Care Conference

In short, the meeting went well. Financially, not so much, but I can’t argue with the increased needs mom has… A door alarm will be installed on mom’s front door. That way every time she opens the door, staff will get an alert, and someone can escort her. Part of the overall increased care includes additional over-site in her apartment to decrease her fall risk: things picked up off the floor, furniture placed optimally etc.

Staff is also concerned about her hygiene, as are we. They will spend some time this week figuring out what barriers might exist regarding showering. It could be part of her disease process, fear of letting go of the walker, not understanding the built-in shower-bench is there for sitting, or some part of all of these ideas. Evidently they are also concerned about her continence. I’ve spent a lot of time with her recently, and this is something I have not noticed. Yes, she ‘lost her bladder’ when she fell Monday night, but that’s the first I’ve heard from the community of any such incident.

My last act, after the meeting, was to install a cordless phone system in mom’s apartment. The main unit by her couch, and the second by her bed. She has a better chance now of catching calls. She had cordless phones on the Island, so I have hope that they’ll feel familiar. I grabbed a couple of cases of cat food, the cardboard scratcher I gave Elvis for Christmas, and headed home.