Poseidon Place

Today we had to do what everyone never wants to do. We had to put my Gram into a nursing home. It started off well...

A couple of years ago now I think is when we first found out that something was not right with my "Gramma at the Farm" as she is referred to in my hood. We weren't sure if it was dementia or Alzheimer's, but we knew it was something.

Then my "Grandpa at the Farm" got cancer. He lost his battle last November. My Gram is not able to take care of herself so the options were A) put her in a home now or B) let her live with my Mom and take the time and find a good home to put her in. We obviously went with B. It's not easy living with my Gram (so says my family, I don't live there anymore.) My Mom did an AMAZING and tiring job of looking after her. The thing is, my Mom has to have a major operation this Monday. My Aunt from Ontario was supposed to come in and get my Gram and take her back to Ontario for a few weeks while my Mom recovered.

On Monday my Gram sort of lost it. My Mom ended up taking her to the hospital where they determined that because of a number of factors, but night time wandering being the main one, that she was no longer safe in a residential home unless she had 24 hour care (which, as my parents are human, isn't possible because they do need to sleep!). She had to be put in a care home.

Today she went to the one across from Pan Am sports therapy clinic. When she got there this afternoon (I met her because today was my Mom's last day of work before going on at least a month of leave and couldn't really get out of it.) she was alright. She had a good time listening to "Tropical Bob" the 2:00 PM entertainment. Honestly, who wouldn't want to live in a care home. Heck, tonight they had Happy Hour from 6 PM to 7 PM. And you could get REAL ALCOHOL! I think the residents had to bring their own, but still! Cool! It seems like a really nice place.

But the hard part was that when my Mom got there my Gram got heartbreaking. She wanted to go home. She thought that the Dr's and Nurses there were out to get her some how. We had to watch what we were saying because "they are listening to every word we said." I know my Mom felt HORRID because my Gram started asking "why do I have to be the one to get all the operations and to have to stay here. Why do I have to stay here?" It was sad.

The disease itself is also very sad. My Gram had never said a mean thing in her life until she got this disease. Today when I was talking to my Mom she told me "you'd better be quiet RIGHT NOW before I have to stand up and make a fool of myself!" She was angry when she said it too. She yelled at me for "defending those nurses" and told me that just because I was married into this family did not give me the right to say those things. (Um, I was born into this family, but that's OK, I think she might think I'm one of her sister in laws, because we had a conversation about having our babies together earlier in the afternoon.)

Anyway, she is still the Gramma I love, but she isn't really the Gramma I know anymore. It's an awful disease. I don't wish it on anyone.

I hope my Gram settles into the home well, (she probably won't) and that my Mom isn't too affected by all of this (ha, she will be, I know it.)