Life Alert

Sometimes my mom isn't very smart. 
I know, that's a hell of a thing to say, but she really isn't. 

We wanted her to move to assisted living for her own health/safety, but until my dad died, she had never been on her own. Never been able to make anything but the simplest decisions for herself.

My grandfather was authoritarian, my dad was a tyrant. So she tiptoed around and did whatever she was told to do her whole life, which is really no way to live. 

Now she goes and gets her nails done when she feels like it, goes to church and sees her friends, has hair appointments and visitors and goes to see other old friends. She's able to be a social butterfly, which is really her thing, all perky and cruise-director-y. 

It would drive me nuts being out and about all the time, but that's how she operates when she's allowed to. Which of course now that she's on her own, is great.

So she's been still living at home, although she's not alone all the time. My brother hired a caregiver who's really been wonderful. She goes up every day at least twice, cooks meals at her house and delivers them to Mom on the days that the senior center doesn't deliver, has driven Mom to medical appointments 90 miles away, takes her to community events and to the senior center for BINGO and to visit friends.
She's been included in family celebrations with the caregiver's family, too. 

Caregiver's name is Sheila, but Mom can't seem to consistently spell it. She'll type Shiela, Sheela, Shayla, Shiella... it's funny but I don't correct her, I know who she means.
When we talk amongst ourselves we call her Sloopy and Snoopy and Spiffy and Spinny and Spiky and Slutty. 

We know who we mean, sometimes ya gotta laugh.

Anyway, Mom really should not be living alone. We were concerned that she might fall and not be able to get help. This is what started my grandma's sudden decline. She fell and was on the floor for nine hours before someone found her there. It was a fluke that the person stopped by, he hadn't planned on stopping until the *next* day but happened to be driving by so he made a quick stop.

Grandma ended up with pneumonia after nine hours on the cold floor and she didn't make it.

So we nagged Mom until she got a Life Alert necklace. 

There are also a few buttons at almost-floor level in the areas of the house that she frequents. That's so if she falls and isn't wearing her necklace with the button to call for help, she can hopefully drag herself to the nearest button and push.

There have been a couple occasions where she has fallen and decided for herself that it's not serious enough to call for help, although we harp at her that, "That's what they're there for, Mom. Call for help if you fall."

She doesn't listen very well. She really is like a stubborn child and it's impossible to get her to act in her own self interest at times.

Well, today she had to push that button and call for help.

My phone rang as I was driving home from the office, it was the Life Alert operator letting me know that she'd been transported to the hospital. She has it set so they notify everyone in the immediate family.

I haven't talked to her, I've just gotten the story 2nd hand from conversations with my brothers. 

This afternoon, she stood up from her chair and tripped and fell. She hit her left eye socket on the edge of the table that's next to her chair and hit the floor. She broke her femur.

The hospital in their little town made sure she was stable. Apparently the machine they need to scan her head is not currently working, but they did do x rays.  

She was put into a helicopter and flown to the nearest large medical center, which happens to be Boise, Idaho. She'll be having surgery to repair her leg, not sure if they'll have to do anything with her face. She's going to be 86 in two weeks, so surgery isn't going to be healthy for her, but they can't just leave it, ya know?

So I really don't know much this evening. I'm sure I'll get more bits and pieces of information in the next day or so. 

I guess Skippy packed a bag for her and made sure she has her hearing aids, her glasses and her phone, so she should be able to text and talk. I'll probably catch up with her soon.

Meanwhile, I have to say it. 
She's not going to have to board the damn dog.
Dog should have been put down two years ago.

But.
We told her to get Life Alert and we were right.

Steve sent me a photo of her that Scrappy had taken. I won't share it, she really got beat to hell in the face. I feel sorry for her, but I'm glad she isn't lying on the floor and unable to get help.