Letter to the Health Services Director of Mom’s Community

Thank you so much for setting up mom’s walker!! Question for you: She is constantly steering left into all sorts of things. She course corrects upon suggestion, or getting stopped by the chair leg, wall, whatever. Any thoughts on this? It doesn’t seem to distress her at all. To my untrained eye it seems it could be caused by her being right-sided, needing a walker ‘too late,’ and not having the ability to learn how to stay on course, or perhaps its part of global changes happening with her illness. I would greatly appreciate any insights you may have.

So when we walked mom back up to her room, her meds were again on the counter. Whomp-whomp. She took them at my prompting, but didn’t see them right in front of her as she went through cat-feeding chore. On our way out I ran into Trent and asked if he was part of the care team. He asked how he could help. I explained that mom needed her meds passed to her, and explained my concern that she simply won’t see them. I also let him know it’s not like she’s on blood thinners or heart meds (nothing will break if she misses one dose), but we’ve had shenanigans in the past where she would refuse to take a particular med when they were passed. We seem to be over that, but we won’t know if she starts setting one aside again (and while we’re not seeing any grumpy break-through since her anti-anxiety med has been reduced, what if?) if no one makes sure she downs those puppies. He was very reassuring and kind, saying he’d let others know. I figured you’d want to know all of this.

Thank you for all you do. I know it’s an enormous job and only those who care deeply and from their souls take it on. I endeavor not to be ‘one of Those family’ members. You and your staff are doing something I cannot, and that’s not lost on me.

VTY