Hello again
The manager seems to think that I am completely oblivious to the fact my mother has dementia and has had strokes. I do feel and know this. My mother needs someone to be strong around her. I am that person. I watch her decline, I watch her not being able to chew and swallow properly. To walk, speak and everything else that is happening to mom.
Since the roommate moved in, mom's chewing and swallowing has been getting worse. Even for her to eat the pureed foods that are the served dinners, is difficult for her. It is just mush and it takes her a very long time to even chew this. Let alone the dinner I serve her.
If this keeps up, I will have to stop bringing her meals. I just don't have the time to feed her. When I say this, it is not me being mean or anything like that.
I only have so much time each day. And I just can't feed her for two hours. There are other things that need to be done in the evening. Get her undressed and into her nightgown. And when she is in bed, the nightly spa treatment she looks forward to each night.
Even I arrived early, The served dinner is not ready until after 5 pm. I would have to arrived at 4 pm to get things done. As she needs something to drink. This alone takes 15 minutes or so. And mom is in a hurry to have this done.
I can honestly say, mom rushing me is getting on my nerves. I hate to be rushed. I do understand my mother has this progressive disease. But she has to wait. I can only go so fast. I need to unpack everything. Get the plates, cutlery and other things set up for dinner. Give her something small while she waits for dinner.
Even me asking her to wait, doesn't work. She wants it now. I mean now. Then she is taking for ever to finish a single bite. of food. Yes it is her disease.
But mom will take a break while chewing and I think she is ready for more food. Not so. Just taking a break. Let me put this in perspective for you. A piece of avocado, soft. would take you or I less than a minute to chew it and swallow it. Mom on the other hand takes more than 2 minutes to chew and swallow this.
Okay. Yes it is getting on my nerves, but I am not going to do anything about it, except to continue to ask her to swallow. This is the progression that mom is experiencing.
This is also another stage of her progression in her journey with dementia. But as I suspect it it just mom being stressed out and tired because of the roommate.
As mentioned in other blog posts, mom is like this whenever she is really tired. And mom is always tired since the roommate moved in.
We have no privacy. This alone is causing problems for mom.
Well another blog post done.
Other than this, mom is doing well. Tired, but OK. She is also fighting me to get her changed at night. She becomes very stiff and it is hard to get her shirts off. I have to keep repeating the word RELAX over and over again. I know she is just trying to help. But I am saying to her. Just relax and let me do the work for you. It is easier for me to do this for you mom. Just relax your arms.
GOD bless and good night.
Kristopher Schmuland.
