A brief recap. Dad moved into our home at the start of November 2005. He has Alzheimer's and has slowly and rapidly and slowly and rapidly declined over the past 3 plus years. Last July that decline became very pronounced and produced other physical conditions that required more care of a professional kind. My beloved bride and I have been visiting nursing homes in our area for the past three years in anticipation of the events of last July. Last August we found what we considered to be the ideal choice. It has multiple weekly chapel services, it is sponsored by an area fellowship of churches, it has a full time musical therapist and two assistants in that area, it has a wonderful reputation of long standing, it has the highest ratio of professional help per resident of any home in our area, etc, etc. The problem is that it is so good that it is hard to get in. We have waited not wanting what we considered second best. The home had said that it would probably be March or April before we could get him in.
That all changed quite suddenly last week with an unexpected opening. The prescreening was taken care of last week along with his doctor's visit. Today we placed Dad in the home. No, it wasn't really as antiseptic as that statement. There has been a week of second guessing all our decisions, turmoil and anxiety. But, it was necessary. As we went through each item on the check list today with the intake nurse, it became increasingly apparent how necessary how it had become. Dad felt very alone as we said goodbye to him. He is confused about what is going on and why. But, he doesn't have the processing skills in his mind to understand what is said, so no explanation is sufficient. He will be sitting at his new table tonight making new friends, who, in his condition will be new friends tomorrow and again the next day. Maybe it wil be an exciting time for him. I sure hope so.
Today was certainly an abrupt wrap up to everything that has taken place. Five years ago he called me and said, "come help. I just sold my house and don't know what to do." Every week for the next month and a half I traveled the 360 mile round trip to clean out his old house and find him a new apartment. We went from a nice fully stuffed 2 bedroom house with 2 car garage to a small apartment. Downsizing. Two years later he was declared medically incompetent and we moved him from that apartment to our house with his one room and a private bath. Downsizing. Today my brother came to help us move him into the home. (That was a great big help for Dad to see my brother and have him there.) Everything Dad needed for the home was placed on a single moving pallet. Downsizing. It reminds us of the biblical truth that we brought nothing into this world and shall take nothing out.
So, things are wrapped up. No more blog. Dad is in the care of competent and loving individuals who will do a better job than we could at this new stage in his life. His descent is now more marked, but the good news is - he has a great big picture window in his room that lets in a whole lot of sunshine. I hope it lights his spirits and his life as he continues the long goodbye.
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