October 1, 2021 is a day our family will never forget. The day we moved our parents to assisted living at Dogwood. If you’ve been with me for all this time, you know I’ve written several posts about the journey my family took to get our parents moved out of their house of 50 years to a new home in assisted living and memory care for my dad. We didn’t know exactly how that would look at the time, but hindsight, as they say, is 20/20 and we wouldn’t have done it any other way now that we can look back over the last year and see how good its been for them. Mom especially! It’s been so good for her to be in a new home, surrounded by new friends and activities. She has blossomed so much and we are so glad about that.
Mom sees dad almost every day. She has healed up well from her broken shoulder she got in June of this year. Thank goodness for that! I was worried when she broke it that it would take months to heal, but after about 2 months she was doing very well and getting her range of motion back. I almost forget now that she ever broke her shoulder. She’s doing great. Dad comes to her room to visit and many times they go out in his courtyard or hers and sit outside. We’ve had such beautiful weather lately and my dad loves the outdoors so they spend as much time as they can outside in the fresh air. It’s good for both of them.
Mom is back in her regular clothes and enjoying the new outfits we had gotten for her just before she broke her shoulder. She loves her new clothes.
Sitting out on the patio enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. They both love being outdoors and it does them good.
Dad has always been an outdoor guy. Dad is still doing very well in memory care. They take good care of him and make sure his needs are met. We never hear him complain, but mom says they have a hard time getting him to take a shower. But so far it’s working pretty well and he does it for them. That seems to be one of the main things that dementia patients fuss about. I’ve heard that a lot. I’m so glad that mom doesn’t have to deal with dad in those sorts of things. That’s the blessing of him being in memory care and her in assisted living. She can take care of herself and not have to worry about him. Blessing!
Every time I go and visit, I try to take pics of them. We know they will not be with us forever and I really try to savor the moments we have with them, from lunches we bring in to visiting on the porch. Daddy is pretty much living in the moment now. He no longer asks about his car or truck or house, he’s forgotten most of that. He doesn’t even talk about pastoring the church anymore, it’s fading so much from his mind. But, we will take that any day rather than combative behaviour. We are so thankful he’s content and seems happy day to day when we see him.
He’s happy to sit outside and we chat as much as we can. He talks about the weather, or the birds, or what he sees going on around us, but really can’t carry on any sort of real conversation anymore. He asks me all the time how I like living in Acworth and then comments on how nice the area is. Looping conversations seem to be the norm with dementia patients and that’s OK. We take what we can get.
They have friends from my dad’s church who come to visit sometimes and it’s nice to see them and be able to catch up. This is Carol (the husband) and dad visiting on the porch. They sit and talk and talk and it’s nice to hear that.
Mom, her friend Dot (married to Carol) and her long time pastor’s wife friend, Ann, who lives next door in Holbrook. It’s really ironic that Ann ended up there after her husband passed away last year and she didn’t even know mom was at Dogwood when she decided on moving into Holbrook. It’s nice for mom to be able to see her long time friends. She’s known these ladies for at least 40 to 45 years.
I think you’ll agree that mom and dad are looking good and the move has been good for them. We often remark how we are so thankful that we moved them when we did. It was hard to do the move (especially for my dad), but now that he’s all settled and content, it was absolutely the best decision.
Mom has really thrived at Dogwood and has many friends now. She stays busy during her day with Sittercize, Bible study, and playing Rumikub and Bingo very often. By the end of the day, she’s tired and ready to retreat to her room for rest. I’m so glad she has a nice place to call home and relax without the worry of meals and cleaning. This is what she deserves at this time in life.
I thought you all would like to see these current pics and see how they are doing. As you can see, they are looking well for 94 and 95.
Mom and her snazzy new outfits.
Last weekend, Lauren and Parker came home. It was a last minute decision and we enjoyed having them at our house. Renee and Bruce came home too for the week and they rented a big truck to take the rest of their stuff in storage back to LA and their new house. I had a lot of stuff stored in our basement for them too, mostly outdoor furniture and chairs bought on Facebook marketplace for us to redo and recover.
Parker is 8 years old now and getting SO tall. I think she grows 6″ everytime I see her. She’s going to be a tall gal.
We played bingo with mom while they were here and Lauren won 2 games, which didn’t go over well with everyone. Those folks like for the local residents to win. It’s pretty cute the comments we hear around assisted living.
The North Georgia fair happened to be starting last weekend, so when Lauren found out she wanted us to take Parker so I went with them. We had fun, although I was worn out by the time we left at 10. We got there when they opened at 4 and rode a lot of rides, ate fair food and had fun. Parker enjoyed it so much.
Riding the big swings.
Lauren and I met mom and dad for their church service on Sunday morning, it was sweet. Parker looks real happy, doesn’t she? Ha! They always ask dad to pray and he does that wonderfully and beautifully.
Sitting outside after church.
Mom and Parker were color coordinated.
Renee picked up home cooking food from John Boy’s and we all had a delicious feast on the porch. It was a fun day.
We closed the week out with some of mom and dad’s friends from our old church coming by for a visit. It was great to see Jim and Penny, as well as Lynn and Bobbie, long time friends our ours. Lynn (back row left) is a talented gospel singer and this is his third time coming to sing for Dogwood. He’s a big hit and everyone loves to gather around and listen (and sing along). It’s a blessing to have mom and dad in such a God centered facility and I’m so glad they allow Christian folks to come in and minister. What a blessing!
That’s a recap on the last year with mom and dad in assisted living and memory care. If you haven’t followed our entire journey, I’ve shared it all here on the blog in several posts. You can find them all on this page, start at the beginning (The Move) and read forward. It involved planning the move, the move and all the info on selling their house as well. It’s been quite the process, but we are so grateful and thankful for the Lord’s grace on our family. I’ll continue to share them as long as they are with us. Thanks for loving my parents and being concerned about their lives. God is so good!
Thank you so much for sharing your precious parents and family with us. What a blessing! I am so glad they are doing well. Prayers that you have them many years yet to come!
It’s so nice to see your parents doing so well. I remember when I started following you I had just lost my dad to dementia and I loved seeing your dad in the garden. It was like watching my dad. He loved to garden too and had a big one that he took care of. My mom is 97 and in a nursing home now. She has dementia and doesn’t really remember much of anything anymore. We have a photo album that we go through each time we are there but I can tell she really doesn’t know anyone anymore. She mistakes me for my daughter and calls me by her name. I think she sees me with long hair now, which I haven’t had for many years, and my daughters all had long hair like I did before kids. Take care and don’t stop posting about your parents, they are wonderful.
It’s so wonderful to see your folks doing well. It’s beautiful how you and your sister and family have loved on them and cared for them, even when they didn’t understand. My sister and I are facing that with our mother. Trusting God to guide us. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your journey with your parents. My husband and I have been on quite the journey with both sets of our parents over the last few years, and the journey is always changing. We moved my parents from their Florida retirement home up to an senior independent living apartment in Maryland (where we live) in Dec 2019, just before Covid hit. A year later my mom was injured taking care of my dad (I was there at the time and it was scary), and she was hospitalized. We then made the decision to move my dad to assisted living on another floor of the same building so my mom can still visit. It was a hard transition for both of them, but so far it has worked out great. My dad now has hospice care, and we take it day by day. My in-laws were in their home of 56 years in PA when we had to move them to assisted living in Dec 2020 (exactly a year after moving my folks). We moved them to Charleston, SC, where my brother-in-law could oversee their care (since we have my folks in MD). That is 2 long-distance moves for the 4 parents in a year — so hard!!!!! My MIL has Parkinson’s and FIL has progressive dementia (like your dad) and has now lost his ability to communicate. We are now moving my FIL to Memory Care next week (he has begun wandering in the middle of the night) and my MIL will be moving into a smaller apartment within their current community. It has been a rough road these last few years for all of us, but we take it day by day, and we know that we’ve made the right decisions for both sets of our parents. I pray that when it is our time to make the move, we make it easy on our children. Looking forward to further updates on your folks. Keep them coming.
Your parents are looking great! Especially your mom…..she is so nicely dressed and polished. She just shines! Know it was a hard road at first and glad things are going well and they are happy. Best part is they are still close to you so you can visit. You are fortunate to still have your folks….I really miss mine.
Very nice thanks for sharing. Knowing your parents are safe is very important.
Thanks for the visit, I always feel like I am having a visit with old friends when you post about your Mom and Dad. I am thankful they are both happy where they are.
Wonderful! Thanks for the update!
Thanks for sharing this with us. I was wondering how they were doing. I know you are well aware how blessed you are to still have them. We lost our parents many years ago and I can’t begin to tell you how much I miss them. Cherish and enjoy every second you can with them.
So happy that your sister moved to be near her daughter & her grand daughters. We did the same thing. We are 20 minutes away from both of our children and our beautiful healthy grandsons.
YES…..God is good. And….we are all so very blessed!
They are precious! I love them. Thank you for the update.
Rondi
What a blessing to have your parents in places where they are cared for and can thrive. My husband was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2013. He turned 67 just a couple of days after we settled him in assisted living. Eighteen months ago we moved him to a smaller place where he has more constant care. Dementia is such a strange disease. I never know what our conversations will be like. Like your dad, he has forgotten many things. Surprisingly, he still recognizes family members and until recently has remembered birthdays. A few days ago he asked when our son’s birthday was. He remembered it was soon but had the month and day wrong. His caregiver confirmed that he is having more memory issues. He has never been very social and now he only leaves his room to walk to the dining room for meals. It’s sad but I’m thankful he is in a safe place so I don’t have to worry about his physical safety.
I’m so glad to see them doing well! I feel like I’ve gotten to know them through your posts and they are so precious. Praying they continue to thrive!
Happy your parents are well and happy. Is it just me but your mother’s
face seems brighter. I love it! Enjoy your time with your dad and mom.
Love your mom’s new clothes which are bright and cheerful. Your dad looks so handsome in the blue shirt (I think it was one you gave him). They both look healthy and well fed (just kidding as I know your dad loves to eat.) I will be 80 in November, and I think about what the future holds for me. As of now I am doing great, Praise the Lord. Thanks for sharing their story. I often think about their home and the people who bought it. I hope they are having wonderful days there. Maybe their tomatoes are as good as your dad’s were.
So, thankful your parents are doing well, and you live close by to visit often. GOD is so good!
Rhoda, your mom and dad look so good. You really did a fine job moving them into their assisted living place. They seem to be thriving. Thanks so much for the update. I always love to hear the latest on your folks and the rest of your family. Take good care…..all of you!
Rhoda,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful family with us. I was wondering how your folks were doing, and here it is. They both look so good. I am glad that there are such warm and caring facilities available. Your Mom looks so pretty in all of her new outfits. Thank you again.
Thank you for sharing your family posts. They are my favorite! Probably most of your followers feel like they are extended family, I know I do. What a blessing for your parents to get such good Christian care. Your parents look wonderful! And your mom’s cute clothes are adorable!
xoxo
Thanks for the segment about your parents. It’s always great to see them. I had to laugh when you wrote about Lauren winning Bingo! That happened to me a few years ago when I visited my old neighbor and friend. I won one day, and all he!! broke loose. They tried to institute a new rule that only residents could win! It was hilarious. I did not take the prize!
That is hilarious, Toni, thanks for sharing your story. It must be universal, those ladies in assisted living. They can be opinionated that’s for sure.
What wonderful news on your parents’ first year away from their home! I’m so thankful your mom told you it was “time”, relieving you from the very tough decision of moving them when they weren’t ready. Your dad has adjusted well after the initial shock wore off. What a blessing to have such a nice facility so conveniently located. Your faith, your parents’ faith, has sustained you all! Yes, praise The Lord, for He has provided! Moving my mom against her will was the most difficult thingI’ve had to do in my later adult years! But, like you, we were very blessed with an exceptional facility, Christ centered, that truly ministered to Mom for 6+ years, and us, as her family. You’re a very dutiful and loving daughter!
What a blessing to have your parents and know that they are doing as best as can be.
I am coming upon the 5th anniversary of my father’s passing (10/8). Last year we lost my mother. There is not a day goes by that I do not think of them and wish that I could go and visit them. I remember I used to not want to drive the 30 minutes to their place. I feel ashamed of that now. It is my six siblings and I that now are the family with our families, but our parents will ALWAYS be missed.
Wishing more years for you and your family to enjoy the company of your parents.