I catch the old man drinking out of the orange juice carton. Come on man! When you caught me doing that when I was a kid you cut me balls off! He's been quite off today. Not quite sure who the hell I am. Am I Mike? Am I Sir? Anything but Jeff. When I tell him my name he asks if I know "his Jeff" little Jeff, his son. Criminy.
I'm working home today so I make sure to go downstairs just to be sure he's not doing anything "unusual". You know unusual for him leaves a lot of headroom. The latest trip downstairs finds him in his usual position; in front of the open refrigerator. Wholly crap! this time its not the Orange Juice container pursed lips but the open mustard jar. What the hell are you doin' man?!? SORRY! he exclaims puts the lid back on and closes the refrigerator. There's my crazy pops standing there with a Mustard Mustache.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Wada weekend
I'm exhausted mentally and physically. Its been a tough weekend. Pops started, how do I say this delicately, ah ... having the runs? (I guess that works) last Friday. What a mess, lucky for me I still have some adult diapers around from an earlier time when I thought those might just best suit him. They ended up on suiting him before because it wasn't a control issue, it was more a location issue. Meaning he just didn't mess himself without thought, it was more along the lines of, I'd just rather pee in the hallway.
For this weekend it was ah. oppps I crapped my pants time. Well, in all honesty, I don't think he realized he crapped his pants; just that his seat was getting hot. I don't know how many we went through but more than I would care to really thing about. I started noticing today those that his mind was much less clear (if that is at all possible) then before. He has been picking things up that don't exist. I mean I watch him from across the room and he make the gesture that he is picking something off the floor and he carries it in his and and trys to set it down but in reality there is nothing there. Its the damnedest thing to watch. He'll come over and say, "what do you want me to do with this" and there's nothing there. What da say? I just pretend to take it from him. Someone told him that if dementia sufferers get dehydrated that it can become worse and I was witnessing that. So we made a trip to the store to get him some Pedialyte. By late Sunday I was seeing some improvement. But I'm totally spent.
Tomorrow I have to get everything ready for my trip to Seattle. That includes mostly getting him prepared to stay in Respite. I haven't and will not tell him I'm going and where he's staying, there really isn't a point. I am not going to worry while I'm gone I have total turn in the organization I'm leaving him with.
For this weekend it was ah. oppps I crapped my pants time. Well, in all honesty, I don't think he realized he crapped his pants; just that his seat was getting hot. I don't know how many we went through but more than I would care to really thing about. I started noticing today those that his mind was much less clear (if that is at all possible) then before. He has been picking things up that don't exist. I mean I watch him from across the room and he make the gesture that he is picking something off the floor and he carries it in his and and trys to set it down but in reality there is nothing there. Its the damnedest thing to watch. He'll come over and say, "what do you want me to do with this" and there's nothing there. What da say? I just pretend to take it from him. Someone told him that if dementia sufferers get dehydrated that it can become worse and I was witnessing that. So we made a trip to the store to get him some Pedialyte. By late Sunday I was seeing some improvement. But I'm totally spent.
Tomorrow I have to get everything ready for my trip to Seattle. That includes mostly getting him prepared to stay in Respite. I haven't and will not tell him I'm going and where he's staying, there really isn't a point. I am not going to worry while I'm gone I have total turn in the organization I'm leaving him with.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Never again
I going to have figure out something new. The day care I now take Pops to has changed their hours and are open now only until 2:00 in the afternoon. How is that servicing their customers I have no idea, but it is what it is. I have been "dealing" with that to the best of my ability and thank god I have a flexible job other wise I'd be screwed.
Well today was a different issue, today I had to meet with my bosses boss in downtown San Diego. The meeting was set up between 10:00 am and noon. After map questing the directions I see that it takes 1:50 to get there from this daycare place. Of course those directions and time do not account for traffic at all. After much thought I decided I had to leave Pops home for the day. I knew that when I returned he would be a mental basket case with all sorts of stories about imaginary business meetings and clients stopping by the office that he had to deal with, but I had no other alternative and I could deal with the stories.
While sitting in the meeting I get a call on my cell phone which I do not answer of course. But when the meeting convened at noon and I got down to my car I check the Blackberry and its a message from my ex trying me to call my neighbor as there is an emergency with my dad. OH CRAP, WHAT HAS HE GOT HIMSELF INTO. I get a hold of her pretty quickly to find that My Crazy Pop has locked himself into my car sitting in the driveway. My neighbors are taking to get him to unlock the door but he cant figure out how. After thinking for a few seconds I remember I have the keys in my bedroom and instruct my neighbor where to find them. Well within a few minutes he's out of the car and back in the house. Thank good for good neighbors.
I wonder though how did they ever notice that he was sitting in the car? When I get to the house I ask that question and as it turns out the Orkin man just so happened to spray my house today. He sprays only once every two months and today just happened to be his day. The Orkin man noticed my dad and went and got the neighbors.
Well never again will i even chance at leaving this old codger home even for a few minutes much less a couple hours. I thought whats the worse that can happen. This case is definitely not the worse and I don't want to find out.
Well today was a different issue, today I had to meet with my bosses boss in downtown San Diego. The meeting was set up between 10:00 am and noon. After map questing the directions I see that it takes 1:50 to get there from this daycare place. Of course those directions and time do not account for traffic at all. After much thought I decided I had to leave Pops home for the day. I knew that when I returned he would be a mental basket case with all sorts of stories about imaginary business meetings and clients stopping by the office that he had to deal with, but I had no other alternative and I could deal with the stories.
While sitting in the meeting I get a call on my cell phone which I do not answer of course. But when the meeting convened at noon and I got down to my car I check the Blackberry and its a message from my ex trying me to call my neighbor as there is an emergency with my dad. OH CRAP, WHAT HAS HE GOT HIMSELF INTO. I get a hold of her pretty quickly to find that My Crazy Pop has locked himself into my car sitting in the driveway. My neighbors are taking to get him to unlock the door but he cant figure out how. After thinking for a few seconds I remember I have the keys in my bedroom and instruct my neighbor where to find them. Well within a few minutes he's out of the car and back in the house. Thank good for good neighbors.
I wonder though how did they ever notice that he was sitting in the car? When I get to the house I ask that question and as it turns out the Orkin man just so happened to spray my house today. He sprays only once every two months and today just happened to be his day. The Orkin man noticed my dad and went and got the neighbors.
Well never again will i even chance at leaving this old codger home even for a few minutes much less a couple hours. I thought whats the worse that can happen. This case is definitely not the worse and I don't want to find out.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Whew!
I'm heading to Seattle for a few days on business. I got well advance notice of this trip and immediately wondered what I was going to do with Pops. There's is absolutely now way he would survive the four days while I was gone. Having my Brother and his wife take him isn't an option as they both work full time and having him in a relatively unfamiliar home wouldn't work.
In comes respite care! Its all arranged now but what an ordeal (sort of). I first had to get his doctor to complete a health care questionnaire. Anyone that was had to get a doctor or his office staff of complete paperwork and probably atest to the fact that, THEY DON'T LIKE TO DO IT. But then again who does. Luckily Pops had a check up last month, three weeks after I faxed the forms for them to complete. I showed up for the appointment with a second copy vowing not to leave without it being completed. As I anticipated the forms were sitting in his file not completed but we filled them out right there on the spot. Then came the interview, they have to evaluate dads condition. Pops wasn't thrilled going there, even though he had no idea where he was going; and the questions that he couldn't answer like, "whats your age" and "do you know what city you're in" just added to his annoyance. Finally yesterday I had an orientation which lasted an hour with more paperwork to complete.
I'm just happy now that I have a place for him to go and that I don't have to worry while I'm gone. I am so looking forward to the trip now even though it's work related. I've been taking company trips for years, in the beginning I looked forward to them, then just tolerated them. Now it'll be almost like a vacation!
In comes respite care! Its all arranged now but what an ordeal (sort of). I first had to get his doctor to complete a health care questionnaire. Anyone that was had to get a doctor or his office staff of complete paperwork and probably atest to the fact that, THEY DON'T LIKE TO DO IT. But then again who does. Luckily Pops had a check up last month, three weeks after I faxed the forms for them to complete. I showed up for the appointment with a second copy vowing not to leave without it being completed. As I anticipated the forms were sitting in his file not completed but we filled them out right there on the spot. Then came the interview, they have to evaluate dads condition. Pops wasn't thrilled going there, even though he had no idea where he was going; and the questions that he couldn't answer like, "whats your age" and "do you know what city you're in" just added to his annoyance. Finally yesterday I had an orientation which lasted an hour with more paperwork to complete.
I'm just happy now that I have a place for him to go and that I don't have to worry while I'm gone. I am so looking forward to the trip now even though it's work related. I've been taking company trips for years, in the beginning I looked forward to them, then just tolerated them. Now it'll be almost like a vacation!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Not even amusing
It's 11:33 at night and dad is now up for the day. He went to Bed at a reasonable hour, around 9:00 - 9:30, but I get a knock on my door from my daughter ... papa's up. He's downstairs in the kitchen fully dressed eating a sandwich like he does every morning; the only problem is its not morning, it's fucking midnight. As the the "brochures" say they start to lose the ability to distinguish between night and day. (of course when I say brochures it's not in the literal term). Fuck, now I am awake and I have to work in the morning ... this weekend I'm getting a GD baby gate block his ability to climb stairs, I am going to double key deadbolt the front and garage door, so if and when he does get up he can wander around the frickin downstairs all he wants without disturbing the normal people.
Today was the toppers. Now get this, the man is over 81 years old. One of his obsessions is the trash cans (the others are door locks and light switches) but I digress. He is on the side of the house where the trash barrels are. I know this because I can hear the iron gates when they are opened and closed. I hear the neighbors dog barking, which he never does, and I think, what the hell is that man doing to the neighbors dog. When this goes on for three four minutes I stop working and go investigate. The front door is a jar when I get to the bottom of the stairs so I head out to the side yard to see whats going on. Dad is no longer on the side of the house where the trash cans are. I walk around and look in my neighbors yard to see why the dog is barking and my crazy pops in standing (or walking) around in the neighbors back yard. I try the gate but the gate is pad locked. I call him over to ask him what the hell he is doing but of course he gives me some insane response. So I head to the front door of the neighbors and ring the bell. The wife that lives there works at night so she is home sleeping (I'm sure she was thrilled to be awaken but such issues). She gets a key and opens the gate. Now I have heard of going over to the neighbors house to get your cat or dog which have have jumped the fence or squeezed though the bars but never a FUCKING CRAZY POP. His arm is bleeding from the journey over the wall I guess so I take him home and bandage him up. Not losing the opportunity to explain to him what a fucking crazy thing that was. After I get him settled I go look at the side of the house where our trash barrels are and they are all moved around. Right then I could tell what he did. He took a five gallon bucket turned in over and use it as a step to get ON TOP of the trash bin (the large city type used for trash, recycling and greenwaste) and jump down into the neighbors yard. Now recall this old fuck is 81 and my neighbors house is on a lower grade then mine. It's at least a 7 ft drop in the ground. FUCK! He cant start at the adult day care fast enough.
Today was the toppers. Now get this, the man is over 81 years old. One of his obsessions is the trash cans (the others are door locks and light switches) but I digress. He is on the side of the house where the trash barrels are. I know this because I can hear the iron gates when they are opened and closed. I hear the neighbors dog barking, which he never does, and I think, what the hell is that man doing to the neighbors dog. When this goes on for three four minutes I stop working and go investigate. The front door is a jar when I get to the bottom of the stairs so I head out to the side yard to see whats going on. Dad is no longer on the side of the house where the trash cans are. I walk around and look in my neighbors yard to see why the dog is barking and my crazy pops in standing (or walking) around in the neighbors back yard. I try the gate but the gate is pad locked. I call him over to ask him what the hell he is doing but of course he gives me some insane response. So I head to the front door of the neighbors and ring the bell. The wife that lives there works at night so she is home sleeping (I'm sure she was thrilled to be awaken but such issues). She gets a key and opens the gate. Now I have heard of going over to the neighbors house to get your cat or dog which have have jumped the fence or squeezed though the bars but never a FUCKING CRAZY POP. His arm is bleeding from the journey over the wall I guess so I take him home and bandage him up. Not losing the opportunity to explain to him what a fucking crazy thing that was. After I get him settled I go look at the side of the house where our trash barrels are and they are all moved around. Right then I could tell what he did. He took a five gallon bucket turned in over and use it as a step to get ON TOP of the trash bin (the large city type used for trash, recycling and greenwaste) and jump down into the neighbors yard. Now recall this old fuck is 81 and my neighbors house is on a lower grade then mine. It's at least a 7 ft drop in the ground. FUCK! He cant start at the adult day care fast enough.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Oh Boy
It's 11:30 in the morning and I go downstairs from my office to make him some lunch. He's standing at the bottom of the stairs with this reading glasses in one hand stretched out in front of him. Just starring at the top of the stairs. I ask him what he is doing and he replies, "neutralizing, there hasn't been a shot fired in over 35 minutes". Then he points the glasses at me and says you're neutralized. I say dad this is your home, only you I and Tammy (our housekeeper) are here, there's nobody else here. The conversation goes back and forth with more insanity and he walks away. I proceed into the kitchen and make him a sandwich with some crackers and a coke lay it on the table and go looking for him. He's now hiding around the corner with his glasses in his hand and "zaps" me as I approach. I calmly tell him his lunch is ready and lead him over to the table. The whole time hes asking me if this is a joke and asking me if I was going to kill him. He asks if he has time to sit down and eat and asks if anyone is going molest him if he does.
I can't wait for his next doctors visit at the end of the month.
I can't wait for his next doctors visit at the end of the month.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom!! She would have been 82 today. God rest her soul.
Yesterday was too much. Psychotic or close to it he was having a very very bad day. It is impossible to describe except to say that he was in a world or life other than this one. referring to people that didn't exist. picking up imaginary items and lying them down. It was disturbing to watch and stressful to be around. I didn't know what was coming next. I can't say each passing day is worse than the next but I can definitely say each passing month there is progress deterioration.
I have been working or coordinating jobs at his old residence in order to provide some rental income that can assist him pay for the help he (and me) is going to need (sooner than later). The place is so close to being done I can almost taste it. Originally I thought, eh a little paint, a new back door, clean the carpets and were good to go. Not quite Jeffrey! I have contacted a property management company because with work and Thomas I can manage another thing. I sincerely hope they are good; I am close to signing contracts. The proposal they gave me indicated they could get a good flow of income through the home I just home it doesn't' turn into a nightmare.
Let's hope for a better day today please; I don't need the additional stress.
Yesterday was too much. Psychotic or close to it he was having a very very bad day. It is impossible to describe except to say that he was in a world or life other than this one. referring to people that didn't exist. picking up imaginary items and lying them down. It was disturbing to watch and stressful to be around. I didn't know what was coming next. I can't say each passing day is worse than the next but I can definitely say each passing month there is progress deterioration.
I have been working or coordinating jobs at his old residence in order to provide some rental income that can assist him pay for the help he (and me) is going to need (sooner than later). The place is so close to being done I can almost taste it. Originally I thought, eh a little paint, a new back door, clean the carpets and were good to go. Not quite Jeffrey! I have contacted a property management company because with work and Thomas I can manage another thing. I sincerely hope they are good; I am close to signing contracts. The proposal they gave me indicated they could get a good flow of income through the home I just home it doesn't' turn into a nightmare.
Let's hope for a better day today please; I don't need the additional stress.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
