Today was moving day for Aunt Helen. When I got there this morning about 9:00 Aunt Helen was fighting with the aides who were trying to get her ready for her ambulance trip to Ottumwa. She fought with me; Ann came in and she fought with her. When I looked at her eyes and she looked at me, it was as if no one was in there. I don't believe she had any idea who I was. She called me lots and lots of names, none of which were Peg or Margaret Mae! When Bob came in she was still fighting, and when the ambulance ladies came in it was just more of the same. When they were trying to move her to the gurney, she started calling out for mama. I decided maybe I should "be" mama and maybe that would soothe her. It didn't that I could tell, but they got her onto the gurney and strapped her down for her ambulance ride to Ottumwa. Ann decided to go with her in the ambulance. When they got Helen out into the hallway, she calmed down. Ann said she didn't say a word all the way to Ottumwa, or even when they took her into Vista Woods! While she was enroute to Ottumwa, Bob, Steve, and I moved everything out of her room into a trailer also bound for Ottumwa. I had driven separately, so I stopped at VW to pick up Ann. I walked into Helen's room and she was sitting up in a chair. She had let Ann comb her hair and brush her teeth. I went over to talk to her and she knew me. I told her that her hands were so dry she needed some lotion on them. She replied, "They're dry as bones!" So Ann got some lotion and squirted some into her hands. Aunt Helen just laughed and laughed! She said we'd better put some on our hands too. So we had fun rubbing the lotion into her hands and arms and the excess into ours. A little later when I told her I loved her, she said she loved me too. What a difference. Dementia is really something! When Ann and I left VW, the hospice worker was trying to get her to eat a few bites of food. She wasn't crazy about the food, but she sure liked the milk and the water. Poor thing, I really don't think the aides at SB ever really tried to help her. I hope not, but she may die tonight; and if she does, I'll rest easier knowing that she's someplace she's going to get some attention.
As for her "stuff" - it's mostly in our sun porch. It's going to be lots of fun going through all that stuff! I'm sure I won't have Bob's help! At least I don't have to worry about it tonight!
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