Caregiving at Home

Saturday, 6 May 2006

After a much needed yoga at 7 am (They have changed and added new weekend times…7 am seems a little early, but it worked out great since my dad is here now.) Went grocery shopping, got Dad ready for the day, and made breakfast for us. The first thing Dad said when he woke up was that he forgot how quiet it is up here. He said, compared to where he lives down in the valley, it is so serene here in the mountain. So quiet that he could only hear the clock ticking.

Jay left for work at 8 this morning, and will be gone for the next 24 hours. It’s nice being around family, as my dad’s two brothers and their families are our neighbors. Throughout the day, Uncle Gary and Uncle Ray stopped by. Gary brought lunch for my dad and hung out with him in the afternoon so I could run errands (My dad has noticed all the little things that need to be fixed and so sent me off to Home Depot to get that started. Besides, him being here has made me more motivated to get things done and clean up more around the house.) Uncle Ray came over and helped us replace and clean the fluorescent lights in the living room and kitchen.

The highlight of the day was taking Dad out in the wheelchair so he could peek over the lanai and check out the yard. He noticed what has died due to our failure to water, and told me what he planted, when, and how we need to upkeep various plants and trees. Kaliko was excited, and I enjoyed taking pictures of him and our dog. He said to her, “Remember, I used to walk you?” (Yeah, and he was THE only one who walked her. We’re such bad pet owners.) She licked his hands and posed for pictures. I captured the biggest smile on my dad’s face.

I cooked a simple dinner tonight, Dad and I worked on a crossword puzzle together (I was the secretary as he seems to be having even more difficulty holding a pen and writing these days.), and we watched lots of TV. It’s my turn to sleep on the couch tonight, as Jay doesn’t come home from work until tomorrow morning. I’m exhausted. We’ll see if I make it to 7 am yoga tomorrow.