Monday, February 21, 2011

My Grandma

She will be 89 in May.

She is virtually house bound.

She has falls in her own home but resists acting on the advice from the professionals on how to avoid them.

She refuses to move out of home into a care facility or retirement hostel.

She now has an INS Lifeguard buzzer to wear & pushes the button when she does fall.

She is getting more frail & losing more confidence with each fall.

She is dependant on lots of people to be able to live in her own home, to be independant.

She can't walk to her letterbox anymore.

She has finally agreed to an Aged Care Package which includes 5 hours of in home care each week by an Aged Care Worker from Anglicare.

She thinks her Aged Care Worker is lovely. (phew!)

She should be in a wheelchair when we go out.

She refuses to consider that idea.

She is lonely.

She is getting very vague.

She needs lots of reminding & repeated information.

She worries me to the point I get very stressed.

She has had a community nurse visit a few times recently to change dressings on her feet.

She suggested Grandma needs someone there 24 hours to prevent her from falling.

She is now considering respite care for 2 weeks to see if she likes it.

She heard this idea from her doctor.

She heard it from us too, but ignored it. Continually.

She is now considering going into a retirement home in the hostel section so she has access to assistance 24 hours a day.

She heard this one from her doctor too.

She also heard this from us too, but also ignored it.

She needs to go there.

She needs more company than I or the rest of the family can give her.

She needs assistance to do most things.

She needs to go into care.

She has been highly dependant on me recently & I spent 1 full day + 3 x half days in a row with her. I missed her the next day.

She has more complex needs than we can deal with.

She means a great deal to me.

She needs to go into care.

She must be very frightened.

She needs to go into care.

She understands that we will still have our Tuesdays together.

She is a beautiful old lady.

She is a stubborn old lady.

She is a confused old lady.

She is looking old.

She is losing weight.

She is my Grandma.

I love her heaps.

I dread the day we will eventually lose her.

4 comments:

Erin said...

Big Hugs Karen i know exactly what you are going through, and wow 89 years old she is awesome my Nan was only 76 when she passed away xxx

Jenna said...

Oh Karen, you are a beautiful Grandaughter. I love seeing your Tuesdays with Grandma facebook status updates. xxxx

Maria said...

Beautifully put Karen. You are a very special, precious member of our family, who always gives the best of herself to others. Maria x

rambling mum said...

Thanks for taking the time to comment & for such lovely words. Grandma's are to be cherished. And (drumroll..........)she went in a wheelchair today!!! and found it comfortable to sit in. Mum hired one for the week as we have some appts to get G'ma to on different days. It certainly made 2day's appt at the hospital easier - saved so much walking time. And she couldn't fall! yay!