IRMA DAY 17

Actually Irma Day 17 is actually Atlanta Day one.  

In Florida, Mom and I endured five full powerless days in Irma's aftermath.  We made it off prayers, and for mom peanut butter sandwiches.  For breakfast she would have a nutrigrain, lunch would be peanut butter on crackers and dinner was a peanut Butter sandwich.  I had a little tuna fish and that was it.  By Friday my mother ha enough as her behavior started to shift.  The heat was starting to get to her even though she was drinking water.  But then again, how much water can an 89 year old drink in one day?  Even though I was able to get a fish sandwich from McDonald's for Mom we were both thankful to God the power came back for us Friday evening.  I then had to stay around and do some food shopping and get that power of attorney form filled out and filed.  Now I can go home and earn a few dollars.  The first check I have showing my family leave hours is for a little more than $400.  My next one will be for about $500.

Currently I am in Atlanta.  The way it was supposed to go was on September 17th I was to go to Florida to check mom out  as well as celebrate my aunt's birthday.  But Irma happened and I had to get to Florida a week earlier.  I just connected the trips.  I will be taking the rain back Sunday.

No more hurricanes I hope

IRMA Day 5

Day 5, Monday September 11, 2017
Last night I rode out Hurricane Irma with my mother.  Unnerving but not as scary as I thought it would be.  It helped that the hurricane was to our west and was downgraded to a category 1 or 2.  Lots of wind and rain and we lost power just after 1:00 in the morning.  The experience has taught me that I do not want to live in Florida.  I never did, but since Mom moved here I figured I would consider living in the house down here.  I can’t see that happening.
It is after 9 in the morning and as I mentioned there is no power.  That means no television, which is not a huge problem.  Cell phones are slow and because there is no power I had to decrease the capacity of it.  Quite a few of the local radio stations are out.  That is the scary thing.  One hurricane could have wiped out all of the communication in the state.  So now in addition to wondering about how to pay for Mom’s care I have to figure out how to get her out of Florida and back to New York with Medicaid.  From what I have observed Mom definitely can use a nursing home.  She is doing ok at home but her mornings and nights are rough.  Eventually she won’t have any care at home.

IRMA Day 4

Day 4, Sunday September 10, 2017,
9:00 AM
Up early but really couldn’t sleep last night.  As of 9 AM the storm hit the Florida Keys and will eventually make a second landfall in southwest Florida.  Have to admit I am a little nervous, mostly for my mother.  Not too concerned for myself or I would have gone to a shelter.

NOON
Maureen got Mom up around 11 this morning.  We let her sleep later than usual.  She was actually awake at about 9.  When she originally woke up she was calm and cooperative. However, when Maureen got her up she was feisty and giving a hard time.  She kept saying “I am not with this program”.
We have had multiple alerts regarding tornado warnings.  Nerve wrecking.

4:15
Watching a ballgame with my mother.  I love sitting with her and watching a baseball game.  It reminds me of old times.  I am concerned about my aunt though.  She and my cousin are riding out the storm at the nursing home.
The eye of the storm is now at Naples.

9:00 PM
Horrible evening.  Mom is going through her dementia.  I am being told  it is “sun downing”.  Totally uncooperative.  She has to use the bathroom but won’t get up to let me take her.

IRMA Day 3

DAY 3 (Saturday September 9, 2017)
I spent  the night at my aunt’s house with my mother.  I will be here until at least Tuesday night.  My aunt gets back from the nursing home on Wednesday.
Because my mother is 89 and has recurring kidney stones and urinary tract infections she suffers from dementia at times.  Sometimes she is fine and other times she is feisty.  So far things have been smooth.  She is listening to music and an occasional baseball game.
We have food in place in case there is a power outage.   Batteries are fresh and the phone chargers are fully charged.
Right now it is just a waiting game.

IRMA Day 2

Day 2
 Friday, September 8, 2017
I spent the morning paying a late water bill.   Daytona Beach overcharges for water and they are quick to shut your utilities off.  Traffic was a little congested yesterday when my shuttle drove in but in the Daytona Beach area it wasn’t very bad.  A few stores closed but the CVS and even Popeye’s were still open.
I decided to ride out the storm with my mother at my aunt’s house.  While I was going to pay the water bill I got a call from Good Samaritan, the shelter Mom would have gone to.  Her insurance would not cover the emergency visit unless my mother spent three days in the hospital prior.  The price would have been about $1250 if Mom stayed five days and $780 if she stayed three days.  And they wanted the money up front which was almost impossible.  It should be noted again that at least in Volusia County there are shelters for the general public and even those with some special needs.  However if you are truly service needy like those with medical issues and those needing hospital beds, you are on your own.  The emergency website suggests that you contact a home care person.  I contacted a nursing home because we don’t belong to a home care agency.  Good Samaritan was the closest and the first I contacted.  Solaris, the rehab facility Mom used back in April never called back.  So on one hand I appreciate Good Samaritan actually taking the time to call me.  On the other, who has $800 sitting around to burn.  It is my problem with Florida and even with elder care in the United States.

IRMA day 1

DAY 1 (Thursday September 7, 2017)
I have never liked Florida.    Too many thunderstorms.  Too much humidity.   Too many insects.
I got off work last night at 9, almost three hours later than usual.  Because batteries are either scarce in Daytona or overpriced due to the upcoming storm I had to get some in New York before I left.  I got almost $90 worth of batteries.  Also got no sleep because my flight left LaGuardia Airport at 7 in the morning.  Ever since Jet Blue started flying to Daytona Beach I have been flying there, but because they made the flight earlier I left from LaGuardia and flew into Orlando.  To get to Kennedy from my apartment would cost me about $70.  Why not pay less to go to LGA then spend $50 to get to Daytona Beach?
Flight was great.  I had a seat to myself.  In fact I had two rows to myself.  People are trying to leave Florida and not fly into the storm.
I had made arrangements with a nursing home a day or two earlier for mom to stay during the hurricane.  At the time I figured that she and my aunt would have professional care during Hurricane Irma.  After I landed I found out the paperwork hadn’t arrived at the nursing home.  I had to spend close to an hour navigating with the doctor’s office and the nursing home since I didn’t want the last bed to go to someone else.  That caused me to miss the shuttle to Daytona Beach.  I eventually arrived home at 5:00.

PRE DAY 1

The days before hurricane Irene had a name I noticed and monitored it.  I don’t remember the exact date but it was a day or two off the West African coast.    It was still just a tropical disturbance.  I watched for a few days on weather.com and weather.gov (weather.gov is better btw) and I eventually brought it up with my cousin since both of our parents had to deal with it.  I knew from then that the storm would be a problem for Florida.  Over the Labor Day weekend I realized I would have to go to Florida.    Irma was forecast to hit Florida 9/10.  Originally I thought I would be able to go down the 8th or 9th but common sense and prices changed that .  I aimed for September 7.

My mother and my aunt stay together in Florida.  But as I may have mentioned in the past they are both disabled.  My mother has severe arthritis and scoliosis.  My aunt has almost no use of her arms or legs and is now battling pancreatic cancer.  They both have caregivers, however my aunt’s caregivers were vacating.  My cousin and I had to act.  The plan was to go to Florida and try and get out parents placed at a nursing facility.

Irma

Looks like Hurricane Irma may hit Florida.  Still watching closely.    As of right now it looks like it may brush Miami then go into the Gulf of Mexico.  As of fight now it doesn't look like it is going to directly hit Daytona Beach.  My cousin is going to Florida for her mother.  I am praying that I do not have to go out there earlier than scheduled.

Watching the tropics

Watching Hurricane Irma right now.  So far the authorities are saying it is too early to know if the impact to the United States and specifically Florida.  Right now though it looks like it will slam into Florida's east coast.

I have already contacted elder authorities to see what can be done for my mother and my aunt being that they are disabled and need hospital beds, etc.  Believe it or not there is nothing for them.  There are shelters in place but they are for people with minimal disabilities.  Nothing for the bedridden.

JOURNAL ENTRY #97 Where have I been part 5

I don't come across too many blogs dedicated to the elderly. I have looked but maybe I am not using the right search words.  I wonder about the validity of some of the blogs I have seen. There are so many components to care-giving.  One aspect is home care.  How do do you write about that honestly?  How do you share your home attendant stories, especially if you are like a lot of folks who can't afford the agencies?  Since my mother has been living with her sister for the past 11 years I have seen a lot of home attendants.  Some have dealt with my mother directly but most have worked for my aunt, solely.  It is difficult for me to communicate current experiences regarding them so I stay quiet.  Not because the experiences are bad.  For the most part they are good.  However, dealing with human beings things get weird.    And actually there are not a lot of differences between agency folks and non agency folks after the background checks.  One day I will share specifics.