My uncle told my brother and I that he plans to put my grandmother in a nursing home in the next week or so.
I figured this would be our last Christmas together. It makes me so sad. I know she's going to be incredibly sad. 😥
36-40, F
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bowman81 · M
My father in law was in a rehab center while they were trying to find a place that would take him on a long term basis. He had dementia and after twice setting the house on fire (once putting an extra large bag of potato chips in the oven because he wanted a warm snack at 3am.) it was too much. He was not violent, but he was physically strong his wife couldn't control him when he needed it. He was also clever and would find a way to sneak the car keys and get "lost". The police would find him, out of gas, hundreds of miles from home.
Jim was a smoker and didn't react well to not being able to smoke in the center. Jim and some dozen or more other patients were found walking the streets 6 blocks from the center.....still dressed in the open backed hospital gowns and slippers, happily puffing on cigarettes. Somehow he found a way to bypass the door-locks and alarm. He had recruited fellow smokers and even a few who didn't smoke but thought it would be a nice break from the center and led the breakout. The party store clerk reported them after they convinced him to "donate" a couple of packs of cigarettes. (One regular and one menthol, don't you know)
Jim was finally placed in a nursing home. The family saw him regularly and we checked him out for family get togethers, birthdays, and holidays. Never overnight, but for a few hours anyway. It was heartbreaking, we had to all introduce ourselves to him. Jim was always pleasant and seemed happy to see us even if he didn't know who we were....Oh, and smoked like a chimney too.
Jim deteriorated rapidly as the Alzheimer's or whatever type of dementia progressed. His heart failed and he passed.
My point in all this is to try to make the best of the situation. Life hands us some awful challenges. All we can do is make the best of them. Do the best you can. We were lucky because Jim never lost his pleasant demeanor nor sense of humor. I like to remember his love of his family, especially the little children, his sense of humor, and him leading the "Great Escape".
Jim was a smoker and didn't react well to not being able to smoke in the center. Jim and some dozen or more other patients were found walking the streets 6 blocks from the center.....still dressed in the open backed hospital gowns and slippers, happily puffing on cigarettes. Somehow he found a way to bypass the door-locks and alarm. He had recruited fellow smokers and even a few who didn't smoke but thought it would be a nice break from the center and led the breakout. The party store clerk reported them after they convinced him to "donate" a couple of packs of cigarettes. (One regular and one menthol, don't you know)
Jim was finally placed in a nursing home. The family saw him regularly and we checked him out for family get togethers, birthdays, and holidays. Never overnight, but for a few hours anyway. It was heartbreaking, we had to all introduce ourselves to him. Jim was always pleasant and seemed happy to see us even if he didn't know who we were....Oh, and smoked like a chimney too.
Jim deteriorated rapidly as the Alzheimer's or whatever type of dementia progressed. His heart failed and he passed.
My point in all this is to try to make the best of the situation. Life hands us some awful challenges. All we can do is make the best of them. Do the best you can. We were lucky because Jim never lost his pleasant demeanor nor sense of humor. I like to remember his love of his family, especially the little children, his sense of humor, and him leading the "Great Escape".
