Dirigibles and Other Concerns...

Dad called Mom last night... she recognized the number and did not pick up.  She asked me to call the nursing home to check who is allowing Dad to call her.  When he calls, it is always at night and he has "Sun downers syndrome" in the late afternoon.  His calls are very upsetting to her because he sounds so mixed up.

She listened to his message:

"Hello?"

"I just wanted to make sure you had seen the third Dirigible crash...."

"Lots of people died... it is so terrible..."


" I saw them ascend to heaven..."

"NO!"

"Why do you almost interrupt me when I am trying to make a phone call?"

The phone disconnected...

Mom told me Dad was 17 when he saw the Hindenburg fly over Connecticut before it crashed in New Jersey.  It really traumatized him.  Every time the Hindenburg's crash is discussed or shown on TV or appears as a question on Jeopardy, Dad re-tells the same story...

I attempted to call, but Dad was waiting to be served lunch in the dining room.  The nurse asked me to call in a half hour... she told me they all know to call me, so it has to be a part time, new employee on the evening shift, who helps Dad call.  She promised she would investigate...

I will try again in a half hour...

I just hate thinking of Dad remembering something so traumatic and not being able to talk with one of his family to calm him down.  Course, most likely he has forgotten all about it...

During Mom and my sister's last visit, Doctor-Doctor assured them not to worry.  She told them both how much Dad is loved there and how they take good care of him.  She told them not to worry... Doctor-Doctor was very concerned with Mom's fall and how long it is taking for her to recuperate.  Assuring Mom, she just needed to do what she had to do to feel better....

Mom used to have a very busy schedule, but now she only goes out twice a week.  Once to Jenny Craig to pic up her food and to get her hair done.  All her volunteering and attending to church has come to a temporary hold.  Her groups will be starting back up this month, and she still does not feel she is up to it.

I am very concerned about her.  I urged her to consider Life Line, where she wears an electronic locket around her neck in case she should fall.  All she would have to do is "click it" and it would signal she needed help and the company would call an ambulance.

Mom has a false sense of security with her grand daughter, my niece, living there. My niece just graduated from LVN school.  This weekend she is gone to the mountains.  During the day she is at work or school, in which case, Mom is alone.  If she should fall during the day, she would lie there until my niece came home.  She told me she would think about it...


My niece plans to marry July of 2012, so I hope Mom does it before then...  If I call and she did not answer the phone, I would call a family member to go check on her...

I was relieved to hear Mom plans on asking her doctor to schedule an x-ray or MRI to get to the bottom of why she is still having pain in her legs and back... She will not consider a cane or walker as she does not trust it to be stable.  She feels more secure leaning on walls, the refrigerator and furniture...