Well, my idea that Mom could continue on at Embury Hts -- with added support -- is just not going to work. Meals on Wheels now arrive each day, but Mom does not quite know what to do with them. If I am there, I can convince her to sit down and eat the whole meal. If I am not there, Mom has the soup, and then puts the rest in the fridge 'for later'. Then she forgets about it completely and the whole vicious circle of not eating begins again. In addition to forgetting, there is another reason Mom won't eat: she no longer has a sense of smell. When we went for a walk the other day, Mom could not smell the fragrant flowers. Who'd want to eat if the food had no smell (and thus no taste, I suspect)?
Mom does eat well in a social environment, however. Consequently, we have gone out to eat many times since I arrived in Regina. This is quite time-consuming, but Mom is gaining weight as a result. At the doctor's office the other day, her weight was 123 lbs. If I were around here longer, I would work at helping Mom build up her strength -- maybe by getting her to walk more. We took in one exercise class at the Seniors' Centre, but did not continue, as Mom didn't like it. The next day, she "hurt all over."
I have been checking out Regina's retirement communities and found many to have an unfriendly aura about them. In two of them (high-priced places!), the administration offices shut out the seniors by closing their doors or by pulling the drapes tight across the window areas. I witnessed these actions while I was there!
Then, on the recommendation of two people, I checked out the Renaissance, where there is a 'front desk' that is attended 24 hours a day and seniors chatting up the attendant all day long! After everyone agreed (the boys and Shelley), I arranged for a tour for Mom. Uncle Emile joined us there for lunch, and Cheryl joined in for the tour. Poor Mom was like a deer in the headlights at first; she was really scared! But the more she saw of the place, the more she liked it! She thought that #319 -- a little studio suite of 324 sq ft -- looked 'spacious' (that's because it was empty!) and that really appealed to her. Mom and I went for coffee afterwards, to 'consider' the whole idea, and Mom was soon saying (without any prompting!): "If I give them a deposit, that little suite could be mine, right?" That was the turning point!
In the evening, we went back to the Renaissance for 'Movie Night'. We watched an episode of the Ed Sullivan show from the 50s.
Afterwards, we chatted with Irene and George Laird, whom I'd met on a previous visit; they are new to the Renaissance community. Before leaving, I introduced Mom to Elaine Pettigrew; I knew her in Estevan in the 80s. Elaine is a wonderful lady, who is now 86. She sure has aged gracefully! The interaction with potential new friends made Mom happy. At the end of the day, she was exhausted, but receptive to the idea of moving.
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