General topics.

Does this statistic ring true?

The average lifespan of someone entering a memory care facility is 17 months and 50% of those entering memory care facilities die within a year

Awake late last nite, the news was on, how many times can the news replay the same devastating scenes. Find out what happened, then yes, TURN OFF THE NEWS.

The tragedy alone can make a person ill. Watching the news for over 20 minutes can make one very very ill.

Guard your heart and mind.

I'm turning off the news today, I can't stand the helplessness I feel after hearing about another crazy gunman 😔

Anyone needing a laugh, go on YouTube and watch the ryan gosling close encounters skit from SNL last night 👽👽👽

My hubs can eat every few hours ( and NO he is not fat..LOL) I call it like the Hobbits... first breakfast, second breakfast... you get it!

I eat at weird times too. My tube feeding runs overnight so I am not really hungry till mid afternoon.

Cwillie
I eat at weird times too
I had my Starbucks latte at 2 pm and just had a sandwich at 9:30 pm while sitting next to mom's bed listening to her snore

My social calender dot com.
Cwillie, make a dinner date with the new family at their house, visiting your new baby niece. Being with people is very important. Don't give up and isolate.

That sounds close to my non-schedule Cwillie!
Have a good night!
Distract yourself a bit with a good book, music, or t.v. before sleep.

I eat alone every day, and because I don't have a schedule I've begun eating at weird times, perhaps a second breakfast at 10:00, lunch - or is it early supper? - at 3:30, an evening snack at 8:00. When I actually sit at a table to eat it feels strange...

Time for a bedtime snack (yawn). Gnight all

Actually, wouldn't just about anyone like to rewrite the news?

How is dinner? Anyone eating alone and liking it? I like to eat with my dH, but he is not here.

Veronica,
Thought the Fake News could use a little help, just to make it more fantabulous!

What size spoon do you need, Cwillie?

Received this gift in the mail today.
Magnesium Oil (magnesium Chloride Brine) from the ancient Zechstein Seabed in the Netherlands.
Not actually an oil; it is a solution of magnesium chloride in pure water mined from deep within the earth at the site of the ancient Zechstein Seabed. Protected underground for millions of years, this magnesium is among the purest in the world, absorbs quickly, leaving no residue or unwanted scent.

Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful. And happy to try any natural pain relief.
But, does it sound weird to you?

Been listening to fake news again have you Send?

I heard that the oceans will soon be drained and dumped onto the land due to all these hurricanes. So don't worry, Cwillie, help is on the way.

Cwillie, I could mail you a larger spoon.

Can Mom hear well enough that she could appreciate a group of musicians coming in for a sing-a-long? A church group maybe? Or her favorite music played on a borrowed boom box? She could put her hand on the speaker, feel the vibrations, get the beat.

What I have learned a little about, is that we cannot fathom another person's quality of life.

You are!!!

Oh, the book idea. I was rummaging around in the craft cupboard to see what I could find and a came across a half dozen or so little binders that some thoughtful person had put together; school days, cats, fall colours etc. Instead of adding to them and offering them to the residents staff had shoved them in a cupboard never to be seen again... it kind of took the wind out of my sails. All my efforts to effect change there leave me feeling like I'm trying to bail out the ocean with a teaspoon.

Cwillie, She has you!
You be the party. Invite the staff, bring donuts, all sorts of goodies, jello for Mom.
Impromptu. Families are over-rated.
I get that your hearts desire is to have a family reunion. And I too have thought about it already for us. Like I said, families can be over-rated.
One balloon, cookies, ice cream in the dining room some early evening?

How did your book cart idea work out?

Are you sure you are not the real party planner, party girl, and hostess?

The picnic idea sounded wonderful. I'm so sorry cwillie. Hopefully you can do it someplace else soon.

It is amazing how complicated a family get together can be. I've mentioned before that I feel like we live in the wilderness rather than 45 minutes away from most of the family, the reluctance to drive up here is huge. And coordinating schedules when so many work weekends is another barrier that is almost impossibly insurmountable. I had planned a family picnic this summer at the NH, the place where mom was living at the time has a lovely 2nd floor deck that would have been perfect. Unfortunately mom got the call that a room was available and moved, and with all the settling in the opportunity was lost.
I'm just feeling frustrated in my attempts to find even a tiny measure of joy, of QOL for my mom. She is fed, dressed, bathed - all the essentials are looked after - but that is all.

I'm with Gershun, sending you both love and hugs.

Cwillie, I tried so hard to do that for my dad when he was still at home after the stroke. I wanted to have those family dinners for him. But he didn't seem to have any strength left most days. Its been 11 months since he passed and its one of the things I miss the most. Miss having those moments around the table.

(((HUGS))) @ CWillie and MsMadge

Ahh Cwillie,
Your mom is blessed to have you -

I just read another NY times article online about the Florida nursing home where so many perished in the heat after Irma - is it coincidence that the first to die with fevers of 108 had no family?

I'm feeling wistful too looking at mom's closet and the new outfit I got her for summer but that she didn't really get to wear with the turn of events in her health -

Even though she had a good day today with a friend visiting her for lunch which gave me an opportunity to do some household chores, I still feel badly she's at hoca and not home

Last night after dinner, they placed her wheelchair next to a restless man who kept clapping his hands loudly - she had enough roar left to say, why the h3ll do you keep doing that ?
Sometimes hoca reminds me of the wilderness- only the strongest survive

I'm feeling a little sad tonight, a little wistful. I was joking with mom as we sat outside the NH after supper and said that if we started walking we could get home in about 15 minutes. Now you have to understand that mom doesn't talk to me, mostly she sleeps while I chatter to myself or read. She said "that would be nice", and my heart broke. I wish I could, I wish everybody would come and have a family dinner together one more time. It could be totally doable if we all worked together. But it is just a wish, a dream, and it will never happen.

Gershun,
Lol😜

CWillie, that is one of the most stupid things I have ever heard. Sounds like maybe the people running the nursing home should think about checking in for a while.

I remember some of the activities they had for my Mom's nursing home. Beat the Clock. Anyone remember that old game show? I can just imagine.......let's see if Martha can beat William to that chair over there.................30 minutes later.....well, Martha has fallen asleep so I guess William wins by default. Tell us, Johnny, what does he win? Well, Shannon, William gets an extra scoop of mashed potatoes tonight. Oh, William what do you have to say about that? Oh, looks like William has wet himself. Let's call it a day. But stay tuned folks, tomorrow we are playing The Price is Right. Don't forget to bring your canned goods tomorrow folks so your loved ones can try guessing prices. Such Fun!!!

Sorry, don't mean to make light but really?

Cwillie
Omg !

cwillie maybe they could just attach pedals to the front of all the wheel chairs and all the residents could race around town. Another idea would be to motorize the wheelchairs.
I think most of the residents would be totally terrified if someone was peddling behind them.

cdnreader. I love Judi Dench too. Did you know she has early dementia. She has a lot of trouble remembering her lines these days. The other person I love is Betty White. 92 and still working but then so is the Queen.

I was checking the local news today and happened across a retweet about a fundraiser at mom's AL/NH. It seems one of the staff thought it would be a wonderful idea to purchase a wheelchair bicycle for the residents and started a campaign to raise money, this is basically a wheelchair with a bike attached at the back to propel it. I'm really shaking my head over this one, I just can't help but see it as a foolish waste of money ($10K). Only one resident can go for a ride at any given time (I imagine it would have to be a scheduled activity) and it would take a staff person or volunteer away from the building to do the pedalling. I also can't see any sustained interest among the residents once the novelty wears off, and this is a small town (no bike lanes), where will they be biking to, around the block?

Thanks Send. I think movie therapy is a great idea. I love Dame Judi Dench. I will have to try and check it out. Nephew is very excited for the new Lego movie. I will have to try and look for some comedies this coming weekend to watch.