As a caregiver, I put a lot of effort into thinking about ways to entertain Kate. I am often successful. I know that she responds to music and has some favorites to which she is especially drawn. Her family is also important to her. Showing her photos and telling her or reading about them is usually of interest. Taking “tours” of the rooms in our house is also a winner. I feel fortunate to have a toolbox with a variety of things that work. Of course, there are times when I am less successful than others, but there are also times when I don’t have to work at all to have “Happy Moments.” That was true on Monday of this week.
It was about 6:45. I had a load of clothes in the washer. I was looking forward listening to my book while walking, but first, I wanted my breakfast. The eggs were on the counter, and I was about to put the oil in the frying pan when I heard Kate say, “Hey.” I started to the bedroom and found her in the hallway. She had gotten out of bed and was looking for me. Although she seemed wide awake, she wasn’t sure where she was going and wanted my help.
I took her to the bathroom. Like most days, she wanted me to give her directions on everything. Sometimes when this happens, she resists my help. Not this time. She was very accepting but in a very natural way. She didn’t seem especially insecure and expressed no special emotion.
Of all the things I have worried about helping with bathroom activities were near the top of the list. Toileting and showering involve the most personal assistance, and I have resisted diving right in. Thus, it has been a long, gradual process. Yesterday it was clear that we have found our way to a comfortable place for both of us.
Although Kate always seems to enjoy her shower, she usually resists my effort to get her to take one in the first place. She seemed so compliant that I said, “This seems like a good time for a shower. Would you like that?” She paused a moment and said, “I don’t know.” That gave me the opportunity to be more assertive. I said, “I think that would be a good idea. I’ll start the shower for you.” That is all it took.
One of the things I’ve discovered is that once in the shower, she likes me to play an active role in bathing her. That works for me as well since it is easier than giving her instructions, and we can finish more quickly. She plays the role of director, making sure that I haven’t missed any places.
Kate enjoys the drying off process even more than showering. I have learned it is better to begin in the shower. That works better than walking out into a cold bathroom. Then I take her to the bedroom and put her in a chair where we finish up. At this point, she is fully relaxed, and I often joke that she is at “Richard’s Spa.” She often directs me to places that I may have missed, especially between her toes. I rarely get the deodorant on just the way she wants it. She lets me know right away. This part went swimmingly well. She seemed to be luxuriating in being cared for.
As she does on most shower days, she wanted to get back in bed. Since it was still quite early, that was fine with me. I did wonder what she might be like a little later. Sometimes her mood can change after resting or going back to sleep. The whole process of getting her up, showered, and back in bed had been another “Happy Moment.”
As someone who likes to eat very shortly after getting up and dressed, I was ready for my breakfast. She wanted me to stay in the room with her. I asked if it would be all right if I ate my breakfast and then came back. She was fine with that. After eating, I stayed with her until she woke up about 9:00. She was fine except for wanting me to take her home. I told her I would be glad to and had her clothes all ready for her. I don’t often mention it, but we also have many humorous moments. One of those occurred after she was dressed. I got her hairbrush, and as I did, I thought of an old song our grandchildren used to like, “Where is my Hairbrush?” Kate and I always thought it was a funny song as well. I started to sing it. Kate laughed as I forgot the lyrics. Then I went to Google and played the original song. We both got a kick out of it. It’s just one little thing that helped sustain an already good day.
Her eagerness to go “home” made dressing a simple matter. We were at Panera before 9:45. She worked on her puzzles, ate her muffin, and I took her home. She rested less than an hour before I suggested we go to lunch. She was receptive. As we walked out of the house into the garage, we faced one of our few rough patches during the day. It was bizarre. She was disturbed. It was difficult to understand her. It seems she had some connection with a group of people who had killed a woman and that she hadn’t told the authorities. She felt guilty. When I asked for an explanation, she didn’t want to talk about it. Nothing more was said, and, moments later, she was fine. I’ll add this to my list of things I’ll never understand.
We had a nice lunch and went back to the house where she rested for at least two hours. Then I asked if she would like for the two of us to look at one of her family photo books. She did, and we spent almost an hour reading from a book about her mother’s family. I didn’t try to go through the photos. Instead I read the narrative portion that focuses on biographical information about her grandparents and Battle Creek where her mother was born. She loved it, and although we revisit this album frequently, I loved going through it with her. The lunch and afternoon turned out to be another “Happy Moment.”
The rest of the day also went well except for a brief period after coming home from dinner. Kate worked on her iPad for a short time and became frustrated. She reached a point at which she didn’t know what to do at all. I suggested she take a break and get ready for bed. She was happy to do that. Her confusion continued as she took her medications. I gave them to her one at a time, but she didn’t know what to do with them. She started to put the first one in her glass of water. I explained that she should put it in her mouth and then use the water to wash it down. After the first two pills, she caught on. Then I took her to the bathroom and helped her into her gown. Once she was in bed she was quite relaxed.
The day was a good one. It also captures the way we can shift back and forth between good things and trying ones. I am grateful that most of our days include a preponderance of “Happy Moments.”
