Time sure goes fast as my favorite day of the week is here again! Update Day! The day when you tell me everything and ask me anything. If you are new introduce yourself. Caring for parents? Have questions, need support, want ideas? We have a really great group to offer all of that for you.
Been an up and down week. One movie, DEFIANCE. One great birthday for my Mom. A bruised hip. Then the biggie. The storm in December brought to the fore that Mom's house had really damaged siding that needed replacing. We hired the guys that remodeled the bedroom to replace the siding. We were happy with their work on the bedroom. When they started replacing the siding they found carpenter ants that had eaten through some of the plywood. The pest control guy was out yesterday and he was without a doubt one of the nicest young men that I've met in a longtime. He took care of the ants, respectful towards mom and myself. We called his boss and reported what a nice employee they had.
Now on to the guys doing the siding. They are doing nice work but I kind of got upset at them. They cut Mom's phone line. So mom had no phone service. When I told the siding guys about it they were extremely cavilier. Their response was to tell us to call the phone company. When I pointed out that to call the phone company it would be several days before they would come out, the response was at least she has a cell phone. OK, so we have a 93 year-old woman with heart trouble with no service but a cell phone. I don't know how it is in other areas but in Oregon they have so many erroneous calls to 911 from cell phones that if you call 911 with a cell phone it goes on hold first and isn't answered for from between sixty to one hundred and twenty seconds. Calls from regular phones get priority. Thank God for friends. I called our friend Ted who owns a phone repair service. He was out within fifteen minutes. He hooked up one jack so Mom would have service. He will come back out after they are done with the siding and hook up all the other rooms in the house. I was kind of upset at the siding guys because I felt they should have apologized along the lines of something like "I am sorry we cut the phone line, we will pay for you to restore it." They acted like oh so what. Bugged the heck out of me. It gets even better, the one jack that Ted could hook up was on the side of the house where the siding guys were working and also under a window they were replacing. The phone is a cordless phone and has to be plugged in for mom's phone to work. Every time the siding guys had to come into the house to do something on the inside of the window, the would accidently unplug the phone. By tripping over it. It happened five times before I put a note on the door, "don't leave this room until you plug back in the phone, that you disconencted by tripping over it." OK, it wasn't really charitable of me but for some reason I didn't feel all that guilty about it. What would you have done? How would you have felt?
OK, My Mom's birthday gift. Fixed her lunch on Monday. Bought KFC on Monday night and served it to her and the caregiver. Made lunch on Tuesday. Cooked a dynamite pork roast on Tuesday night. Fixed her breakfast on Wednesday (turkey sausage, pancakes, and fruit), made lunch for her (half of sandwich, nonfat chips, fruit), and took her to dinner on Wednesday night. Thursday made her lunch and put a dinner together from the leftovers from the restaurant. I was able to add some veggies, fruit, and jello and make three really good dinners out of it. Today I have a luncheon meeting so Mom is on her own for lunch. I am thinking right now about what to make for dinner tonight and Saturday night when my gift officially ends. Any suggestions?
Just wanted to mention one more thing before turning the blog over to you. The lady that I had lunch with from the Payroll service? While she was working at the payroll company she always made sure I had a tax guide. Even when she moved up and quit being a rep she made sure my rep gave me an annual tax guide. The supplies of the tax guides are limited. They also run about twenty bucks. Apparantly I am still of the list to receive the guide because my new rep stopped by my house yesterday and gave me one. Her name was Carol. Very nice woman. We talked a bit and it came up that she was a recent widow. Her husband was killed in a car accident right after Thanksgiving. He was 56. How tragic is that? I don't think I could handle that kind of grief. My heart just went out to her.
OK, the blog is now yours. Tell me everything, ask me anything is the motto for the day!
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14 comments:
Bill, you can file a complaint against the siding people for cutting the telephone line with the contractors construction board in Oregon. You would need pictures and documentation. You can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau if it is still bothering you.
Hi Red
I really don't want to take it that far, I just don't want to hurt them in the future. I just was upset at their attitude.
If they continue to screwup mom's phone lines then I might reconsider.
Bill
If I were you, I'd be sure that the company management got the information about how that played out. They need to know that.
My exhibit reception was tonight, and it was a great party. I didn't sell anything, but lots of friends came, the food was good, the wine flowed freely, and it was fun. Then the family adjourned to a nearby restaurant for an extension of the event. A great day!
Hi Mary Z
I looked at some of the pictures on your blog and they are beautiful. It is just a matter of time until one sells. Looking forward to some more pictures.
I also liked the newspaper article. Hey everyone, go here and read about Mary Z:
http://www.tfponline.com/news/2009/jan/18/eccentric-and-eclectic/?entertainmentlifeentertainment
Bill
Bill, I would certainly mention to whoever owns the company that his employees were careless and had a cavalier attitude when the phone wire problem was pointed out to them. You can do it diplomatically, but it's something management should know about.
Update: Nothing much. My mom has had some kind of upper respiratory infection, which is making its way throughout the facility. Everybody is getting better as of today. Mom has been having breathing treatments with albuterol mist and antibiotics. She has never felt bad, or so she's said, just sounded hoarse and coughed a lot. One other woman there was worse, and they were worried about her, but she seems on the mend now, too.
Hi Pat
I'm sorry that your Mom has had a virus but I am glad it is getting better. Anyone elderly getting a virus it is really dangerous so I'm really glad she is improving. I'm also glad the other woman is getting better.
The guys are self-employed contractors that mom hired through a friend. Not something I would do. They are basically retired guys working part-time in the own companies doing projects in the nieghborhood. They have a really good reputation but they are the begin all and end all of the complaint department.
They know I was ticked and now have been going the extra mile. They have been coming end every couple of hours to check on the phone and on mom.
I just wish they would have shown a better attitude at first!
Bill
Hi Bill - It sounds like your Mom has had a nice birthday week. We are finishing up my daughter's birthday celebration tomorrow with a family visit to Chuck E Cheese. Grandma and Papa are attending as well. Her actually birhday is Monday and we will probably go out to dinner too.
As for the phone guys, I just wonder if in this day and age of cell phones that folks do not consider what an inconvenience the loss of land line can be. I am like you, I don't want to get anyone in trouble if I don't have to. I am glad it sounds like they have realized that you were not pleased. Have a great rest of the weekend!
Hi Kim
WOW. Sounds like an exciting birthday for your daughter! I really like Chuck E. Cheese but sometimes the noise tires me out!
Then your daughter gets dinner too!
Please wish her happy birthday for me.
Go away from land lines does scare me a bit. A lot of people no longer have anything but cell phones. I find that kind of scaring.
Well we do have the same birthday so that may exlpain us sometimes thinking alike!
Bill
Hi Bill, sounds like your mum had a great time on her birthday.
I think sometimes when people haven't had to deal with elderlies and emergencies, they sometimes dismiss things such as a cut phone line as trivial because there's still a cellphone, they reason. But all it takes is Murphy's Law and an emergency situation can quickly become very dire. Perhaps this finally sank in with phone company people after their less than satisfactory first reaction. And it's nice to know they took more effort after that.
Congratulations to Mary Z on your exhibition. Bill's right, those are lovely pictures on your blog.
Now for the update: we had my parents over for dinner on Sunday, the eve of Chinese New Year. Everyone had a good time -- except maybe the dogs. Mum used to be the one that would spoil them, sneaking them scraps from her plate when they're not allowed too much human food (and yes, it's true, grandparents and grandkid, in this case granddogs, really are natural allies). But this time round, mum was so engrossed in feeding dad that she didn't slip the dogs anything at all, much to their disappointment. Mum and dad stayed the night, and we gave them our bed and slept on the sofas in the living room. The dogs were again, somewhat confused by the new sleeping arrangement (they sleep with us on the bed) and kept trying to herd us towards the bedroom.
It is nice to see dad out and enjoying himself, I hope to get them over for overnight stays more often, it shouldn't take a holiday just to do it.
Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous Year of the Ox.
Snug
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS!
Year of The Oz should be exciting.
I'm so happy to hear that your Dad and Mom spent the night. It is such an improvement for your dad to not only visiting but spending the night.
If I ever visit I promise to slip the dogs some table scraps!
Bill
Gosh, everyone had busy weeks, sounds like, one way or another. Bill, what a neat gift, to cook dinner for your mom every night. Good job! I understand your upset with the siding guys and your hesitation to cause problems, particularly as they seem to have straightened out their act. Like you, I don't want to be without a landline, although Himself would go strictly cell in a skinny minute, if I'd agree. I hadn't realized cell calls to 911 were suspect.
Mary Z, congrats on the receiption! Pat, I'm glad to hear your mom is feeling better, as are other residents. Any kind of bug seems to spread like wildfire through a facility, especially one housing elders. We see the same thing on occasion even at the Sr apartments.
Snug, Happy New Year. Sounds like you had a great beginning. I'm so glad your folks spent the night. Did you get to visit with the in-laws the next day? Will hold good thoughts there will be more overnight visits.
My week... Monday afternoon at Mom's. Her power chair died (they DO have to be plugged in occasionally). Pondering a system to get it regularly charged, as one has to stand on one's head to get the front cable connected. Meantime, she was out of bread, had sour milk and the health care aide (not the one normally assigned) failed to show up. I reported on Tuesday, sharing the inauguration, the chair arriving. We took her out to dinner that night. Wednesday I line danced and worked. Thursday I had someone else lead the aquatics class. We did the Comm on Blind app't and Mom has several goodies and lots more on order. Today, I discovered she CAN read her syringes with the lighted hand-held magnifier they gave her. In addition to that and a larger hand-held plug in, she'll be getting a battery handheld, a big magnifier on a stand for her quilting, a stand to put on the table or her lap to hold books and magazines for reading with the larger magnifier, a needle threader, a phone with a large number pad. They also gave her special sunglasses to shield the UV rays and emphasized she was to put them on before leaving a bldg and after entering, as the UV rays can exacerbate the MD, something we didn't know. She was completely taken aback to learn she didn't have to pay for any of this, it's paid for tax dollars and private donations. At last, I've found a Good Thing my tax dollars are doing and it's for my mom!
From there, took her to brunch at Stax, then got a scooter at Walmart and another at the grocery. Moved a bunch of boxes and shifted stuff and got down more Christmas for her to pack.
Friday and Saturday I stayed home all day and worked, finally finishing the ms from the nether regions. Today was back to Mom's to move more boxes, take down the sequined ornaments in the doorways and put up her mini-birdhouse collection, lower the footrests on the transport chair (I'm getting quite useful with medical equipment and supplies),haul some stuff to her storage area on the patio and haul out all her recycles. Did get in a day at the pool and taught class Tuesday and booked some editorial hours and cleared the paperwork off my desk -- now to get to the worktable and file cabinet top.
Hi DR
Glad to get your update!
A lot of cell phone companies have added a lock to the cell phone to keep a cell phone rrom accidently dialing 911. Sometimes in your pocket if you move the wrong direction the phone would accidently dial. The problem isn't anywhere near what it used to be but it is big enough that 911 calls go on hold first.
Gosh sorry the new power chair for you mom died. We got in the habit of plugging mom's in every night..
I'd have really upset if the health care worked hadn't of shown up, did you call the company and find out why?
Wow good news that she can read using the light handheld magnifier.
Has the Commission on The Blind ever been helpful! I'm also glad to see my tax dollars are going to work in the right places!
Very glad you got a couple of days at home with himself and got your MS done!
Good job all week DR!
Bill
Hopefully, the cell phone error calls weill be reduced with so many cell phones folding now, so the keypad is "protected."
Not the new power chair that died, the "old" one on loan from the neighbor across the hall. I should have been more watchful. I know Mom can't plug the cable into the chair, because it's recessed under the front of the seat and, as I said, you have to practically stand on her head to see the connection. They're definitely designed for folks with full time caregivers, I think. However, I can plug it when I go over there and we go out and set it up so all she has to do is gently pull on the white cable and she'll be disconnected. It's the hooking up that's an issue.
Yes, the CoB is a positive example of tax dollars at work. I shall cringe just a bit less when I write out my check to the IRS. Maybe.
Called the health care company, but they didn't know why the aide didn't show up. Then, Salina called to say she would be late today, then she got lost and by the time she got to Mom's couldn't put in the requisite three hours, so she's coming back tomorrow. Mom says it's just as well, as she felt perfectly awful all day. I'd planned to take her to lunch tomorrow, but that won't work, if the aide's coming, so she darned well better show up. I'm losing patience here. If Mom doesn't go to AZ next month to visit, I think we need to find another agency or I'm going to be back to cleaning and all. (Yes, I know, you've been through this a gazillion times, sigh) It just doesn't seem like it should be so difficult to find some sort of dependability and reliability.
Hi DR
You must have more patience than I do because I would have already changed agencies.
Whomever designed the old wheelchair should be made to try to plug one in!
It takes a unique personality to caregive and they as a group really don't value time and not showing up are doing as they say seems to more common than not, it just is awful. I hope things improve in the caregiving assitance for you!
Bill
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