Family Fun

The plan was that we would send Mom and Dad for rehab at the nursing home where there doctor is medical director. It wasn't particularly convenient, but we thought that it was the best choice because their doctor knows their history and would be able to give us an honest assessment of their condition and what kind of care they would need following rehab. We wanted them together so that Dad could let us know if there were problems with the care. With Mom being nonverbal, we have no way of knowing what kind of care she is getting when we aren't around.

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Brother decided that the location of this particular nursing home wasn't convenient, and he wanted them in a nursing home that would be closer to his home. He convinced Dad of the advantages of being there, and told him how many visitors he would have and how easy it would be for Brother to stop by. So today, Sister gets a call from the hospital saying Dad is being discharged to that nursing home. To say she went ballistic would be an understatement.

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Far Away Sister and I had a long conference call with Brother. We laid it all out. He was belligerent. He was defensive. He finally heard us. He went back and told Dad are reasoning, and then offered to handle the admission of both of them to the nursing home on Thursday. The end result was good, but it was an exhausting day.

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I came back here determined to put all of those things out of my mind and focus on my people here and their needs. So much for that plan. Daughter overheard part of my conversation with Brother and Far Away Sister, and that set her off. She eventually calmed down and asked what was going on, and I was able to explain it to her. Dealing with the needs of aging parents is hard, and even at a distance, it is exhausting. I'm glad that we were able to set it up for them to go to the place where they will be able to continue under the care of their doctor. At least, I hope the rest of the pieces will fall into place.