Best Laid Plans

Ahhhh, well.

Shortly after I posted about dinner out and a bottle of old red wine for our Wedding Anniversary celebration, the phone rang and plans changed. But, it was O.K. because lately all plans have built in flexibility due to the uncertainties inherent in being the local daughter to parents who are both in their 92nd year. Unless I'm out of town or one of my siblings is visting, I'm "on-call".

Poor Mom. She had just returned from a lovely outing with Catie late yesterday afternoon, made it into her bedroom using the walker and as Catie left to retrieve the purchased items from the car, Mom apparently started looking through the mail. Her walker was several feet away, she suddenly got very dizzy, and down she went. We think she probably landed full force on her left elbow and long story short, she fractured her left humerus up near the shoulder. By the time I arrived the staff had her up in a chair but the pain and swelling in the left arm were obvious. We called the ambulance and spent the early evening in the E.R. She's been admitted to the hospital for pain control and further evaluation (no surgery for these fractures; a strong sling, time and slow healing is the plan). Hopefully she'll be able to return home to be with Dad rather than spend the next weeks in a skilled nursing facility. The adult family home really wants to have her back and feels they can handle the added care needs. Good news on that front, at least. That and the fact that she broke her left (non-dominant) arm, not the right.

But, here's another painful hurdle for this woman. She certainly doesn't deserve or need any more angst, either physical or emotional. Advancing age is slowly whittling away at her quality of life. She's naturally angry, in real pain, and has a long road ahead to heal, if she can muster forces to do so. How much can one person take? For so many elderly people, it's one bit of drama after another with health related issues. The so called "slippery slope" is a very real phenomenon for many. I've worried about her taking a fall frequently of late; she forgets to use her walker, steps away from it and hobbles along. One dizzy spell andany sense of balance is lost. Down she will go. Unless someone is with her 24/7 (literally) to cue her to the walker, it won't happen and she's at risk.

Today I'll visit her, touch base with the doctor, the social worker and the adult family home to see if/when she can return to be with Dad and receive in-home physical and occupational therapy. This is definitely a set back. Will she rally? We'll see.