Herman Wouk. Ken Follett. David Baldacci. Barack Obama. What do these authors have in common? They have all kept my elderly mother Ginny company at one time or another. Books have been Ginny’s go-to hobby for as long as I can remember. She really is a bookworm. She’ll check out three or four books at … More Mom, Puzzles and a Little Peace of Mind
I’ve been thinking about Ginny’s future over the last week. Sometimes, she enters my thoughts as I’m fading towards sleep and sometimes she is my first thought of the day. Sometimes, I lay awake. So far, she has not exhibited additional dementia-type symptoms, so that’s significant, but a return of vertigo always looms. Plus, given … More Shades of Change III
It is lunch and tour day at The Groves. While I take mom to get her hair done, Betsy and Dennis drive to two other facilities for pricing and to get a glimpse of their interiors. Apparently, they are beautiful, however, their monthly cost is significantly higher than $2400.00/month. Additionally, neither offer “Medicaid beds.” A … More Shades of Change II
My husband Dennis and I are just completing a 3-day visit with my 88-year-old mother Ginny when she receives a notice from the cable company. They are converting their signal to digital for all Florida customers and her zip code is next. Apparently, she will need different converter boxes to pick up that new signal. … More The Cable Debacle
When my mother Ginny moved to Florida in 2000, she was 70 years-old and had the money from the sale of her condo, an inheritance from her stepmother, and her monthly Social Security check. These funds were placed into a brokerage account and she received a check every month for her expenses. Over 17 years, … More When The Money Runs Out
I just watched the episode of the television show Roseanne (while it was still on ABC) titled “No Country for Old Women.” It’s about Roseanne and her sister Jackie arguing over who is going to take their 90-year-old mother, Beverly into their home. Beverly was apparently kicked out of her nursing home for being too … More No Country for Old Women
Awful. That’s how we feel. We’ve had an issue lurking in the background for a while now and it seems like we can’t prolong it any longer. At age 87, we are going to have to convince my mother Ginny to give up her car. Ginny loves that car. When she moved from Cleveland, she … More Car Trouble
Her debilitating vertigo has returned. Although she has visited the Balance Institute twice to relieve the dizziness, it isn’t working as well this time. I arrive in town to take her to her next appointment. Stupidly, I take her out to lunch first. As they are trying to go through the maneuvers to shift the … More Prologue
