The year 2020 has thrown us all for a loop in many different ways. I know personally that it has been difficult for the elderly community. COVID-19 closed doors on so many outlets for senior citizens. Most of them don’t even understand what is going on in the world or the reasons why they can’t do the things they used to do.
When our local senior activity center closed down in March, it was especially hard on my great-grandfather. He looked forward to going to the center each day, even if it was to just get out of his home for a couple of hours. He would tell us he was going to “school” or “work” most of the time. The center would provide lunch, they would play games, and visit with one another. There were days that he wouldn’t want to go or he would complain about the food, but what man that age doesn’t complain about something? Some days he would tell them not to pick him up the next day, then he would forget, and be mad as fire that they forgot him. Secretly, he loved going. It was definitely good for him and kept him on track with what day of the week it was. He lives beside me and has a golf cart that he drives around our property. My parents live behind us too, so he visits all of us multiple times a day. When he gets bored at home, he gets on the golf cart and rides around.
My grandfather passed away in early May, which was my great-grandfather’s step-son. My grandfather was his best friend and we knew it would be hard on him. We started noticing shortly after that he was forgetting things more often and not taking his medication correctly. Dementia is hereditary in his family, so we knew he was headed down that road. My mom and her sisters were able to get him approved for home healthcare. I took over administering his medications, until the night he showed up numerous times. He came just before midnight, again at 2:30am, and again at 5:30am each time asking for his medicine. My mom decided to take over then, because she was afraid he would scare the kids knocking on the door at those crazy hours. We have to remind him often to shower, even though he says he already has. Thankfully, he hasn’t gotten to the point where he forgets to eat. He loves to eat! If he walks in the house and thinks you are cooking, he’s going to stay to eat or ask for food. I have had the pleasure of going to his house so the home health nurses can come, because most of the time he won’t let them in. I’m telling you, he is a mess. He doesn’t understand why they come and complains the entire time they are there. I am constantly telling him, “Be nice,” ” Sshh,” “Don’t say that.” I never know what it going to come out of his mouth.
He most definitely gives us a daily challenge with everything he does. Whether it is asking for his medicine two to three times a day, or complaining about his golf cart not working. His hearing is terrible and he cannot hear when the golf cart is in reverse, so he runs the battery down quite frequently. We love him and complain about the things he does and says, but our lives would be pretty uneventful without the laughs he provides. We have learned so much over the past several months, grace and patience being the two biggest things. Sometimes we want to scream and just want a break, but then we think about how hard it is for him. Due to his dementia progressing, he struggles to remember the small things that we take for granted. We laugh and smile as much as possible, but we know too soon that tears will come. Until then, he will continue to boss us around and tell us “NO” and to “Go Home.”
Aprons & Mascara 