Further into the Abyss

I've been remiss in the not posting about my mom for a month, I know.  In my defense, I've been crushed at work for the past two months leading up to a trial tomorrow and Friday.  That's an excuse, though, and probably a poor one.  The reality is that it's all so personal and hard to write about.

The last month has not been good, not by a long shot.  My mom is slipping away, mentally and physically.  That's abundantly clear.  Just when I think things have plateaued and will remain static for a few weeks, she descends further into the Alzheimer's abyss and we go descend with her in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable.

This morning, I received a telephone call from a nurse at Maristone, one I've talked with before.  She advised me that last night, my mom disappeared from her room between routing checks on her at 11 p.m and midnight.  All staff were alerted and a search inside and outside the facility began immediately.  Ultimately, a staff member found her in apartment no. 102 - someone else's apartment - with her walker, a bunch of clothes and someone else's check book, like she was leaving on a trip.  Fortunately, the room was temporarily unoccupied, so she wasn't disturbing anyone.  

The staff alerted the director, who instructed them to check her out to make sure she was okay, then escort her back to her apartment on the second floor.  Because they were fully staffed last night, a caregiver sat outside her apartment most of the night.  Evidently, my mom was up all night rummaging around the two rooms her life has been reduced to.

Like a woman who has lost her mind.