Friends--I'm sharing this on both lists to save time and energy.
********
Dorothy G. wrote in part (on CARE) :
>I purchased a wheel chair a few years ago "for me". My husband would sit
>half on/off a regular chair and then I had to get him to straighten up and
>then push him into the table for meals. The wheelchair made all of that a
>lot easier.
SNIPPED
Dear Dorothy and all--- your post was timely. Yesterday a friend brought
over a wheelchair for us to try out. Peter is having trouble remembering
how to use it, and making it "go" where he wants, and I did wheel him to
the table, etc.
BUT all this was preempted this AM. He fell again in the bathroom, having
gotten up without calling me. After a 1/2 hour of struggling, he fiunally
let me call 911and the squad guys lifted him and put him to bed.
He didn't need / want to go to hospital.
He at once said he wanted to get a room in a NH. In fact was angry that I
couldn't move on that at 8:00AM on Sunday ! Finally I called the 2
retirement communities nearby, where ours has a transfer agreement for NH
care until our own care wing is built. (We have visited both in the past,
and Peter has maintained for years that he would go to a NH rather than "be
a burden" for me and jeopardize my health.) He was satisfied to wait till
Monday AM, after I told him that the admissions people would call us
tomorrow morning.
I've been trying to get him to use the wheelchair, and to always call me
when he wants to get up, but it is hard to get him to do this, as he
forgets. I can only reassure him, that as always I will cooperate with
whatever plan is best for him. From his point of view, the glass is always
1/2 empty, and it's hard to get him to consider alternatives, once he is
set on something. I know this isn't just dementia or depression, as it has
been his position for years, and he has a Medical Directive that refuses
all kinds of treatments if he is in a condition where he really can't
function or get better. Quality of life is extremely important to him, and
he draws the line a lot earlier than many would. I've often wished he had
the obstinate persistence of someone like Don McKinley !
Camilla Flintermann, CG for Peter 82/70/55
Oxford, Ohio
<[log in to unmask]>
on the web at http://www.geocities.com/camillahf/index.html
and also at http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/genugten/flinterm.htm
"Ask me about the CARE list for Caregivers of Parkinsonians ! "
And visit the CARE webring at http://www.pdcaregiver.org
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