a meeting with Melissa, the patient services coordinator, to
discuss the next day's visit by the long term care nurse, to assess my
mother's approval for a claim against the policy for which she has been
paying >$3000 a year for decades.
First we went to give her the evening pain pill. She
was still in pain but her mood was significantly better. I remembered
when my friend Phil Dethlefsen, who was on all sorts of pain meds, told me
that they didn't take the pain away, but they just made him care less.
When the woman who has been checking on her for meals came, she was
delightful toward her, and happily went off to the dining room without even
worrying about leaving Walt and me behind.
After we left the apartment, we went to Melissa's office and
discussed her "action plan." As of today they will take over giving
her the meds, which takes a huge load off my mind. We also decided to
put her on "escort" services to take her to meals. She seems to enjoy
the camaraderie of the caregivers and has no problem going with them to
meals. This may eventually increase her involvement with Atria, but I
won't hold my breath.
I had to sign forms for my mother as her power of attorney
and I have to admit it felt like putting her in the home. Nothing
really changes except Atria will have more involvement with her (and it will
cost ~$800 more a month), but still it felt disloyal doing this without her
knowledge, though she always seems OK with whatever I suggest. Still,
it was harder on me than I expected and I cried to Walt when we got home
that it was "tearing me apart"
In fact, I couldn't eat, and fell asleep watching TV, and
slept all night after James Corden woke me up and I staggered to the couch
to finish the night.
All things considered, though, in the cold rainy light of
day I am relieved to know that they will be keeping an eye on her, that she
will get her meds regularly, and that she may now eat more than cookies at
lunch and dinner. I won't feel quite so guilty on days I don't go to Atria.
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