 |
 |
Hello, Suzanne and Jonathon (??) - Your mother's level of functioning wasn't real clear to me, so these comments may not be useful to you, but I'll give it a shot anyway .... When my mother moved from NJ to KS because she needed NH care and needed to be near one of her scattered kids, she was still able to open and read mail, watch tv, place and receive phone calls, etc., at least part of the time. One of our most successful actions was to get her a private phone line in her room, AND an 800-#. This made it easier for my sibs to call her, since they could do so on the spur of the moment from work or a pay phone or anywhere, without the hassle and expense of using a calling card. It also made it easier for her many friends to keep in touch. Moreover, the cost seemed reasonable (something like $5 per month plus 25 cents per minute). Mom enjoyed mail, especially photos. She also got a kick out of home videos. When she got to be too confused to operate her small appliances, we could ask the staff to give her a hand. Mom also had a tendency to do what she pleased, considered me "bossy" (moi? <grin>), and resisted group activities etc. One day, out of the blue, the NH social worker asked me if I'd like to have one of their volunteers visit Mom. This sweetheart showed up every week and gave Mom the kind of unconditional TLC that she couldn't quite get from somebody like me who couldn't resist saying, at least once every visit, "Please use your walker, I worry when you fall." So ... if the NH doesn't have volunteer visitors in stock, probably you can find one/some through a local church, school, Senior Center, etc. It can be so hard to visit, esp if someone is resistant to being in the NH, but I'd sure encourage you to try. Good luck to all of you! Mary Rack Overland Park, KS ----------