President's Day Visit to my FIL at Gables Care Center

Our  children and my husband were all  off  on President's day so we all went  to Gables Care Center where my father-in-law is being taken care of.  The old folks have just got done  eating lunch when we got there so  we were  glad to  see  my FIL awake, however, he was already dozing off.  I think he was given   his medicine  after he ate so  he was falling asleep as we were talking to him.  He didn't talk very much, we let him take  a nap.

 We noticed that Dad lost some weight since our last visit.   I feel bad  for my father-in-law.  I know that he is well taken care of in that facility but it's hard that we  only get to see him once in a while. I don't know why but I feel  this overwhelming  feeling of depression whenever we are  at a seniors' facility.  Looking at  the old people  that seem miserable makes me depressed.  I can't help but think of  a future  scenario for me and my husband.  I hope that when it is time for us to go,  we can go peacefully so  we won't be a burden to anybody.  

Before we left, my daughter played some songs  at the piano for  some of the old people in the lobby.  One of the nurses there gave us a picture of Dad  and his valentine date on Valentine's day.  Another nurse approached me and asked if I am a Filipino.  She wanted to know because  she is half Filipino  and she said that she seldom see Filipino at that facility.  She  talked to us for a little while and she told us that she knows  my  FIL.  They all call him Pap.  

It was a short visit with Dad but glad to see him again.   We didn't get to talk to him a lot  but  just to see him is enough.  We  will have to go back there again  when we get a chance.  I just wish he is near  us so we can visit often.

UPDATE:
That was the last time we visited him at Gables.  He was rushed to the hospital on March 1st.  The doctor said that  he  had a flu then it became a sepsis.  He was treated at Trinity for it and he got better.  He was supposed to go back to Gables last week but  the doctor found out that his  internal organs were shutting down.  We all went at the hospital   last Friday because the doctor said that he won't last  very long.  He got transferred to the hospice that night and then he died  last Saturday.  I know that we have anticipated it is going to happen but it is  a tough situation.  Losing someone who touched so many lives is hard.  We will forever cherished all the great memories we had with him.  Rest in peace now Dad.

A Great Start to 2017

We kicked off our 2017 by attending the Sunday mass and  visiting  my father-in-law after wards.   It is important  for the  kids to spend  as much time with their Pap now  that he is still around. Dad might not  recognize us anymore but I want them to show their   love to their grandfather no matter what the circumstance is.  He was there for them  all those time since they were born and it  is fitting that they return the  love  especially now.  It's sad to see  that Alzheimer's really take a toll on Dad.  

 During our visit, I  discovered that in order to engage him fully in our conversation, we kept telling him about the times when he would rock the kids to sleep and he seems to enjoy that and  laugh about it.  So from now on, we will use this tactic to get him engage in a conversation.

 Dad will be 95 years old this year and we hope that he could be relocated  near our area so we could visit him frequently.  He   gets  very good care at Gables though so that's  a good thing although we are so far away from him.

 He was attending a church service when we arrive so after  we visited him, we decided to take him back to the church.

 Our son  volunteered to  push his w\heelchair which I thought was a sweet gesture.  I remember those  times when Dad would take the kids on a stroller and walk them around all the time.  I miss those times.

 It's really nice that the  facility   provide this kind of service to the senior folk.  The singing really entertains them.

 To end the first day of our new year, we started  building a 1000 pieces puzzle as part of our family bonding at the end of the day.

It was a great day to start our new year.  How about you, what did you guys do during the first day of the year 2017?  My Mom always told me when I was a kid that no matter what you do on the first day of the year, that's what you will  do for the rest of the year.  ABC Wednesday

Inspiring a Safe and Healthier Day-to-day Lifestyle for the Ones We LOVE!

Did you know that June is National Safety Month? During this month, a heavy focus is placed on preventing slips, trips, and falls. Falls are the second leading cause of accidental death. This really hits home for me because we faced a recent experience with my 93-year-old father in law.

My father in law is turning 93 years old in September.  He lives alone in his home and refuses to  live in an assisted living for seniors so we make sure to visit every chance we can.  He recently fell and passed out but luckily my niece in law and her family was there to help him.  His head was bruised  and his fingers were swollen after  a day and then  a couple of days after his fall, his let eye turned red.  We encouraged him to go to the hospital to get checked but her refused. He hats hospital.

Hubby and I worries about him a lot because at his age, his bones  are brittle so  even a simple fall could really hurt him badly just like what happened.  At his age, he  realy craves for some company and we feel so bad that we can't be there every single day.  We asked him to live with us so I can take care of him since I am a stay at home Mom but he doesn't want to do that either.

Advance happy Father's day Dad and to my husband.  They are both loving Dads!

Below is a related article submitted by Ms.  Judy Cohen, the Outreach Coordinator at the American Recall Center.  You may visit the links for  additional info on how to help your senior love ones.

The American Recall Center created a graphic that outlines how to prevent the ones we love from taking a fall that may cause traumatic injuries. The most common injury induced from falls is a hip fracture that often leads to a hip replacement surgery. These surgeries are becoming more and more popular, but there are still risks associated with the many recent hip replacement recalls. Sadly, 25% of those who fracture a hip die within 6 months, making it increasingly more important to educate on the prevention of falls.

I encourage you to take charge of your health and educate the loved ones in your life on the importance of taking preventative action against slips and falls. 

NOTE: This is NOT a sponsored post.