HOMEMADE SOUP AND HAND THERAPY

Unplanned, I brought Ann some homemade chicken rice soup. (I couldn’t play golf as I had a cortisone shot, but I stopped by the golf course and Herb, the cook, was just finishing up a batch of chicken rice soup. He truly makes it from scratch including his own base. So Grandma and I had soup, bread and store-bought cookies in her room and it was quite nice. I supplemented it with salad, coffee, and fruit from the kitchen. I just called ahead and they had it all ready...(Remember that if you choose to do the same.)

We then did a little hand therapy – rubbed lotion and then put on our ‘aloe gloves’ so her hands could be soothed while we curled her hair. And then, because she looked so beautiful – I mean, why SHOULDN’t WE GO OUT ON THE TOWN??? We took a ride and sized up some SASS shoes. (The clerk made 5 trips out to the car to get her fitted), picked up a McDonald’s ice cream cone, and visited my sister, Dee, at Mead High School. (Dee came out to the car and visited.) I got her back to Riverview just as Pat arrived and he was taking her to Mass and then to their Luau. (Will tell you more when Pat gets home… I do know they cooked a WHOLE pig and paraded it around...and had Pina Coladas this afternoon. (You know, I’m thinking maybe Pat and I will skip the move into a smaller house and just move into Riverview.)

Pat's comments upon getting home:

1. Mom was great....less fussing when he left.
2. At dinner he is making a concerted effort to engage Mom talking with other residents. He asked the ward nurse to suggest possible 'friends.' She gave him a couple names and the residents live quite close to Mom.
3. They are discussing increasing her Cymbalta, but they have not had to give her Haldol since June 4th
4. Using the button in her room. If Grandma says she needs to go to the bathroom, have her push the button and help her follow thru asking staff to do what she needs. Too often we just go to hallway and get someone, but if we want her to be independent, then we need to have her do it herself.

They had a luau this evening - paraded the whole pig through many of the hallways, had pina colada's in the afternoon and mai-tai's offered in the evening. Pat said it was pretty nice.

God Bless All!