July 23, 2012.

Mary, Linda and I went to Eagle Pointe to see their dementia unit. Mary and I were both in tears almost the entire time we were there. First, because this is where Dad was forced to go. Secondly, because in spite of what they might tell you, the Alzheimer’s unit is just as bad as the rest of the facility. There were 4 people to a room, no personal items were allowed, they were very short-handed and worst of all the residents were all drugged. They just sat staring blankly in their wheelchairs or chairs.

Linda had checked out a place on Ghion Road that’s a sister unit to where she works in Dunbar. They didn’t have a dementia unit but they did mention a place in Marietta. I plugged the address in the GPS on my cell phone and we went there on the off chance that it was a decent place and would have a free bed.

It was straight uphill to get there. We almost missed the entrance to the parking lot and chanced upon a couple of ladies sitting outside. They asked if we needed help, we explained our situation; luckily we had happened on the very person we needed to talk to. She took us in the building and showed us around while explaining things to us. They have 2 people to a unit, a room available with a bed by the window, you’re allowed to bring a chair or dresser and photos and other things. But, most wonderful of all the residents were not acting drugged. A couple of residents were wandering the hallways, the staff talked to them by name and it didn’t stink.

We did paperwork and had Mom admitted by Thursday morning. We did more paperwork. Mary and I went with Mom down to see her room. Mom wanted to leave and go home. We sat there talking to a staff lady for quite awhile. They talked about the food and what Mom liked to eat and then she asked if Mom was hungry. Mom said ‘Yes.’; I grabbed Mary before she could say we’d go to the dining room with them. Mom left us without looking back.

We told Mom that her house was damaged by a bad storm and was being fixed up. She would have to stay here until the work was done. The first few days she asked about the house every time anyone visited. She also asked where Mary was. Mary thought that if she came to see Mom this early that Mom would suffer a setback in her adjustment to the new living place so she didn’t go back to visit after the first time.

It’s been a week and a half now. I went to see Mom today with Bob. She looks so much better. She gets a shower twice a week. She always looks clean and happy when I see her. She had a problem with her roommate and her shoes, but that’s been resolved. Her roommate, Wano, is perfect for her. They’re just a few months apart in age. She’s a friendly, nice lady. They both think it’s too cold where ever they are. They ask each other, “Are you going to stay the night here?’. Then they try to decide who will sleep in which bed.

Mom interacts with the other residents to an extent and she participates in the activities. She has a routine now, other people around her and she seems to be much happier. She does ask about her mom sometimes. But that’s something she’d been doing lately.