Last Thursday marked the end of the fourth week in rehab at Miller Dwan, one month of Medicare’s allowed time. My schedule was the same, going up to be with the husband four of the days and at home for the other three. Here’s what happened (in my experience, which is probably much different from the husband’s).
– Shell Lake Health Care Center declined to take Dennis. They felt they didn’t have the needed equipment and the ability to give speech therapy often enough. Back to searching for another facility.
– Gave him a much needed haircut, but there was the part of his head that was hard to move off the headrest of the wheelchair. Tricky and not the best job I’ve ever done.
– He would try to wake up for his therapies but I had a feeling something was “off”. He was looking more like a nursing home patient than a rehab patient. A lot of vacant staring at nothing. Worrisome.
– He kept his ability to sit by himself and correct his leaning. OT and PT did a lot of reaching and grasping exercises. Worked on the steps to roll over in bed.
– My saddest day at the end of this week, I arrived and he told me he was trying to catch up on his sleep and not to talk to him. Granted, he’d had a hard night and he did feel bad about telling me that later.
– Maybe getting over some of his bias against talking to the psychologist assigned to him. Understanding her role better. She’s in a wheelchair too.
Hope in the Face of Dementia 