Plan B, as it stands today

After our disappointing and frustrating foray into the world of assisted living, and weighing the options -- nursing home or going home with lots of assistance -- we've opted for the latter. The plan at this writing is to make the necessary changes (carpeting the kitchen, putting in a new stove, getting a hospital bed delivered, having cable and internet installed) and bring Mom home, hopefully on Easter or Easter Monday. Initially Byron and Colleen will stay with Mom at night Sunday through Thursday, and Dave and I will alternate weekend nights and days. We'll get a granny sitter (who should be able to do housekeeping and other tasks) for Monday through Friday daytime. Fortunately Dave is here this week so he will do most of the leg work in getting this arranged.

After a couple weeks we'll reassess and possibly hire someone to stay with Mom during the night as well as during the day, but continue to alternate the weekends. Or we may find that a nursing home placement would be more realistic. This won't be easy, but (a) she has wanted to come home all along and (b) not being in a nursing home environment will lessen her exposure to infection. We can do the twice a day wound dressing changes. Having her home will definitely have drawbacks; she will be isolated, and in an institutional environment, she has more opportunities for longer strolls down the hallways. But now that it's (finally) spring, perhaps more people can get out to visit her, and we could always take her to a mall, Meijer, or church for a longer stretch of walking (we found after she broke her hip that sidewalks are not very walker-friendly).

So with any luck, today should be her last Monday at Heartland. Fingers are crossed!