Groundhog day

It was a busy day for Mom. Besides physical and occupational therapy, she participated in her care conference then had an appointment at the wound clinic. The care conference (attended by Byron and me in person, and Dave via phone) revealed what we anticipated, and that is the recommendation for Mom is to go into assisted living when her stay at Heartland ends. The physical and occupational therapists feel she has another three weeks of therapy, and she could probably stay until the end of the Medicare coverage, March 13, because of her wound. Mom has gradually acknowledged that she is too weak to live on her own. Our task for the next couple weeks is to identify where she should live. Mom said that Byron and Colleen should choose the facility that is most convenient for them, which isn't an unrealistic consideration, but as her wound needs to be treated twice a day, she needs to be at a place where she can get that level of care.

The visit to the wound clinic was uneventful. Her wound was cleaned and treated, it's still hideous looking, and we discussed with the doctor what the outcomes would be if she chose not to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Mom spent quite a bit of time since the visit two weeks ago studying the literature the clinic gave her regarding wound treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and she decided she does not want to pursue it. Whether she does or not, it's unlikely her wound will ever completely heal. She can always change her mind, too. For the present, though, she finds it too confusing and scary.

We got back to Heartland just in time for dinner (tilapia). It was a busy day for the old gal, so I'm sure she got to bed early.