Mom for now

I was talking to Mom yesterday and she told me she thought about getting a cat. I said, "You don't need a cat. You would forget to change the litter box." She denied that. I said, "Jake is housetrained. But when you kept him, he kept pooping inside because you forgot to let him out." She mentioned that Robin said she needs Aricept. I said, "You do." She asked if that was for Alzheimer's. I said, "You need some memory pills. You need to go see your dr. to get them." So then she got side tracked on how she got her flu shot yesterday at the dr's office but didn't see the dr.

I only have one vacation day left the rest of this year, which I'm going to use on Christmas Eve. So I have no time left to do anything for Mom till next year. But for right now, I think this needs to be done:
1. Someone needs to get their name on Mom's accounts along with hers; someone local. Right now Reynolds and Fran have power of attorney
2. Mom needs to go see her dr., with one of us along to listen, and be evaluated for dementia.

I need to read Mom's long term care policy thoroughly. I keep saying I'll do that.

Mom doesn't leave the house much anymore, so I think right now she's harmless to herself and others. But I do think that eventually there will be an incident that forces us to take action.

I don't think we should do anything more at this very moment. Many of my friends have reminded me that she just lost her partner of 55 years and should be given time to grieve. I don't know if grieving is the correct term for her right now, but they are all suggesting we "lay off" for a respectable amount of time. I think it always helps to get someone's opinion who is outside the fish bowl.

Last but not least, I still have Anna's 3 books on caregiving. If anyone wants to read them, just let me know.