Update - Later Oct. 24

Jennifer figured out how to lock our garage door, so now we won't need to worry about Dad getting confused and leaving at night.

Update - October 24

No luck with keeping Dad's keys over here at night. He continues to be quite disoriented off and on while recovering from the flu. Paul suggested that we use a Club to keep the car from being driven at night. We aren't sure yet how easy those are to put on and take off. We could put it on once he is in bed and take it off first thing in the morning.

Kay and I are going to start working on clearing and organizing Dad's back room to get a bed set up there. There are probably going to be more nights that we need to be over there.

Jennifer was able to get a bar that helps Dad get in and out of the tub for now. Before too long we hope to get a shower and surround in again. The bathroom cabinet and wall behind is in bad shape because of past water damage. We're hoping to do some remodeling in the bathroom. Let me know if there is anything that anybody might want to attempt or assist with. If things need done under the house, I can do simple things with very exact directions. The only part that bothers me is the closed in feeling....and this huge frog that likes to watch whatever I do down there. (one time I convinced Kayden to pick up the frog and take it to the field so it could head back to the pond......but it decided to return).

Update - October 20

On Sunday, Dad was having some pains in his shoulder and upper arm. We were concerned about his heart, but that pain subsided by afternoon. Monday morning he wasn't up when I got up at 5:30 which is really unusual. I went over to check about 6:30, and he was in bed with the flu. He was groggy and slept all day. Kay stayed with him all day, and I slept over there that night. Yesterday he was a little better and was able to drink some liquids. At 3:00 this morning I looked over to see if he was awake. His kitchen light was on, and I noticed that his outside light was on too. So I looked out front and he was trying to unlock Kay's car in the dark. When I went out to check on him, he was very confused and told me he had been out there for hours trying to get the car open. He thought that was his car and didn't know why his key didn't work. His thought was that he needed to go let Mom know that he was okay. On the way back into the house he told me that he thought there might be a broken window. He must have thought about breaking a window so he could get in. Nothing seemed familiar to him back in the house except one of his little lamps in the living room. When I showed him his bedroom, he decided he was really tired and would go to sleep. I brought his keys over here although he had no memory that the car in the garage is his. I'm going to try to convince him to let me bring his keys over here at night just to be on the safe side.

Birthday Update

Dad really enjoyed his birthday celebration. Although it is hard to identify everyone individually, he did know each person was familiar and very important to him.

He especially got a kick out of the birthday cards. I hung them all on the inside of his door so he could read them as often as he wants. The next day when I got home from school, I noticed he had found other cards, including a Christmas card from last year and Father's Day cards, and had them hung across the front of his kitchen cupboards.

Update - August 30

Dad is depending on us for much more assistance. Some things that are important to him in his daily routine are more of a challenge. He still loves to go out to bring in the mail. His mid day activity is sitting at the window to watch for the mail Jeep. At times now he will forget to get the mail or go out in the evening to check again for mail. Yesterdy he watched the entire Ted Kennedy funeral which really surprised me. It was a Mass, so I think that helped him stay focused. Last night he watched Lawrence Welk. Most weeks I try to tape it so Dad can watch it again maybe in a month or so. Last night he was telling me some things he noticed about that night's show. He asked if I had taped it because he missed when they told what year it was from. So this morning I took over the tape so he could watch it to check the year. After he watched it, he told me he had never seen that show before. At first, I thought I had taken the wrong tape over. But he described the program the same way he described it last night.

Dad can't use his computer anymore, but Kay reads him the e-mails from Dennis every once in a while. I know it is not very contemporary, but I think Dad would love to get some short letters/notes in the mail.

Update - August 4

Part of Dad's siding is cracked and a swarm of bees decided to to move in. At first, the bees were going in and out of one small opening. There would be about half a dozen at a time. But on the inside (in Dad's bedroom) we could hear them in the wall, and they sounded like a motor running. After a couple days they started coming through into Dad's bedroom. I didn't know they can eat their way in through the wallboard. Sunday we spent much of the day killing bees in the bedroom (at least 100). We found the hole where they were coming in and blocked it off. A pest control company came and sprayed on Monday. Dad still had a few bees come inside, but the noise in the wall was much less. Most of the bees are supposed to be gone in two days.

Update - July 27th

Often when Dad first gets cash from the bank, he worries that it will be stolen. So he repeatedly hides the money in a variety of places. The problem is he can't remember where it is hid. We have spent much time hunting for his money while he insists it has been taken. During the night last night he was worrying about his money, so he took it to bed with him. In the morning it was missing. When I went over first thing in the morning with coffee, he told me he had been robbed. So we spent all day hunting for the wallet and money. Tonight we finally found it. From now on Kay is going to take over keeping his cash organized......if Dad doesn't change his mind by tomorrow.