They called at 9 a.m. (I hadn't even finished my coffee) and said that my mother was very agitated and they needed me to calm her down. So I took my coffee with me, skipped breakfast and went to Atria. (I was pleased to find that her clothes were no longer on her bed or on the chair)
She was agitated and confused, but not really worse than she has been on a bad day before. I think they were concerned because she wanted to call her mother--she always wants to call her mother. (Isn't it time her family all return and take her home to live with them--she misses them so much!)
The spiel is the same "something's wrong and I can't figure out what it is." or "I know I'm supposed to be doing something but I don't know what it is." I've heard this every time for the 4-1/2 years she's been at Atria.
We were in the community room and she decided to go outside to see if she could figure it out there. We walked the distance of the garden and then into the little sitting room, where she told me over and over and over and over that she didn't know what was wrong, that people were not doing what they were supposed to do but if she tried to do "it" they'd tell her to leave "it" alone. When I asked what "it' was she couldn't remember. All she knew was the people weren't doing their job and that they wouldn't let her help.
I distracted her by showing her pictures in my phone. It always brings me to tears because I can show her 3 pictures of Lacie -- her great granddaughter -- in a row and at each picture she will ask who that "cute girl" is and when I say "It's your great granddaughter," she has no reaction except to say she's never met her. I remember how excited she was when Brianna was born, 9 years ago, and now she has no connection with either her or her sister.
Finally she went out to the garden again and we walked down to the community room and I asked if she wanted to go in and watch TV again. Only when we went in, they were doing cardio exercises, so I started doing them too (they are all done sitting down) and, seeing me participating, my mother did too, though never fully committing herself (instead of raising her arm all the way up, just half way up, etc.
After half an hour of exercise, the aide turned on Lawrence Welk (and I felt very old!). My mother seemed to have settled down and I had work to do at home, so I left and told her I would see her tomorrow (which I probably won't). I left without incident and there have been no further calls, so hold the good thought!
She was agitated and confused, but not really worse than she has been on a bad day before. I think they were concerned because she wanted to call her mother--she always wants to call her mother. (Isn't it time her family all return and take her home to live with them--she misses them so much!)
The spiel is the same "something's wrong and I can't figure out what it is." or "I know I'm supposed to be doing something but I don't know what it is." I've heard this every time for the 4-1/2 years she's been at Atria.
We were in the community room and she decided to go outside to see if she could figure it out there. We walked the distance of the garden and then into the little sitting room, where she told me over and over and over and over that she didn't know what was wrong, that people were not doing what they were supposed to do but if she tried to do "it" they'd tell her to leave "it" alone. When I asked what "it' was she couldn't remember. All she knew was the people weren't doing their job and that they wouldn't let her help.
I distracted her by showing her pictures in my phone. It always brings me to tears because I can show her 3 pictures of Lacie -- her great granddaughter -- in a row and at each picture she will ask who that "cute girl" is and when I say "It's your great granddaughter," she has no reaction except to say she's never met her. I remember how excited she was when Brianna was born, 9 years ago, and now she has no connection with either her or her sister.
Finally she went out to the garden again and we walked down to the community room and I asked if she wanted to go in and watch TV again. Only when we went in, they were doing cardio exercises, so I started doing them too (they are all done sitting down) and, seeing me participating, my mother did too, though never fully committing herself (instead of raising her arm all the way up, just half way up, etc.
After half an hour of exercise, the aide turned on Lawrence Welk (and I felt very old!). My mother seemed to have settled down and I had work to do at home, so I left and told her I would see her tomorrow (which I probably won't). I left without incident and there have been no further calls, so hold the good thought!
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