7/21/11

From S. Big day.

• I arrived at Mom's house at about 10:40 to help prep her for the first visit from the caregiver. I thanked her repeatedly for letting us bring in a helper twice a week. Mom said she was nervous about it, and she was still clearly reluctant.
• The Cameo caregiver, Ruth, came by at 11:00. Surprisingly, she spoke Spanish. Ruth's scheduled hours are 11:00 to 1:00, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• I introduced them, and told Ruth that I had been explaining to Mom that with some help, she could again be independent and less stressed. I then suggested to Mom that she show Ruth the house.
  
• I stayed in the living room but could hear the tour. When Ruth told Mom how pretty she was in her wedding picture, I knew this would work out.
• They continued to visit, and I kept prompting Mom for more things to tell about herself. She talked about her painting, her sewing, Cuba, her parents, her grandkids, Zain, her travels, and so on. They then went into the kitchen, and Ruth took inventory with Mom. Ruth kept asking Mom what she liked to eat, and she kept prompting her to eat healthy things, and then she would have Mom write it down on the list. I thought she did a great job of engaging Mom, and Mom seemed to be enjoying herself.
• I then took Mom and Ruth to eat at Black-Eyed Pea. That gave them more opportunity to socialize. Ruth helped Mom into the car, helped her order, sat with her while I waited for a table to open up. Mom was not bothered by any of that. They continued to visit the whole time.
  
• Ruth is also very religious. She talked about all of Mom's blessings, and before we ate lunch, she asked Mom if she could say grace.
  
• When Ruth left, I asked Mom if she wanted me to come back on Tuesday to be there, and Mom said it was up to me - that I didn't need to be there.
• All-in-all, I was very pleased with how it went. If you're inclined to pray, I believe this outcome warrants a prayer of gratitude.

Then, later in the afternoon, Isabel and I met with Gladys.

• We agreed that Gladys would clean Mom's house every three weeks. Gladys will coordinate those cleaning visits with Isabel beforehand, and Isabel will explain how well handle payment for each visit.
• We (Isabel) also explained to Gladys some of mom's current difficulties.

I think it would be good for the three of us to get together next week just to recap progress to date on all fronts.