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Chickadee of Sleet
Feb. 5th, 2025 09:03 pmMadame is not very good for my morale, but apparently I'm helpful for hers. This morning at 7:30 I learned via text from her daughter that she fell last night. I had been wondering if that would happen. Yesterday, she went to the dentist and had two broken teeth pulled. This kind of thing increases fall risk astronomically. One of her other helpers stayed with her until 8, but after that, Madame got up to go to the bathroom and fell over. She got an awful bruise the length of her forearm, and a big skin tear there, because her skin is very fragile now. Fortunately, she had her button on, and remembered to push it so someone came in and helped her. Mademoiselle said hopefully that it would be fine if I took her out, but I felt dubious about this proposition.
Just in case, I took some coffee and cake (I knew it would come in handy) with me, to offer if going out was not an option. When I arrive, Madame was still in her chair, looking very tired, with her blanket pulled over her. She was dressed and had her hearing aid on. But after we had talked for a few minutes, she started fiddling with it, saying it hurt her head. And then it stopped working. I replaced the battery for her and got it back in place. She told me the whole story of her fall, and it was pretty sad. She said she wouldn't dare go and walk anywhere, for fear of falling again and hitting her head this time. It's impossible to watch people every minute, I know--and they always find a moment when you're not looking. She ate some cake, and cheered up after we'd talked for awhile.
She asked for them to bring her lunch to the room, and I sat with her while she ate some of it. I have to say, it looked quite unappetizing. I think one of the worst things about living in one of those places is having to eat what they choose to feed you. She ate a little bit of spaghetti sauce with noodles, but her teeth hurt so she couldn't chew very much. I suggested she might like to visit the bathroom while I was there to watch out for her. She had a lot of trouble getting up from her chair to the walker, and so forth, but she was very grateful to have the assistance. When I was about to go, she said she'd like to walk to the door with me, just to see if she could do it, while she still had my help. She did much better with walking, but her strength is really diminished. I wanted to walk her back to her room, but we compromised on helping her sit in a chair in the big room where the TV is. There she was visible from the front office, so I hope there was someone to help her when she wanted to go back. Another friend was supposed to visit her tonight.
I got home and had a cup of tea and pretty much just stared at the blank page for awhile. I cooked some sausages and a big pot of enhanced beans for dinner. The Sparrowhawk drove safely to and from the gym--no freezing rain yet. The weather people are vacillating about when or if it will come. They are going back and forth, and so is the storm front.
Just in case, I took some coffee and cake (I knew it would come in handy) with me, to offer if going out was not an option. When I arrive, Madame was still in her chair, looking very tired, with her blanket pulled over her. She was dressed and had her hearing aid on. But after we had talked for a few minutes, she started fiddling with it, saying it hurt her head. And then it stopped working. I replaced the battery for her and got it back in place. She told me the whole story of her fall, and it was pretty sad. She said she wouldn't dare go and walk anywhere, for fear of falling again and hitting her head this time. It's impossible to watch people every minute, I know--and they always find a moment when you're not looking. She ate some cake, and cheered up after we'd talked for awhile.
She asked for them to bring her lunch to the room, and I sat with her while she ate some of it. I have to say, it looked quite unappetizing. I think one of the worst things about living in one of those places is having to eat what they choose to feed you. She ate a little bit of spaghetti sauce with noodles, but her teeth hurt so she couldn't chew very much. I suggested she might like to visit the bathroom while I was there to watch out for her. She had a lot of trouble getting up from her chair to the walker, and so forth, but she was very grateful to have the assistance. When I was about to go, she said she'd like to walk to the door with me, just to see if she could do it, while she still had my help. She did much better with walking, but her strength is really diminished. I wanted to walk her back to her room, but we compromised on helping her sit in a chair in the big room where the TV is. There she was visible from the front office, so I hope there was someone to help her when she wanted to go back. Another friend was supposed to visit her tonight.
I got home and had a cup of tea and pretty much just stared at the blank page for awhile. I cooked some sausages and a big pot of enhanced beans for dinner. The Sparrowhawk drove safely to and from the gym--no freezing rain yet. The weather people are vacillating about when or if it will come. They are going back and forth, and so is the storm front.
