We're moving my mom to the Courtyard today, out of Aspen Arbor. It's just down the hall at NHC Place but it seems like it's a world away. The Courtyard is on the long-term care side of the building, so the setting is more "institutional." Aspen Arbor was much more homey and comfortable, for my mom and for us. The residents at the Courtyard are generally in worse shape than the residents at Aspen Arbor. Almost all of them are in wheelchairs and many don't speak much, if at all.
Among my many worries are concerns about whether a lack of interaction with other residents will accelerate my mom's mental decline. The problem is that they just can't care for her anymore at Aspen Arbor. She's wheelchair bound, incontinent and it takes more than one person to transfer her to the toilet. And she has the pressure ulcer, which can be treated daily at the Courtyard. Their is a nurse present all the time and more staff.
The move is the best thing for her, I know, but the transition is going to destroy her, I fear. And I leave for spring break in Sarasota, FL, tomorrow with Jude and the boys. Shit.
She is going to miss some of her friends at Aspen Arbor and I sure as hell am going to miss them, too. The staff has been kind to her and us. I always thought I would return to Maristone to visit, but I never have. I hope I return to Aspen Arbor, but I don't know if I will. Seeing her room, empty and devoid of her presence by the end of the day will probably knock me to my knees emotionally. Ah, man, this is so fucking hard.
I surreptitiously nailed the framed photograph of my mom to the wall outside her room in Aspen Arbor a few weeks ago, to help her remember which room was hers.
A last glimpse of my mom's room at Aspen Arbor. What you can't see is the bird feeder outside that Tracy hung next to the window. My loved to watch the birds flit up to it, peck at the safflower cylinder and fly off.
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