To make things a little easier, here's a few things you need to know about our mom. She likes the smell of Tide detergent and Downy fabric softener on her clothes. She loves to visit. She enjoys watching polka on Saturday nights and Hallmark movies on occasion. She likes evening showers and sleeping in her comfy chair until bedtime. She likes chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies and a small glass of milk as a snack before bedtime (2 chocolate and 2 vanilla -- "because they're so small"). She loves to visit. Every chance she gets. Just talk to her. She prefers a game of cards with others over watching tv programs. And if no one is available to play cards with her, she will play solitaire. Over and over again. Sometimes she prefers a chocolate piece of cake for breakfast and a butterfinger blizzard for supper. She loves to visit. Her bed has to be made every morning. (No joke. The world will stop spinning if her bed is not made.) She is the queen at drawer organization. And rubber bands ... well, they get dirty. She has been known to wash rubber bands. She prefers soft lamp light to bright overhead lighting. She loves to visit. 4am is a normal wake-up time for her ... always has been, always will be. Did I mention she loves to visit? Her needs are simple, really. Just visit with her. This will brighten her day and make this transition just a little easier. Oh, and if you are willing, challenge her to a game of cribbage and watch her lighten up!
So ... checking one's mother into a care center is quite the experience. It's much like checking into a college dorm room for the elderly ("inventory all of her stuff please and mark all items with a sharpie"). Once this task is completed, the "activities director" pops in and announces in a very loud voice ... "Tonight is MOVIE night and popcorn!!" (If only mom LIKED movies and seriously ... when was the last time she even had popcorn?) Just as Miss Perky leaves the room, the young aid breezes in to assist mom with bathroom duties, again with the loud voice ... "OK, WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU TO THE BATHROOM NOW." My sister kindly responds ... "She's not deaf." And then here comes the food lady with her book of likes and dislikes ("Do you like green beans? What about fish? What do you prefer to drink with your meals ... coffee? tea? milk? water?" (Yes, I'll take a bottle of wine now.) I'm literally overwhelmed by all the questions, the people, the sounds, the chaos. Calgon, where are you? Our poor mother. I'm sure she's overwhelmed as well.
To make things a little easier, here's a few things you need to know about our mom. She likes the smell of Tide detergent and Downy fabric softener on her clothes. She loves to visit. She enjoys watching polka on Saturday nights and Hallmark movies on occasion. She likes evening showers and sleeping in her comfy chair until bedtime. She likes chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies and a small glass of milk as a snack before bedtime (2 chocolate and 2 vanilla -- "because they're so small"). She loves to visit. Every chance she gets. Just talk to her. She prefers a game of cards with others over watching tv programs. And if no one is available to play cards with her, she will play solitaire. Over and over again. Sometimes she prefers a chocolate piece of cake for breakfast and a butterfinger blizzard for supper. She loves to visit. Her bed has to be made every morning. (No joke. The world will stop spinning if her bed is not made.) She is the queen at drawer organization. And rubber bands ... well, they get dirty. She has been known to wash rubber bands. She prefers soft lamp light to bright overhead lighting. She loves to visit. 4am is a normal wake-up time for her ... always has been, always will be. Did I mention she loves to visit? Her needs are simple, really. Just visit with her. This will brighten her day and make this transition just a little easier. Oh, and if you are willing, challenge her to a game of cribbage and watch her lighten up!
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AuthorHi! My name is Staci Allen -- Stac + (i) -- I am a wife, mom, and a "Mimi". I have served in children's ministry for the past 15 years, working primarily with preschoolers. I have had the privilege to work and serve in children's ministry with my best friend Stacy -- Stac + (y) -- and while we now serve in different churches, we continue to love, live, and grow in Christ together as friends and sisters in Christ. This is our blog! Archives
September 2016
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