Since Jeanne's transition to a nursing home, I visit her every day. I've gotten to know most of the staff and they've made it their business to get to know me. Arriving one day, one of Jeanne's nurses greeted me with an update -- her labs had shown that she was dealing with an infection. This prompted a call to the doctor and a prescription for antibiotics followed. Within a couple of hours, Jeanne was already receiving the antibiotics and the infection disappeared within a few short days.
I couldn't help but compare this rush of events with what would have transpired if Jeanne were still being cared for at home. To begin with, I wasn't set up to draw blood and process lab work at home. So Jeanne's infection would have simply progressed until it created enough symptoms to get my attention. This would be followed by a trip to the Emergency Room (and Jeanne needs to be transported by ambulance, so that's no easy -- or cheap -- feat). Following hours and hours of waiting for treatment in the ER, Jeanne would typically be admitted to the hospital because, by this point, the infection would have become a significant threat to her health. (This isn't speculation -- this exact scenario has happened to us twice in the past two years!)
And so, very quickly, I was able to see for myself that Jeanne would actually be receiving a higher level of care at Hillcrest Care Center than she would have received at home. Knowing this has made Jeanne's transition to a nursing home much easier for me to live with. And since this singular episode, I've witnessed several other scenarios that drove me to the exact same conclusion -- that, given her condition, Jeanne is in the best possible place. And that''s all a devoted caregiver could ever wish for.
Yes, it is soooo hard to come to that first acceptance. As a fellow spouse caregiver who has walked your path I am glad you have found "safer" care.
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick
http://caregivinglyyours.com/
http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Patrick Leer | February 26, 2009 at 02:16 PM