Monday moaning

Nothing exciting to report here. Except, have I mentioned how much I love Miss Keurig? Yeah, I think she's a girl. Cute lil thang.

I was gonna' kill my dog last night.

Just kidding   . . . but he was such a serious pain in the rear.  I've had about 30 mins. of sleep.  It's going to be a long day.  And, the icing on the cake is walking out the door and hearing him snoring dead asleep ON MY BED !! 

Deb W.

Not much going on around here this morning.  It's cloudy and gloomy but warm.  We're supposed to get some rain early tomorrow morning.  I'll believe it when I feel the raindrops.

cakana

Amazing what a good night's sleep can do.

Might have made coming into work an hour earlier easier, but, really, I'm here, and that's no fun!

Three year old's birthday was a duplicate of her 2yr birthday, except fewer kids and presents, thank goodness.  Watching that poor little girl have to tear through presents and want to play with something except her mom made her open the next present was just too much!

Apparently, my grandmother is refusing to accept "a stranger" (ie, a home health aid or nurse) to help her bathe and appropriately take her medications.  The social worker called my mother on Friday to tell her that she has to report this to the State and the next step is forcing my grandmother into a nursing home.  Which is PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE of what she wants.  My mom and uncle are going over today w/the social worker to try to help my grandmother understand the choice is hers to accept the assistance, or go into a nursing home.  She's having trouble remembering all the new strangers coming and going - she doesn't remember the social worker from last week, who has visited twice now... so, it's messy.  And sad.  And frustrating.

Back to work.  

 It's warm and muggy today - feels more like Spring than Fall. 

DH is off on his crisis management thing

Bugsy is sleeping soundly after a LONG walk and some field fun

I have a ton of work to do and some cleaning that I neglected over the weekend because I did yard work

I truly can't believe we are 10 days from Thanksgiving 

 I'm pretty excited about our  Secret Santa assignment!

In other notes, I'm going out tonight to a meeting with a therapy dog organization. I'm trying to find one for Luke  that doesn't require the supervised separation, but I am also going to take him to CGC classes, and hopefully he will pass that. This group requires he take a basic obedience class, which annoys the hell out of me. Puppy class does not count ( we actually did two puppy classes). My dog passed the CGC except the supervised separation, but he needs a basic obedience class? He's been to Puppy Kindergarten, A few agility classes, fun and games class, recall class, and he's doing fly ball now (and I really need to start looking at where I might be living next year, getting him on a team, getting a work schedule that will allow me to run him). Anyway... really? I'll take him to basic obedience if I like the organization enough to spend the time and money on that. Hopefully I can find time to do it at one of the places we already train at, sign him up in basic obedience, demonstrate that he can do the things they are teaching, and teach him what I want to teach him.

miranadobe

Apparently, my grandmother is refusing to accept "a stranger" (ie, a home health aid or nurse) to help her bathe and appropriately take her medications.  The social worker called my mother on Friday to tell her that she has to report this to the State and the next step is forcing my grandmother into a nursing home.  Which is PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE of what she wants.  My mom and uncle are going over today w/the social worker to try to help my grandmother understand the choice is hers to accept the assistance, or go into a nursing home.  She's having trouble remembering all the new strangers coming and going - she doesn't remember the social worker from last week, who has visited twice now... so, it's messy.  And sad.  And frustrating.

Back to work.  

Hey Paige, just a thought, maybe it won't help at all, I have no clue what your family wants, and what you have tried. Maybe it would help your grandmother if she had pictures of the people that are coming, and a schedule showing her when they are coming. Since she seems to not remember the social worker, maybe she doesn't remember the people that are coming in, and has no clue if she is supposed to let them come in the house? Maybe if she can check, see that this is someone she knows, and who is supposed to be there are that time, she might be more willing to have them there. I'm part of the ever revolving door that can occur in the home of someone who needs assistance, albeit it with young kids. Really though, it can be like a revolving door, and it can be really hard to keep track of who is supposed to be coming and going and when. One kid I work with, his grandmother was watching him one weekend, and his mother had forgotten to write one person on the list of who was coming and when. She had met this person before, but she didn't know that she was coming at that time, so wouldn't let the person in until the woman called the child's mother, and the mother called the grandmother and told her to let her in. I've known his grandmother now for 6 years, and she still wouldn't let me in if she didn't know that I was supposed to  be there at that time.

griffinej5

Hey Paige, just a thought, maybe it won't help at all, I have no clue what your family wants, and what you have tried. Maybe it would help your grandmother if she had pictures of the people that are coming, and a schedule showing her when they are coming. Since she seems to not remember the social worker, maybe she doesn't remember the people that are coming in, and has no clue if she is supposed to let them come in the house?

I think that's an excellent idea. It might not completely take care of the problem but it'll definitely help. I'm sure having a stranger bathe you has got to be very difficult. I know it would be for me. Hopefully she'll understand the not so great alternative though. I'm so sorry you're all facing this. I went thru it with my dad and it was so frustrating and heartbreaking.

I went out to the Golden Retriever rescue yesterday for a dog-walker meeting. It was fun and interesting to share ideas on how to make the program work better. I admitted that I hadn't been out there for almost a year but hoped to offer some insight into what had kept me away. It turned out that most of the other people there felt the same way as I did. The orientation had been informative in a big picture way but not specific enough in terms of what you'd actually need to know if you show up. Since you might be the only person there at any time, it felt a little daunting. You'd think that just walking dogs would be a no-brainer but some are ill, some are aggressive, etc. and I just never felt like I had enough information to feel comfortable or helpful. I think the meeting will go a long way in making things better and I feel better about going back out there. It didn't hurt that they had a ton of food, including some homemade chili that was amazing

Our weather is supposed to turn very cold and rainy towards the end of the week but today is beautiful and sunny.

Sunny here - just work up to my ears.

Paige -- I know that's so difficult.  It's the logical step in these days when we're all less trusting (by necessity) than we used to be.  Much luck!

I really should do some actual work at the office today.  Maybe after lunch. lol

 Jen, I think that's a great idea.  I've got to figure out how to present that to the social worker without her taking that as another sign that my grandmother isn't capable of taking care of herself, and therefore should be hospitalized/in nursing care.  Hmm..  My mom is on her way over to my grandmother's now, to meet w/my uncle and her, before the social worker comes over at 2pm...  Good thing I'm on lunch now!

Thanks for the "out of the box" suggestion, Jen!! :)

Edit - I just talked to my mom and she seemed really enthusiastic about the idea and said to extend her appreciation for the suggestion!  Thanks again, Jen!!  Fingers crossed that will help my grandmother feel a little less overwhelmed by all the people coming and going.  She used to complain she didn't get company, now it's every single day someone is in her space! lol

Not much here either today Daveys report from the vet was a relief. I did not sleep much last night and keep going back and forth with myself on if I should take a nap or tuff it out and go to bed early.

Pagie- I am so sorry you and your family have to go through this. My grandma had alztimer and I remember she thought the neighbor was stealing her retirement checks out of the locked mail box.