or moving his mouth, but did not open his eyes. We will visit again later this morning, hoping that he is beginning to rouse more.

Post-surgery update

Barb and I visited Dad yesterday around 11am. He had been moved from the recovery area to his regular room. He was having an ultrasound to look at his heart. Apparently there were some possible indications of an enlarged heart which the internal medicine doctor wanted to get more details on, to see if there may have been some congested heart failure. We spoke to Dr. Lai that morning as well and he explained what he was looking for. It appeared that there wasn't anything seriously concerning after the ultrasound. Dad came in and out of sleep while we were visiting over the next 3 hours. He was given some morphine to control pain, and seemed to be relatively comfortable and not complaining too much - although a couple of times when asked how he felt or was doing - he replied 'pretty bad'.

There is concern after surgery about digestion, so we first fed Dad a cup of ice chips to make sure he could swallow properly and that his stomach would tolerate intake. He was then only allowed to have a clear liquid diet, so lunch consisted of chicken broth, juice, jello, and sherbet. He was quite hungry and especially thirsty. Even though he was sometimes half-asleep, we could rouse him and he would usually respond yes when asked if he was still hungry, so he went through most of what was provided. He occasionally had some difficulty with sucking on the straw (chewing instead of sucking), but still managed several cups of juice/water. In fact he downed almost a whole can of Gatorade in one go (resulting later in quite a large belch!). Even though he was responding to us, it wasn't clear if he recognized us at all.

We asked about probable timeline of recovery care and were told that once the surgeon assessed him post-op, he would determine when PT would try to get him up and assess a course of rehab. Assuming all is well, he would likely be transferred to a transition care unit for PT/OT work. Difficult to know how long that would last until they see how he proceeds, and therefore when he might be released back to the care home (where he could still get some in-home therapy). We'll get more details as we see how he does.

We left around 2:30 or so, and then returned at 7:30, hoping that he would be able to eat more. However, at that point he was so soundly asleep that we really couldn't rouse him. The nurse said that they had been able to get him to eat some of his dinner (full liquid style - which means still all liquid but with cream soup and milk, instead of broth and juice). We don't know how much he took though. We stayed for about two hours, and although he opened his eyes once or twice, never roused sufficiently to respond much and so we didn't try to give him any more food. He had not had any further pain medication since the morning, so the nurse administered another dose of morphine. We assumed he needed to rest, being so tired from the surgery. Before we left, the assistant was taking the routine vitals (temp, pulse, oxygen, bp) and discovered he had developed a fever (101.6). He didn't feel exceptionally hot, but the temp was retested and he clearly had elevated temp.

We returned this morning just before 8, hoping that we might see the doctor doing rounds, and also assuming he would be more alert after the night and ready to eat breakfast (now a 'soft' diet, including oatmeal and custard). He was in pretty much the same state as he had been when we left - soundly asleep and we were unable to rouse him with talking and gentle shaking. We inquired if he had roused at all during the night and were told no. All of his other signs remained good (bp, pulse, etc.). His fever had continued, but just before we left when it was tested, it had reduced to 99.4. Because he has not shown any further signs of pain (even when his position is shifted by the nurses), no further pain medication has been given. The doctor had prescribed a single dose of vancomycin (1000mg) earlier in the evening for the fever. We decided to return home and asked the nurse to call us if he showed signs of being more alert, and also if either of the doctors visited.

Missing info

Sorry...realized I left out some stuff. Yes, discovered yesterday following x-rays that Dad had indeed broken his hip. He was referred to an Ortho Surgeon and an Internal Medicine Doc, with the expectation that he would need surgery. They withheld any food for the rest of the day with the possible expectation of surgery, perhaps by the evening. Ortho Doc didn't see him until close to 9 and scheduled the surgery for 7:30am today. After picking up Justine from the airport, we headed to the hospital and arrived about 9:45--the nurse had already tried to find some snacks, and I had a banana in my car, so we helped him drink and eat. We stayed until after 11 and he seemed to be resting comfortably.

Surgery today

Quick update...Dad had surgery this morning. It was to repair the fracture with a pin. He is still in recovery. Justine are heading over there right now and hope to speak to the doctor to get more information.

Saw him several times yesterday and he was mostly staying comfortable...he was receiving pain meds when needed.

Heading to hospital

Got a call from Chris around 7:15 this morning at Emerald Isle. Al had heard a loud thud around 5:30am and found Dad on the floor in his room. Dad was complaining about his leg/hip area. Chris had contacted an ambulance service who was to pick him up and take him to the emergency room at 8:30am. I went over after getting kids off to school. When I arrived shortly after 8am, Dad was sitting in his wheelchair and Al was in the room with him watching TV. He was calm and responsive, but occasinally complained of the "constant pain" and was mentioning he had never broken his leg before. He was leaking through his pants, so Al, Anna and I worked together to lift/shift him to another wheelchair with a fresh diaper. He complained when being moved, and we also discovered an abrasion above his left elbow. The ambulance arrived around 8:50...they checked his BP (136/58) and he had a low pulse (58). They moved him to a gurney and loaded him in the ambulance. I had to take care of a couple of things at home, and now I will head over to the hospital where I assume they will take some x-rays. Will keep you all posted. Note that Justine is scheduled to arrive tonight...had planned to come in for the weekend to help me with Dad's taxes.

FYI...Al had reported that Dad had been sleeping very well and they had not administered the Haldol since the last time I reported it.

Kenny visit to Dad at Emerald Isle

I visited Dad last Saturday (3-20-10) at his new home. Dad was half sleeping and half awake, and switched between sleeping and awake every minute. He was in the living room. I asked him is he wanted to walk around and he said yes. We walked outside to the front of the house, to my car. He walked very slowly, and wanted to sit down after we got outside. He sat on the front wall and talked to Judy and the kids. Al also joined us. We went back inside, and Judy talked to Al and Anna in filipino language. I walked with Dad to his room, and looked around. I stayed there about 45 minutes, then Al walked Dad back to the TV room.

VIsits with Dad

I visited with Dad last Thursday, and also today. On both occasions he was less sleepy than on previous visits. Today the house was celebrating Mamie's 105th birthday. so they had pizza and cake. I got to meet Mamie's son Harry (former Marine) who I had previously reported enjoys talking to Dad on his visits. The three of us chatted a bit and Dad definitely seemed to acknowledge his company, with friendly, polite statements. Janice was there and I asked her how things have been gong from her perspective. She said Dad has been sleepy on the past few Bingo occasions, but said she thought he seemed content.

I brought over some rice pudding that I had made on Saturday night for a dinner party...hopefully Dad will enjoy it later.

Visit with Dad

Yesterday I went for a visit with Dad. When I arrived, he was in his recliner...I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk with me and he said yes. We walked around the house (very cold yesterday)...he knew his way around without my direction. After circling the hall and coming back through the kitchen/dining area, I asked him if he wanted to go to his room and we did. He was able to sit in his chair on his own, moving very slowly and cautiously. I reviewed some photos with him. I asked him if he was comfortable here and he said yes. I asked him if he liked living in this new house and he said "is this the new house?" to which I responded yes. I then asked him if he wanted to toss the ball and he said yes so we did. He threw it back and forth quite forcefully and with strength. After awhile it was time for lunch so we walked back to the dining room to join the ladies for lunch (green salad with tomato and grilled cheese.)

Juana reported to me that the night before Dad did get up around 10:30 or 11 to walk around. They gave him the Haldol and he slept the rest of the night.

Today, Laura stopped by and wanted to go visit Dad...I sent her with some oatmeal choc chip cookies I had made to give him. She reported that she had a nice visit and Dad was energetic...they walked as well.

This week - Haldol administered twice

I went to visit Dad today. When I arrived, Dad was asleep in the living room in his recliner. Juana and Al shared with me that on Sunday, Dad was quite anxious, not wanting to sit down, wanting to continue to get up, even after long walks before bed in which Al said his legs were shaking. Dad apparently kept talking about wanting to go somewhere. They administered the Haldol that night, and they said Dad did eventually calm down and sleep through the night. Juana said that for the next couple of days, Dad was very alert and stayed awake during the entire days, no naps. Again, last night he was anxious and they gave him the Haldol. He did go to bed, but they said when they went to see him this morning, they found him lying on the floor (eyes closed, apparently comfortable). He was located in a position in which his feet were partially inside the closet. THere didn't seem to be a sign of a fall. Since the morning, Dad had been sleepy, and that was his situation when I arrived around noon. This is consistent with a pattern I had seen a couple of times where Dad is quite active for a couple of days, and then is VERY sleepy for a couple of days until "leveling" out. Janice was also there today and I discussed it with her as well.

I was able to wake Dad while in his chair to chat with him for a little while. He smiled when I greeted him. The TV was on and a "Music Choice" channel was on. Dad read the words on the TV aloud, and then kept repeating those words "Music Choice". I brought out the multi-photo flip frame and reviewed some of the photos with Dad, asking if he knew who was in the picture. He was able to identify all of his children and Mom, and at some point started saying the names with "choice" afterwards, e.g., "There's Barbara choice" and "That's Jennie choice", etc...

At one point I asked him if he was comfortable living here and he said yes. I left the photo frame open on the dresser with the photo of Cathy & Dad at Emerald Isle a few years ago...Cathy has on a straw-type hat with a rolled brim and it's a close-up from the shoulders up, Dad has on a short-sleeve button shirt that has blues/turquoise in it (remember that one Cathy?)

I just called over there this evening and they reported that Dad was still quite sleepy and would be getting ready for bed soon. I will check in again tomorrow by phone and try to get by again by Friday.

Doctor's appt

Yesterday Dad had 6 month (from annual physical) follow up appointment with Dr. Gee. When I picked Dad up, he was VERY tired. Al reported that Dad had been sleeping well, but had been a little more tired than usual the previous day or two. 

We made it very slowly into the doctor's office. When the nurse called us in, he was going so slow and getting too tired so the nurse brought out a wheelchair. She took his blood pressure which was approx 157/76. When the doctor came in, he wanted to take it again and it had gone down to 110/60. No other issues for now. Dad continued to be quite sleepy/tired until return. 

When he arrived home, he appeared ready for lunch at the table with his "girlfriends" when I left.

More birthday photos and lunch by the sea

Group Photo and Dad's Room Photos

Dad's 94th Birthday

Today I went to visit Dad and take him out to lunch for his birthday. At Emerald Isle, they had brought him a cake, so we all sat at the table and sang Happy Birthday to Dad before I took him out (photos below.) I also took some pictures of his room. They had hung the photo of Mom on the wall surrounded by hearts that I brought in when Dad first moved in 3 weeks ago...at some point I plan to bring in more of the navy and other photos from home.

On the way from the house to the car, Al was assisting and Dad was saying he "didn't feel right" and didn't think he could make it, though he continued to walk and make it to the car. When I arrived at Subway (not fancy, but I had to return to my house to pick up Dad's wheelchair, and was a little short on time...besides, this Subway has a nice ocean view!) I asked Dad if he wanted to walk in the walker or sit in the wheelchair, he said he wanted to walk, and did fine the rest of the time. He ate up his turkey sandwich and chips heartily.

During lunch Dad seemed hungry and not too talkative, but responsive to my questions. When I asked him if he liked the new house he said Yes. I mentioned that Ryland and Paul had left early this morning to go snowboarding for the long weekend. Then I asked him if he had ever skied and he said yes, in the mountains. Does anyone know if that's true?

Al mentioned that Dad has been sleeping well ever since the 1st week and said that he felt that Dad had "settled in" nicely. They added Dad's picture to their bulletin board (previously had just the 4 ladies, now Dad's picture is in the center surrounded by the other ladies)...they are calling it "Charlie's Angels."

Friday night

Tonight I stopped by to see Dad on my way to see a play at the local theater (with several friends from my charity group, Special Children's League.) I brought a gallon of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream over and got him a bowl and sat with him for a little while in the living room. He seemed comfortable and we chatted a little. He mentioned it was nice to see me, and his smile was bright and friendly. Somehow we got to talking about "girlfriends" and I commented that he has a few girlfriends here, and he laughed. I talked about his birthday coming up and when I asked him if he knew how old he would be, he said 73. That is the same age he has told me several times in the past year when I have asked him.

By the way, he has now been moved into the originally planned room (as the other lady has passed away), and it is quite nice.

Emerald Isle Week 2

On Saturday I called the house to let them know that Ken was planning to come by later in the afternoon. I spoke to Al and he mentioned that Dad got up again the night before (luckily no hitting though!) I think it was just once during the night that he got up, but then Al mentioned that he moved Dad to his recliner, and then he slept there the rest of the night. I suggested that in my experience I thought it was better to get him back to bed, reminding him that it's not time to be awake. I think Al is a bit reluctant to be too firm or insistent with Dad, to ensure Dad doesn't get angry, which I can understand. Hopefully over time they'll get to know each other better and be able to work through this.

On Sunday I stopped by to see Dad. He was relaxing and watching the Laker Game. He gave me a big smile and nice greeting when I saw him, and he was speaking very alertly, though wasn't very talkative. He had slept fine the night before.

I also stopped by to see Dad this evening during dinner. He was enjoying chicken pot pie and a nice lettuce/tomato salad. Seemed too focused on dinner to want to talk to me. I chatted a little with Juana (pronounced Wonna) and Al. They reported that Dad was able to play bingo today without assistance...finding the letters/numbers without help (he didn't do that when I had played with him a couple of weeks ago.) They continue to report that Dad is eating well and having daily bowel movements. I'm not sensing over-concern on their part (at least at this point) about the two incidents with Dad's wake-ups.

However, I have contacted Dad's doctor asking whether he would recommend any kind of medication that could be given to Dad (only as needed) on these nights/instances where he doesn't seem to sleep well and/or gets anxious, agitated or overly confused. Turns out it's not a good idea to give a sleeping pill or "sedative" type of drug as that poses more of a fall risk. He is recommending "Haldol" in a very low dose. My good friend whose husband is a palliative care doctor also recommends it.
Again, the intent would be only to administer on an as-needed basis. When I take the pills over there tomorrow, I"m going to ask that I be contacted whenever they need to give it to him (after the fact of course, but that will allow me to keep track and monitor the situation.)

Dad today

I stopped by to see Dad around 5:30pm. He was sitting at the table after finishing his dinner. They were planning to give him some strawberries and whip cream for dessert. Mamie, the 105 gal was sitting at the table too. Apparently her son, who visits frequently makes a point of talking to Dad because he was also in the military (marines). Mamie told me that her husband (deceased) was in the army and another son, who has also died, was in the Navy. making the point of covering every branch of service.

Dad was responsive when spoken to but then would put his head down and look down in his lap. When I asked him if he enjoyed his dinner, he said "I haven't had my dinner yet" which is something he used to say to me a lot as well. He was also mentioning something about "8 days" as well as mentioning that "he (referring to Al) gets it all set up for him." I also spoke to Anna who is the gal who fills in for Al on his day off and she mentioned that she had cared for Dad yesterday on Al's day off. She said everything has been going fine, and also that Dad's bowel movements have been coming daily for the last few days.

Laura, who is back in town having been gone for a few weeks, is planning to visit Dad tomorrow. Perhaps Ken will come up this weekend, and I will certainly try to get by there on the weekend as well.

Dad update

Hi everyone,

Got a call from Chris (administrator at Emerald Isle) yesterday morn... apparently Dad got up the night before a couple of times. Not sure of the exact chain of events, but Al heard Dad come out of the room (approx 2:30am?), walking without a walker, and holding his shoes from his closet. Al got him back to bed for a little while, and then when he got up again, Al let him sit in the recliner in the living room. Al sleeps on the couch in the living room by the way....at some point, Dad had walked over to the couch and apparently "hit" Al on the head while he was sleeping!

Chris mentioned that up to that point, Dad had been doing great...eating and sleeping well, conversing with others, etc. I had previously mentioned to them about the night time incidents, and certainly it is something they know can happen and are willing to deal with (to a point...if it persists, they may request additional night time care/support). However, she did raise the concern, which I share, about the physical aggression...not sure what Dad might have been thinking. Hopefully as he becomes more familiar with everyone, it won't happen again.

I stopped by yesterday and spoke to Al, who didn't seem shaken by the incident nor express concern. Dad was enjoying his lunch, but not very talkative. Al said his approach, in general, is not to force Dad to do anything he doesn't want to (giving him "time" and space when needed, for example), which is something I had discussed with him before (noting that Dad will sometimes get angry if forced when he's not ready.)

This morning I spoke to the other gal there and she said Dad slept fine last night and was doing great.

Transition weekend

I stopped by to see Dad Saturday afternoon. He was relaxing in a reclining chair that was in his room. The bedroom is quite nice...it's at the back of the house and has a fireplace and couch, along with a dresser, cabinet style closet and the recliner they put in there. I spent some more time sharing Dad's routine and various things with Al while there. I took Dad for a stroll around the outside of the house and he was moving well. Went to the great room table (two other ladies were in the sitting area watching TV during that time.) I shared the beach house family photo where Dad immediately recognized himself, and when I pointed to Mom he said that was me. I corrected him and went through the rest of the family. He seemed in good spirits, but was quite sleepy. Started to initiate a puzzle but he kept looking down and closing his eyes, so we walked back to the recliner in his room and I let him rest. It seems as though that's sort of a common "siesta" time at the house (after lunch). Al says he has a half hour break around that time. Al reported by the way, that Dad had slept well the night before, and also that he was a little surprised to hear Dad say "aw shit" when Al was helping him pull of the t-shirt for the shower n the morning. I have previously heard Dad use that term before, though not that often.

Today I just made a quick stop by on my way back from the Farmer's market...I dropped off a pint of strawberries and a tangerine for Dad. He had just finished lunch and Al was about to take him to the bathroom (in hopes for a bowel movement...didn't have one yesterday.) Dad gave me a big bright smile when I said Hi. I asked him how he was doing and he said something to the effect of "this guy's going to help me out" (referring to Al.) Al said he has named him his "captain" and I told him I thought Dad would like being called that, though Charlie was fine too. Am hoping to make a longer visit later this afternoon. I'll try to remember to get my camera out to take some photos that I could post.

Move to Emerald Isle

Dad moved over to Emerald Isle today. I had been talking to him about it the last few days, and his response had actually been quite positive when I mentioned it. For example, last night when I mentioned "tomorrow you'll be moving to the new house", he responded with a big smile and said "That sounds good."

Lois reported that Dad was pretty up and about this morning, but by lunchtime was a bit tired and dozing. He had lunch and we got him in my car to go over around 2pm. After arriving we went to the couch that is in his bedroom and Al(fred) sat down with us and asked questions about Dad, family, background etc. Chris, the administrator arrived around 2:45 and I moved into the kitchen with her to review all the paperwork. Meanwhile, Lois stayed back with Dad and Al in the room to give "tips." Together they took Dad for a little walk and to the bathroom.

Unfortunately I was fighting a migraine this afternoon so wasn't feeling that well. Once I finished the paperwork I returned home (to greet Dylan from school.) Paul came home early so I could rest. I had arranged with Haydee to have a shift at the new place tonight, and was originally going to go over with her, but instead Paul took her over. Took an Excedrin and rested, and am feeling better now. Spoke to Haydee this evening and she reported that she liked the house and the caregivers there, and that Dad seemed to be doing fine, though was tired. I think they will start to have Dad adjust to their schedule, which is about an hour or more earlier (to bed and to wake) than what he did here at my house.

Will be stopping by tomorrow to check in and see how things are going.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was awake but did not want to get up. I tried several times then just waited until he was ready. He went back to sleep and slept until 9:30am after getting up he began his day with his regular morning routine of care and then had breakfast later on he participated in a ball exercise both morning and afternoon. He viewed his family photos but was not able to identify anyone other than himself. He had lunch and while eating he began throwing his food from his plate with his spoon on the table several times as i was preparing the rest of his lunch. I had to move it out of the way until i sat at the table with him. He did not seem angry while doing it but it was done out of confusion because he tried to pick up his walker and throw it twice when he first got from his chair to go and eat. He did stop after i told him not to toss the food and that he had to eat it and he did not through it anymore. He rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and ready to get up. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care and then ate breakfast and participated in a puzzle game for both morning and afternoon about 45 mins to 1hr. He walked inside due to rain both morning and afternoon he went to his room and watched tv and participated in a ball exercise for a short time. He rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and began conversation and ready to get up. He did his regular morning routine of care and had breakfast. He participated in a card game for about 30 to 45 mins and walked around in the house due to rain. He went to his room and watched TV for a while and later on had lunch and then participated in a puzzle game for about 40 mins and went to his room and viewed some family photos and then relaxed the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was awake and was in a good mood. He began his day with showering etc. He then ate breakfast and participated in a card game and went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and went to his room and exercised with the ball and then dosed off and later had lunch and prepared for trip to kennys house. He had a good day.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was awake and appeared to be in a good mood and began conversating and ready to get up. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care and ate breakfast and after breakfast he partcipated in a game for 1 hour. He seem to be very interested in the game. He went outside both morning and afternoon for his walks and he returned inside and rested and later on he had lunch. He was not interested in partcipating in any activities for the afternoon so finally was able to get him to participate in a ball exercise and he just wanted to rest afterwards. He had a good day and moved around great.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived and was happy to get up and get his day started. He began his day with showering etc and then had breakfast and participated in a card game and later went to the doctor to get his tb skin test read. He returned home and had lunch but was very tired and fell asleep at the table i had to continue to tell him to eat his lunch finally he did and he told me that he was tired. He had a long walk at the doctors and i am sure that is why he was tired. He did look through his navy book and did a little exercise with the ball until he became tired again and stopped. He rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Mr Dancy was up when i arrived. He already had breakfast and i took him for a walk and he went to sleep for about 2 hours. He did not want to get up finally he did and did not eat his lunch very very tired and continued to sleep at the table. I had a very difficult time getting him to move after about a hour he finally got up and went to his room and continued to sleep again. He did not want to get up for supper. I was able to get him to do some ball exercises and afterwards he still would not move and became very upset so i had to get barb to assist me with getting him up. Finally after getting him to the dining table he had supper and then went for walk and then prepared for bed and is now sleeping.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was up in the restroom. I was informed that he had gotten up prior to my arrival and was moving around without his walker. He began talking a lot about getting ready to go golfing but stated he did not feel like so i told him not to worry about it. He tried to get up as i was gathering his clothing, i told him to stay seated until i returned and he did. He showered and had breakfast and earlier before i arrived. He sat in his room and watched tv and was asking a lot of questions which i tried to answer as best i could and then he looked through his family photo pictures and was able to identify barb,cathy,his wife,kenneth and wife and jenny by calling names. He seemed to have a hard time seeing things out of his left eye he seem to strain that eye to see things. He later participated in a ball exercise until he became tired this was the longest time i seen him play and dosed off immediately after he finished. He was told that by barb that he needed to go to doctor for his tb shot and wanted to know why he was going there and why he had to get one and who set this up and was i getting one and the questions continued throughout the entire ride there and during the office visit and questioned the nurse. He became extremely tired upon returning home to the degree i was able get him to move for several hours he did have to walk a pretty good way so maybe that along with the ball exercise triggered the tiredness. He did eat lunch and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Monday night/Tues Morn

Last night, Dad was doing a lot of independent moving again, and asking a lot of questions, like where is his office, and who lives in the house, who was the man that was here earlier, etc. He couldn't believe that Paul and I had been married for 19 years, or that I was 50 (I'll take that as a compliment!) I told him I was born in 1959, and immediately he said, well it can't be 2009, to which I said it is 2010, and showed him today's newspaper. He kept complaining about his back (I'm not going to be able to do much with this back") and saying he couldn't walk, yet kept getting up on his own after sitting for short periods of time. He wasn't seeking the walker much, and was moving fairly well, reaching out with his hands to hold things when needed (and of course I was watching him and helping if needed.) He kept asking about where his car was (which I explained he didn't have one here) and he kept saying we needed to go to the car so he could show me something. So I walked him to the garage and showed him my car, and that seemed to settle that.

I suspected he would get out of bed if I put him too early, so after going to the bathroom (during which he also got up), and geting his PJs on, I got him in his room in his chair to watch TV, while I was trying to get Dylan to bed. Of course, he wanted to get up again. Ryland helped me out by tossing the ball with him while I got Dylan to bed. Then I took over and he seemed to be getting a little tired, and a little more distracted from the discussion. Then I gave him a back/shoulder/head rub in the chair to try and relax him...eventually got him to bed by 10pm or so.

At 1:30am Ryland alerted me on the intercom that Dad was up and I came down the stairs to find him in the living room, walking with the walker. I took him back to his bedroom, took him to the bathroom (where his instinct was to pee standing up, which he did somewhat successfully), removed his wet diaper and was able to get him back to bed. He kept asking if we were "downtown" and making reference to sleeping in a bunk with people all around him and being lost. He was saying he didn't know how he got here...I told him I had brought him here a year ago. I reiterated, I'm your daughter Barbara, to which he responded, "Oh I understand you're my daughter Barbara." I explained he was safe here in my house. I decided to tie a tambourine to a string on the door so that if Dad came out again I would be more likely to hear (I do have the monitor, but he is so stealthy!).

When I woke up at 6:50 am this morning and came down the stairs, Dad was in the kitchen, holding a throw blanket, no walker. I got him to sit at the counter and gave him some juice, cereal and muffin to occupy him so I could prep my kids' lunches, get ready for school. Still wanted to get up a lot, and at one point said, "I guess I won't be able to play golf anymore with this back." After getting Dylan off to school, walked with Dad to the bedroom, and got him to sit on the toilet in the bathroom. On the way I mentioned that he was 93 years old and he said "really...that can't be true". I told him he was born in 1916, and again, he quickly did the math and said, well that's 84 years, to which I said that's 2000, but now it's 2010. Got him to the toilet and then Lois arrived. I'm guessing at some point he's going to hit a wall where he becomes really tired like he did last week after the two anxious days following his fall at Ken's...we'll see!

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and began talking immediately. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He ate breakfast and then participated in a card game was very alert today and aware of his surroundings. He went outside for a walk and returned inside to his room and he began telling me that his picture was on the wall and the other picture was his wife suzie so i got the family photo album out and he was able to identify kenneth,barb,cathy,and jenny. He ask me where was kenneth at i told him probably working and he ask me who house this was i told him barb and he asked me where was she at and when did she buy the house and who lived in here before she moved here. He was very interested in watching tv today. He went to eat lunch but stated to me that he just was not to hungry so he did not eat very much. After lunch i asked him if wanted to play game and he said he just wanted to relax. I took him to his room and he asked to lay down and wanted to watch tv and that is exactly what he did. He asked me to turn to channel 3 and i did. He began asking me about his bank book and i told him that i did not know where that was that he would have to talk to barb about that and he continued to ask about his banking info so i told him to talk to barb about that when she gets home. He moved around very well today and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived. He got and began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He had breakfast and then fell asleep appeared to be extremely tired today moving around very slowly. He later went outside for a walk and returned inside his room and went to sleep in the chair. Later on i tried on several occasions to get up for lunch and he would not move so i just waited until he was ready which was about 2:00pm. He had lunch and dosed back off to sleep. He was not interested in participated in any game activities i was only able to get him to look through his navy book and after he finished he dosed again. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day for him.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and began conversating immediately continued talking while getting his morning care done. He went to the kitchen for breakfast after he was seated, i went to his gather his clothes to wash them and upon returning to kitchen i saw him up walking around without his walker. He walked to the other dining room table i tried assisting him back to the kitchen table and he did not want to sit down continued with talking finally i was able to get him seated after about 5 min. I went into the kitchen to fix his breakfast and while washing my habnds he got up again and began to walk so barb and i had to get him seated again. I returned to kitchen to make his food and he got up again so i had him sit in the chair facing me so he could see me and that worked a little and he got up again right as i finished. He started eating breakfast and got up twice again so i just took him outside for a long walk until he became tired. He returned insdie and rested for about 20 min and then tried to get up again and i began exercises with him with the ball until he became tired again. He rested for about 30 mins and tried getting up again and again but was unable to because he was too tired. He went to sleep and slept for about 2 hours and then i had a hard time getting him up for lunch. Finally after a few tries he responded and was moving a little slower still tired but ate lunch and participated in a card game for maybe 15 mins and did not want to go on another walk. He went to his room and rested the remainder of the day. He also did his leg exercises before getting this morning. He had a very interesting day.

Doctor's visit today

As Lois said, Dad was moving around well today. On the car ride over to the doctor's, he was very observant, pointing out the trees in the median and looking at the fog rising over the ocean.

Dad's weight is up to 160! I think it was 147 in August. I think that's pretty good, but is anyone concerned? Dad's blood pressure was a little high today (on arrival was 162/90, but down to 150/90 after settling down)...still a little high. Doctor said we can look at that again on his 6 month follow up from physical, which will be in February.

Doctor checked the mole on his chest (no longer infected) and removed the 5 stitches from his head. Nurse also cleaned out all the wax from his ears. In general, Dad's hearing was much better today, though you still have to speak a little loudly for him to hear. Dad commented that he didn't think removing the wax made much difference, in fact, when doctor asked him if he was hearing any better, Dad responded, "Well I'm not hearing any worse!" and chuckled quite a bit (as did we all.)

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was awake and began conversating appeared to be in a great mood. He hadbreakfast and then he went to the doctor. He returned home and had lunch and afterwards participated shortly in a card game and also did leg exercises in bed before getting up. He went to his room and watched a little TV and conversated again and rested the remainder of the day. Moving around great today.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and rested and ready to get up immediately. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He ate breakfast and then participated in a card game and was really into this game for approximately 1hour or longer. He then walked inside the house very short distance both morning and afternoon. He seem much more normal than Monday able to move more quickly and stand up straight very well balanced in walking. Upon entering his room he went into a talking session still talking about this card game and money for about almost one hour continuously. He rested a little and had lunch and rested again and then i exercised his legs again and he rested the remainder or the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep and would not get up. After trying a few times i just decided to wait until he was ready he finally woke up around 9:30am. He got and had his morning care done and then went into the kitchen and had breakfast. After breakfast he still appeared tired and would not participate in any activities. He did seem to move around better and a little more stable after exercising his legs and feet before getting out of bed. He did not eat his lunch was very sleepy. He was taken to the dentist but was not able to receive any treatment due to the tiredness and would not move into the dental chair. He returned home and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was up and awake sitting in Dylans room. I assisted him to his room he seem to have a hard time moving his right leg and was very unstable. I was told that he had a fall over the weekend. He went into the bathroom and received his morning care and was talking a lot and yelling as i tried to assist him. Later on he ate breakfast and then began talking a lot about the stock market for at least 1hr and rested a little then asked for his magazines. I gave them to him and his navy book and he read through both of them for the morning. He ate lunch and then participated in a card game for about 20 mins. I assisted him to the restroom and it was very difficult getting him to stand up straight he leaned back and i had to try to hold him up to keep him from falling. He tried to walk back to his room and his right leg was barely moving so i had to hold him from the back to keep him from falling and had to grab top first chair i saw to get him seated because he started going down on the floor. I am sure that he is very sore from the fall and weak and unstable. Let hope tomorrow will be better.

Dad's fall at Ken's on Sunday Morning

HI everyone,

Ken called me this morning at 6:30am to let me know that Dad had apparently gotten up out of bed and then fallen, and hit his head, which was bleeding. Ken had called 911 and they took him to the hospital. He got some "staple" stitches on the left side of his head above/behind his ear. Ken said they also did a CT Scan and EKG with nothing of concern revealed. THey finally returned home around 11:30am. and Ken said Dad was ready to eat and did fairly well the rest of the afternoon, apparently walking around the house quite a bit. Ken brought Dad back to my place around 5pm. I noticed that Dad definitely seemed like his balance was more out of whack then usual. He also really seemed to be having trouble with his right leg, not moving it much when he was walking. He ate a hearty dinner but the final trip to the bathroom/bedroom was rough for him/us (without his shoes, walking seemed even more difficult for him and he required a lot of support from behind to keep him from falling backwards.) He's also not gauging his position well (next to the bed, or a chair for example) and will attempt to start sitting even though nothing is below him, at which point I have to hold him up to prevent him from falling.

Perhaps this will mean something to Ken, but tonight Dad was talking about "camp," "boy scouts" and "girl scouts." Ryland was working on a jigsaw puzzle at the table while Dad was eating dinner and Dad kept asking him about the "camp." He also asked me how many campers we can hold. He also mentioned someone named "Johnson" that he needed to call to ask him how much it would cost. Later he implied that Johnson was in the navy with him.

Dad has a doctor's appt this Thursday, at which point we will follow up on the stitches. Also, Lois had taken Dad in to the urgent care clinic early last week (doctor was on vacation) to have a look at the large mole on his chest that he had been scratching and had gotten red and filled with pus. The clinic doctor gave Dad antibiotics and cream and it appears to be healing. I will also have the doctor look at Dad's ear wax again. It may or may not be a factor, but Dad really seems to be having problems hearing right now. At our last physical, the doctor saw ear wax but when he tried to remove it, Dad squealed and said it hurt, so the doctor said to use over the counter Debrox. Lois had done it back then, but I will ask her to use it again this week once or twice daily before the appt in hopes that it can help soften it and make it easier for doctor to remove it. Hopefully it will make a difference in the hearing...we'll see.

In closing I just want to reiterate my concern about Dad's (lack of) balance...Even with the walker he seemed to have lost his understanding of leaning forward on the walker and tended to lean back. Perhaps it was just a long day and he will do better in the morning.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He got up and began his morning routine of care and then had breakfast and dosed a little and later on he participated in a card game for a little and went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and is preparing to go to kens house for the weekend.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He began his day with showering etc. He ate breakfast and then began dosing off. Later on he participated very briefly in a puzzle game. He then went outside for a walk and returned to his room and watched a little TV. Later on ate lunch and went out for a haircut and returned home and looked through his navy book and then did a little exercise with the ball and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was asleep. He did his regular morning routine of care and had breakfast and then participated in a puzzle game for approximately 45 min to 1hr and then walked a little inside both morning and afternoon. He went to his room and watched a little TV and looked through his navy book and conversated and then he ate lunch and later on he participated a little in exercise with the ball and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake appeared to be in a happy mood. He got up and showered etc. He ate breakfast and afterwards dosed a little. I offered him a puzzle game and he participated only a short time and then became uninterested. He then went outside for a walk and then went to his room and rested a while. Later on he participated in a ball exercise and then he had lunch and afterwards he went outside for a walk and viewed his photo album and later viewed his USS New Jersey book and then watched a little TV and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was asleep. He did not want to get up after trying a couple of times. I waited for about 30 min and he finally got up. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He had breakfast and afterwards he participated in a card game for about 45 mins. He went outside for his morning walk and returned inside and went to his room and looked through family pictures and was able to identify some children and then rested a little. He ate lunch and returned to his room and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Up0n arrival Mr Dancy was awake and wanted to get up right away. He began his day with showering etc. He ate breakfast and then participated in a puzzle game for about 40 mins and then went outside for his morning walk. After returning inside he looked through a magazine and read it also and talked about the things he saw. He rested a little and then had lunch and afterwards he fell asleep and later woke up and went outside for his afternoon walk. He returned inside and then rested a little and participated very little in a ball exercise just did not seem to be too interested in doing anything much this afternoon. He rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He got up and began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He had breakfast and then participated in a card game for about 40 mins and then went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and then began reading through a magazine for about 20 mins. After he took a short nap and woke up and had lunch and then dosed off again. He then went outside for his morning walk and returned to his room and participated in a ball exercise and in now resting. He had a great day.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived this morning. He got up later and began his regular morning routine of care. He then ate breakfast and afterwards he sleep the majority of the day. I was not able to get him to do anything i was told that he was up the majority of the night and walking around and talking to himself in bed so that is the reason he was sleepy all day even falling asleep while trying to eat lunch. Later on he return home from kens and continued to sleep just a very exhausted day for him.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and afterwards he participated in a ball exercise until he became tired. He then went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and talked a little and then fell asleep and later on he had lunch and now getting ready to go to kens house. Other than that i would say that he had a wonderful day.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and afterwards he participated in a card game for about 40min and then fell asleep. Later on he went outside for his morning walk and then sat outside at the patio and began exercising his arms with the ball for about 20min and then talked a whole lot. He talked a lot about his children especially kenneth. He talked and laughed a lot during the conversation he had a very good day today and later on he took a short walk and then rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He started his day with his regular morning routine of care. He ate breakfast and then participated in a puzzle game for about 45 mins and then went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and rested a while and then read through a magazine and later on he participated in a ball exercise. He then ate lunch and afterwards i offered him another puzzle but he was not interested just wanted to nap a little. He is now resting and had a great day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He began talking immediately upon entering his room and then got up to shower etc. He then had breakfast and later participated in a card game for about 45 min and then went outside for a short walk and returned inside and then fell asleep in his chair and later when asked to go eat lunch refused to move at all. He continued to sleep and did not get up until 2pm and ate a little bit then and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived. He began his day with his morning routine of care. He then had breakfast and afterwards he dosed later on i was able to get him to participate in a ball exercise until he became tired. He then walked outside and later had lunch and afterwards rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He got up and began his day with showering etc. He ate breakfast and then participated for a short time with a puzzle game. He later dosed a little then we walked around in the house do to cold and rain. He rested a while and then he had lunch and later participated in a card game for about 40 mins and then went for a walk again and went to his room and looked through his family photos and was able to identify some of his children and talked a lot this afternoon he is now resting and had a great day.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

When i arrived this morning Mr Dancy was awake. He later got up to began his morning routine of care. He then had lunch and dosed off i tried to get him to participate in a card game and he just was not interested only wanting to sleep. He did go outside for his morning and afternoon walk but still wanted to rest not wanting to participate in any activities at all today very little this morning with the card game and i offer the ball for exercise and he did not want to exercise with it today. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. He remains resting.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He started his day with showering etc. He had breakfast and then participated in a card game and then dosed. He then went for his morning walk and returned inside and fell asleep. After waking up he then had lunch and fell asleep while trying to eat his food but finally finished. He was extremely sleepy after lunch and was not able to participate in any other activities. He rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He then had breakfast and afterwards he participated in a puzzle and later on he went outside for a walk this morning. He returned inside and rested a little and then participated in a ball game of exercises then rested. He then had lunch and participated in a card game for a while and then he took a walk outside and then went to room and looked through his navy books and began talking about the pictures and then rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived. He began his day with his morning routine or care. He then had breakfast and participated in a card game for a while and then dosed off. Later on he went for a walk inside the house do to rain and cold. He sat in the chair and watch the rain for a little and then fell asleep. He then had lunch and afterwards he began to dose off and on and was not interested in playing another card game that i brought to him. Later on he went to his room and looked through his navy book and had a lot to talk about until he began to dose again. He rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He had breakfast and then shortly after he participated in a card game for a long period of time. He then went outside for his morning walk and returned inside a rested a little then participated in a ball exercise until he became tired. He then fell asleep and later on he went out for lunch and had a wonderful time and really enjoyed his meal. He then returned home and fell asleep immediately in the chair. Later on i tried a few times to get him to participated in another activity and he just was not interested all he wanted to do was sleep. I tried later to get him to go the restroom for a diaper change and he refused also to get up. I waited and then asked him to get up and eat supper and he still did not want to move. When i told him about leftover chicken pasta he then got up immediately to eat. He enjoyed that pasta and talked a little and then prepared for bed and is now asleep. He had a wonderful day.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and afterwards participated in a puzzle game and talked a little and then went outside for a walk and returned inside and then dosed a little. Later on he went for a ride and stayed awake the entire time and was enjoying the ride. He then returned home and ate lunch and went to his room to watch TV and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He started his day off in a good mood by talking and singing. He got up and showered etc. He then had breakfast and once finished he began dosing off and on. I offered him a card game but he appeared to be very tired and sleepy and participated very little. He went outside a took a short walk due to the cold weather. He returned inside and began to dosed off and on again. Later on i was able to get him to participate with in exercise with the ball and he seemed to have a lot of energy until he became tired and ask to stop. He rested and then i asked him to come and eat lunch and did not want to move. I was not sure if he understood me so i brought the food and showed him and pointed to the table and he got up and ate lunch. After that i tried to get him to play the card game again but he was not interested only wanted to sleep at the table. He went into his room and looked throught his navy book and talked about his service as a captain and is now resting the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

When i arrived Mr Dancy was asleep. He began his day with showering etc. He ate breakfast and then dosed a little and later participated in a puzzle off and on for a short while. He then went on his morning walk and returned inside and rested for a little. I offered him a magazine to look through was not interested. He did not want to get up to eat he sat in the chair and dosed off and on refusing to move when asked to go eat he just began screaming loud he also did that Monday not sure what that is about. He did not want to participate in any other activities today and is now rested.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He began his day with his regular morning routine. He then had breakfast and dosed off. I offered him a puzzle to put together but he just was not interested later on he participated for only a short time and then began to dose again. He then went outside a walked this morning returning inside rested and later participated in a ball exercise at two separate occassions. He then looked through his navy book but was not interested today as he normally is. He ate lunch and dosed off and on at the table not wanting to participate in any other activities. He is now resting at the time.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived this morning. He began his day with his regular routine of showering etc and appeared to be in a very good mood this morning he was singing a lot in the bathroom and conversating with me. He then had breakfast and afterwards he spoke on the phone with Cathy and then he began to dosed. I offered him a puzzle and he was not interested later on he participated but very briefly and then went outside for a walk and returned inside and rested. Later on he had lunch and dosed off and on while eating. He then took his afternoon walk and returned inside and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was asleep. He woke up and began his day with his daily routine of showering etc. He then had breakfast and afterwards, He participated in a puzzle for a while and then he dosed off and later he went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and rested then later participated in a game of ball exercises until he became tired. He then dosed off and on until lunch he had lunch and then he dosed again. He did not seem interested in participating the other puzzle so i waited a while and tired later and he participated but very brief and dosed again and later on he went outside for his afternoon walk. He returned inside and went into his room and looked throught his navy book and begin talking about some of the people in the book and then rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and was in a great mood today. He got up to take his shower and other morning duties. He then ate breakfast and then participated in a card game and then dosed off a little later on he got up and went outside for his morning walk. He returned inside and rested in the chair for a while and then exercised his legs while sitting until he became tired. He then rested again and dosed off. Afterwards he had his lunch and then began to talk a lot and then participated in a card game again and then rested a little and went outside for his afternoon walk and returned inside and participated in a ball game for just a little and then rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake appeared to be in a good mood. He started his day with his daily routine of morning care. He then ate breakfast and participated in a puzzle for about 30 minutes and then dosed off. He then went outside for his morning walk. Returned inside and rested. Later on he had lunch and then after lunch he dosed for a long period of time after waking up he took his afternoon walk and then went into his room and view family photos and was only able to identify kenneth and Cathy by name on the photos today he did know the other daughters but were not able to call by name he knew who he was and called his name on the pictures and also he called his brother allen on one of the pictures. He began to conversate a lot while looking at the pictures. He is now resting in his chair.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived and appeared to be in a good mood today. He began his day with his daily morning routine of showering etc. Later on he had breakfast and then he participated in a card game for about one hour and then went outside for his morning walk and sat outside for a while enjoying the view of the ocean. He then left to go out for lunch and really enjoyed his day out as well as the food. He then returned home and came into his room and watched a little TV and ended up falling asleep and then woke up and went to the kitchen and ate the remainder of his lunch for dinner and then sat at the table talking a lot very talkative today. He took his evening meds and then prepared for bed and is now sleeping.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He began his day with his regular morning of routine care. He then had breakfast and participated in a card game for a long period of time and conversated a lot today appearing to be in a great mood. He then went outside for a walk and returned inside and rested. Later on he participated in a ball exercise and until he became tired. He then had lunch and after lunch he participated in another card game but only for a short period of time. He was more interested in talking. He then went outside for a walk and returned inside and went to his room and watched a little TV and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived this morning. He started his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and later on participated in a puzzle. He then dosed a little and then went outside for his morning walk and returned inside and rested in the chair. Later on he had lunch and then fell asleep at the table and later on he woke up and participated very breifly in another puzzle and then fell asleep again. He took his afternoon walk and returned inside and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr DancyUpdate Wednesday

Mr Dancy was awake upon arrival. He began his day with his daily morning routine of care. He then had breakfast and then visited with his children and participated very briefly with a card game and dosed a little. Later on he went outside for his morning walk and then returned inside and rested for a while and later on he had lunch afterwards he worked on a puzzle very briefly and dosed off to sleep for a while and then went outside for a afternoon walk and returned inside and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and appeared to be in a good mood. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and later participated in a card game for long period of time and later on went outside for his morning walk. He then returned inside and rested and later had lunch and participated in a ball exercise and afterwards did not want to get up from the table he rested at the table the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He started his day with his regular morning routine of care. He then had breakfast and participated in a card game and then went outside for a walk. He then returned inside and participated in a ball exercise for a long period of time until he became tired. He then rested and later on he ate lunch and fell asleep for a while after waking up then took another walk and participated in a puzzle for a little and last he looked at navy photos with his children.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived this morning. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and then participated in a card game and then went outside for his morning walk and then sat outside at the patio table and convesated with children about his service as a captain in the navy and looked through his navy books. He then came inside and have lunch and afterwards he rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived. He started his day with showering etc. Afterwards he had breakfast and then participated in a card game. Later on he viewed his navel pictures on the computer for veterans day. He then went outside for his morning walk and sat outside for a while later participating in another card game. He then came inside and had lunch and then looked through the newspaper and then rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He started his day with his regular morning routine of care. Afterwards he ate breakfast and participated in a card game for about 45 min and then went outside for his morning walk returned inside and rested then participated in a ball game and then ate lunch. After lunch he then participated in a puzzle and began a long conversation. He then took his afternoon walk returned inside his room and viewed his USS Navy Book and went page by page talking about the navy for long period of time and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care of showering etc. He then had breakfast and then participated in a card game and later on dosed off then went outside for a walk. He returned inside and where he then dosed off again. I tried several times to get him up to eat lunch and go to the bathroom for a diaper change and he would not move at all. Finally after about three hours he got up and got his diaper changed and then ate a late lunch. He did not want to participate in any afternoon activities nor go on his afternoon walk. He just wanted to rest the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Saturday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived this morning. He began his day with his regular morning routine of care. He then had breakfast and afterwards he went on his morning walk and then went to his room and did some arm and leg exercised and then rested a little then played catch with the ball and later he looked through his USS New Jersey book rested again. Later on he went out to eat and really enjoyed himself then returned home and watched TV and rested the remainder of the day

Mr Dancy Update Friday

Mr Dancy was awake when i arrived today. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfast and afterwards he participated in a card game and then dosed for a little. Later on he went outside for his morning walk returning inside and dosed off and on until he had lunch and then after lunch he went outside for his afternoon walk and returned inside and then came into his room and talked a little and then participated in a ball game and then rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Thursday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was up sitting at the table in the kitchen. He went to his room to prepare for his regular morning routine. After finishing he had breakfast and then participated in a card game for about 30 minutes and then he dosed off a little later on he went for his morning walk. He returned inside and rested for a little then looked through several magazines. Later on he had lunch and dosed off and went outside for his afternoon walk. He then went to his room and participated in some ball exercises until he became tired and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Wednesday

Mr Dancy was asleep upon arrival. He began his day with showering etc. He then had breakfastand later participated in a card game. He then went to the doctor later returning and had lunch and then participated in a puzzle for a little and then and fell asleep then went to his room for little and began conversating and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Tuesday

Mr Dancy was asleep when i arrived. He did not want to get up this morning. After waiting a little he finally got up and began his morning routine of showering etc. He then had breakfast and then went outside for a walk and returned inside and went to his room and began exercising his arms and legs until he became tired. He rested a little and then played catch with the ball and later on went into the kitchen and had lunch and fell asleep later. He then woke up and went outside for a walk and returned to his room and watched a little TV and rested the remainder of the day.

Mr Dancy Update Monday

Upon arrival Mr Dancy was awake and was ready to get up. He began his day with his regular routine of showering etc. He had breadkfast and then dosed a little and went out for his morning walk did not want to do any activities this morning. Later on he did enjoy looking through several magazines. Later on he had lunch and afterwards he participated in a card game and then went outside for his evening walk and then sat outside a little and talked a lot. He then returned back inside and went to his room and watch TV and participcated again in a card game and watched TV then rested the remainder of the day.