Sorry folks that I have been pretty inactive on the forum of late. In short, my Mom who lives the the Philly area fell on July 16th and I have been commuting down to her while she was first in the hospital and then rehab, 2-3 times a week. The trip is a nice 6 hour round trip...YUCK. Well she was released from rehab yesterday and is staying with us for 2-3 weeks while she recovers from rehab. LOL.
A few things that I have learned during this drama is as follows:
1) Try to stay out of hospitals and rehab facilities at all costs. My 86-year old Mom who use to be sharp as a whip before this fall, is now
a bit numb in her brain power now.
2) If you don't use it you loose it. The last time my Mom fell, about 2-years ago, was given exercises to do twice each day. Well she
stopped doing them and she has gotten weaker over the past year or so. She is back to doing them BUT I suspect once she is on
her own again, she will stop doing them. USE IT OR LOOSE IT!
3) The nurses and nurse helpers in rehab, not all but for the most part the majority, are sullen and verbally abusive people UNLESS a
relative is present - Then they are nice as pie.
4) I would guess that most of the residence (And this was a top line rehab facility $$$) will never leave or be shuffled over to a nursing
home, to never see freedom till they leave this dimension and are in the arms of our Lord.
5) Although the food was good, what they serve people just didn't make sense. My Mom received scrambled eggs, a doughnut, coffee
and juice every day for breakfast for 11 days. Lunch often, was left overs from the previous nights dinner.
My Mom would order her breakfast, lunch, and dinner typically the day before. More times than not she did not get what she ordered
See my description of breakfast.
6) My requests were typically ignored. The nurses would smile and agree to meet my request but would not act on them 24 hours after
the request.
In closing, I am sure that many people go into the rehab profession with good hearts and a desire to help. However, after a short time, their hearts become hardened, their eyes become unfocused, and their ears become deaf.
A sad way to treat our elders.
"There but for the grace of God goes John Bradford "
or maybe more appropriate...
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. - 1 Corinthians 15:10
Peace be with all of my Brothers and Sisters on the forum.
