Month: November 2024

There’s always a light. 

CAREGIVER NOTE:
Our role as caregivers ended last evening at 7:12 pm MDT. He passed as he’d wished. At home and not alone. I’m very grateful we were able to fulfill that wish for him. Services are pending. It’s been an honor for our family to be his caregivers the last two and a half years. We miss him already!

POSITIVES:
He was ready to move on
He was able to rest more comfortably yesterday than he had the day and evening previous
Son #4 and I were with him when he took his last breath – he was not alone.

11.03.24

CAREGIVER NOTE:
He’s giving us a run for our money. He’s officially on hospice and isn’t willing to take his meds — spit them out, has been awake for a good portion of the night which means I have officially been awake for over 24 hours now. Not how I had hoped to spend my first night – nor did T. He has to help reposition and roll when when needed… and it was needed a lot last night. He’s taken off his brief again. His feet are dangling off the bed, again. And he won’t keep the oxygen on either. Not sure what the nurse will say this morning, but I hope she’s got an idea other than to keep trying…

It would be nice to get into a routine of sorts — but he might have other plans as he tries to assert himself and tries to do things he can’t.

POSITIVES:
The hospice contacts have been great
Family has given us a little bit of wiggle room to get settled.

Pause….

Pause.  Take a breath.  Find the good in the moment.

CAREGIVER NOTES:
They found some music for him to listen to yesterday. He even left the headphones on for a while and the oxygen in place while he listened. It was interesting to see him sleeping on his side in what I would call his most comfortable position when he was sleeping here at home. I hope that he’ll find even more comfort here at the house when we bring him home later today. He’ll be in hospice care. Yesterday was day 4 of refusing food and liquids. It doesn’t appear that he’ll change his mind and try to eat – he spit out the oral meds again yesterday, so we’re definitely moving into the comfort care stage as we follow the directives he’s left us.

POSITIVES:
He left the oxygen and music headphones in place
He responded to touch from everyone that visited yesterday (and I’m pretty sure he recognized who they were from their voices)

Every step counts.

CAREGIVER NOTES:
He’s basically stopped eating. He’s not impressed at all with the pureed diet he’s currently being given by the dietician. He spits everything out. He asked for toast and jam yesterday, but neither were offered or allowed until he can prove he can swallow successfully again.

We played music (Easy listening) yesterday for most of the day and he seemed to enjoy it and was calm for all but the last two hours I was at the center with him.

I talked with the Activity Director yesterday. He does recognize the value of music for those with dementia issues and they use is in the memory care unit.

As usual, he wasn’t into the Halloween vibe… He missed out on the Pre-school costume parade through the unit yesterday.

POSITIVES:
He was dressed and in a chair when I arrived
He showed determination – lots of it over the course of the day