Don't you just love idioms? Here's a musing this Monday to use one.
As many of you know my 96 year old Dad has been able to continue living independently in our family home.
Yet, he has been noticeably slowing down and losing interest in his water aerobics class where he admitted having a locker room fall incident.This scared him enough to want to quit the class and to start using the walker to 'stretch his legs'.
Unbeknownst to him we were aware of other bruising that didn't match his stories and knew he had begun falling along with a waning appetite. It definitely was time for a doctor's visit.
PT was arranged as were other overdo appointments for sight and hearing. Since safety was of the utmost importance we knew in-home care was imminent so I had begun inquiring as to various resources. For those of you who have gone through this with loved ones, it is not an easy, quick process.
Then, when I was out of town Dad suffered a serious fall in the bathroom when his slipper caught under one of his walker wheels causing him to lose his balance and fall backward into the tub. He hit his head and lay there from 5 am until the PT person arrived for his 10 am appointment. Luckily, she heard him from outside the house calling for help. He was fortunate to have just a headache, a very sore back, an injured elbow and a very bruised ego. It took one more fall a week later when he couldn't get up and called me to come help. That day he uttered the words, " I hate to say this but I know I need help within the house. "
It's been one week with 2 shifts of in-home care with my brother and me filling in between shifts and weekend coverage in order to allow my Dad to remain at home per his wishes and our desire that he is safer.
Having to ' bite the bullet ' has no age limit...
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