Beat me to the punch...

Well, I am glad Emily finally posted something here on the blog. As you can tell - a lot has been happening, and I have been feeling horribly negligent about NOT updating the blog. I JUST got back from visiting Dad and was all determined to update here - only to find that Emily had beat me to the punch.

So - I will tell you all a little more about Manor Care. As you can gather, initially we were a little surprise/disappointed in the care Dad was getting here at Rehab. The facility - as with most rehabs - is also a nursing home. So it has the depressing atmosphere that we all associate with nursing homes. There are so many "old" people there - who will never be anywhere else. There are really sick people, who you wonder how they are surviving still at all. Then there are my favorites - the poor people suffering from dementia. There are all different levels of dementia. There is one great charming gentleman from Budapest. (Well, he says he is anyway - and he has the accent.) He is pretty normal. He walks the halls and can carry on a normal conversation. (Although - as Mom was waiting for the elevator one day he came up next to her and asked her if she liked to drive. Mom told him, yes that she did like to drive somewhat. So he said "Thank you." and stood waiting for the elevator with her...) Then there is the poor man in a wheel chair outside of Dad's door who spends most of the day yelling and moaning. He also has concerns about driving. However, in his case he thinks he is driving down the highway - and either CAN'T drive, or thinks he is driving on the wrong side of the road. Dad't roommate is a very nice man names Marlow Mason. He, initially, watched TV all of the time - which made us crazy (as I think we mentioned). Now - he enjoys listening to Mom reading to Dad. He is also in charge of the book table at the rummage sale they are having next week. He still watches TV - but I have seen him doing this in the lounge more than in his room. He also is always pleased to see me when I arrive - although, he mumbles when he speaks - so I can't have a conversation with him. I am not sure why he is there... (he is, however, in a wheelchair most of the time...)

I go to see Dad every day during my lunch break. Manor Care is about 10 minutes from where I work - which is more convienent than Sinai was. Mom really likes Dad's case doctor - and the therapists. The nursing staff still isn't the crack staff we came to expect from the second floor nurses at the hospital - BUT Manor Care isn't the hospital - and so once we adjusted to that notion we have been pretty pleased with Dad's care. Everyone is very plesant (at least in my experience). The thing I have noticed here is that many of the people have regular visitors like Dad does. In the hospital I never noticed many "regular" visitors (although I am sure there were some...)

I asked Dad today if it bothered him to be in the nursing home atmosphere. He said "No. Not really." He realizes that this is a step forward and that most of the people there are in much worse shape than he is. I was relieved to hear this. I was concerned that all of the truly sad cases would be cause for further depression. And that he may fall under the delusion that he was as bad off as the others there.

Dad has had one of a series of cognative assesments. He passed it just fine. (The only question he flubbed was when he was asked who had come to see him that day - he listed everyone, except Mom - who was sitting RIGHT there!!!)

So that's all the news thats fit to print right now. I hope we will not be so negligent in the future.

If anyone wants to give Dad a call let me know - I have his phone number. If you want to write to him - his address is 7001 North Charles Street, Towson, MD 21204 room 237.

See ya!
Amy