Boy, sometimes I am terrible about keeping up with my blogposts... I guess I have a harder time writing when Nana isn't doing as well. First off, don't worry-- she isn't fretful or in pain-- she just seems to be getting weaker, and it is hard to watch sometimes.
Nana has lost a total of 14 pounds since moving 7 months ago, despite a good appetite and great attention by her caregivers. (She is cute-- when I weigh her, she smiles and cheers when her weight has gone down-- I remind her that we don't want her to lose weight; but like most women, she still likes to see the scale go down..) We had the occupational therapist watch her eating habits and make sure that she wasn't losing any fine motor skills that would make eating more difficult-- she was fine with her eating utensils. But she did note that she was easily distracted, so she eats in a quieter environment to help her stay on task. The therapist also noticed that her gait was a bit unsteady, so we invited the physical therapist to take a look. She now goes to "exercise class" twice a week, and she is now using a walker.
Walkers in dementia units are pretty amusing. First off, most residents forget that they have walkers, so part of each day is spent finding everyone's walker. Secondly, residents frequently "borrow" each other's walkers-- this is particularly annoying to Nana ("My name is right on the FRONT. If this is not your name, it is not your walker. It is MINE.") heehee.
Yes, Nana is progressing in this disease called Alzheimers. But it still can't take away all the things that make her special. She is still witty and fun, and she is still very kind. And she still gives some of the greatest hugs in the world. And before I leave each visit, she says Thank You and I Love You. This is enough.
