Hawaiian Breezes, With A Drumstick For A Baton...

Mom went to visit Dad today.  The nursing home is putting on a Hawaiian BBQ, complete with decorations and Hawaiian Hula dancers. She went early, as my request, to search for those elusive compression stockings...apparently, the ones the nurse told me they had, were not the compression ones.

Mom called me this morning, and asked if I would mind rescheduling Dad's appointment with the vascular surgeon.  She has Bible Study on Wednesdays. When I called to reschedule, I had to call the nursing home so they could change the transport and get another CNA to accompany Dad.  Doctor-Doctor is only available on Wednesday.  There is another female CNA and a male, who Dad likes and are very caring and helpful.  I was able to get the male CNA to go with Dad.

I spoke with the business office and asked if Medicare would cover replacing Dad's compression stockings.  She told me Dad was at the end of his 100 days since his release from his hospital stay when he had the fall.  He will be off Medicare on the 21st of this month, so we have to get authorization from the vascular surgeon before Dad's appointment on the 30th.  She told me I would have to file a "missing" report first, so she transferred me to the social worker.  She was not in, so I left a message with her.

Next, I called the wound care nurse and filled her in on the changes and the missing report I want to file to get Dad a new stocking.  She told me she would call the vascular surgeon and get the authorization, and then check with a different supplier to see if she could get him the right stockings. She reassured me, if Dad needs Una boot weekly treatments, she can do them in the nursing home.  What a relief!

When Mom was walking down the hallway of the nursing home, the wound care nurse told her to tell me she had ordered the stockings for Dad. 

Dad was kind of "out of it" today.  He kept telling Mom he went to a fight in LA.  When he walked in, all the TV and radio announcers stopped talking and smiled when he walked in to sit down.  He told her he was getting a sales job, with a company car and an expense account.  He told her he needed M-O-N-E-Y (he actually spelled it out to her) for his hot dogs.

He wanted her to bring him his Veteran's check.  Dad gets a pension from working at the school district and his social security.  Mom thought he meant his Veteran's life insurance, and told him she paid it.  He firmly said NO!  She asked if he meant his school pension check? NO!  His social security check? NO!  He demanded she bring him his Veteran's check...

I had gotten Dad approved for Vets benefits, but Dad would have to be seen and re-examined by a Veteran's physician.  Dad could be seen for minor things in a satellite Vets care clinic, but anything serious, and he would have to go to Loma Linda or Long Beach.  Dad REFUSED to go back to Long Beach, due to some bad experiences at the Vet hospital...

I had discovered it would take 6months to one year to get Veteran's compensation and only if Dad stayed in Assisted Living. There was no compensation for a nursing home, which is what Dad needed.  We all decided, given Dad's combative state at the time, to fore go his Veteran's benefits, and get him on Medicare/Medi-Cal, so he could be seen and treated as soon as possible.  We could not afford to pay $2500 a month for the Assisted Living, and they would not take Dad because they were not a secure facility.

Dad was very lonesome for his family and wanted to know where we all were.  Mom explained where we all were, two brothers were on trips, one brother lives in Ohio, I live in Nevada, and everyone else is working. I am going to attempt to get through to him tomorrow.

Dad complained about not having any glasses.  He has given away three pairs so far in a little over a year.  Mom told me she is going to look for a lanyard to hang around his neck and attach some cheap reading glasses to them.  Maybe that will help him...

Dad was worrying about Doctor-Doctor (she was off today) and he worried that she was safe.  Mom asked a female CNAsto tell Dad she had checked and Doctor-Doctor was fine.  That seemed to satisfy Dad.

It was a beautiful day, with a nice breeze, so knowing the out of doors soothes Dad, Mom wheeled him outside, which always brings a big smile to his face...

About then, the BBQ was ready, so Mom wheeled him out to the festivities.  They had Hawaiian music and hula dancers in all shapes and sizes, so Dad thoroughly enjoyed that!  Mom filled him a plate with a dogwood sandwich and barbecued chicken.  Dad woofed it down, all the while, swaying to the beat of the music with his  chicken drumstick.