April 29 Visit - Minor problems resolved

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Today was a routine visit, but I found a few minor issues to address. Lillian was expecting me when I arrived and she gave me an update on Michelle. Michelle's hip surgery was successful and she will be discharged from the hospital Thursday or Friday this week. Michelle will do rehab here at Jefferson Creek, which is nice because Lillian will be able to visit her easily.

We looked through the mail and I found a bill for the cardiology appointment last month. I think Retta gets the notices from these online, but nevertheless, I put the bill aside. Retta, please let me know if you would like me to mail it to you. I can send it to you at our next meeting.

We hadn't spent any time on her calendar/date book lately so we took a look through it. I noticed that there was no book club meeting on the calendar in May or June. She said that she's missed the last meeting because it wasn't on her calendar. We added it for May, June, and July.

Next, I noticed there were more dishes in the sink than usual. Lillian said the dishwasher wasn't working, and she keeps forgetting to call in a work request. I took a closer look at the dishwasher - the child lock-out was set. I unlocked it and did a trial start of the dishwasher. Sure enough, it worked!  Funny how such a simple thing can become an obstacle! We loaded the dishwasher and got it started. I wrote down dishwasher detergent on her grocery list.

We did a quick review of her pill box and all looked good. Our visit time sped by this week!

Our next visit will be next Wednesday May 6 at the usual time.

April 22: Visiting at the Hospital

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Yesterday, Lillian called me and explained that her friend from Jefferson Creek, Michelle, had had a fall and was at the hospital. She asked if we could use our visit to to go visit Michelle. Since we had nothing else planned for today, I agreed.

Picked up Lillian at about 1:00pm at her apartment. Before we left, I did a quick look through the mail and checked her hearing aids. Then I drove over to the hospital. On the way in, we stopped at the gift shop and Lillian purchased a card and a small flower arrangement for Michelle. We asked at the hospital information desk where Michelle was staying and they let us know the room number and gave us directions.

When we arrived, Michelle was in bed watching television. I did not participate much in the visit, since I had only met Michelle briefly once before.  Nevertheless, it's good I was there with Lillian (and she didn't try to drive by herself) because the hospital is so busy and confusing to navigate, and the parking is really a challenge.

We stayed for about 20 minutes. Michelle had some pain and she seemed to tire quickly. We found our way back to the car, and headed for home. Lillian was upset at seeing Michelle in the hospital, and I assured her that the visit was a kind and thoughtful thing to do, even if it was short.

I walked Lillian back to her apartment because she still seemed a little distracted and upset. I asked if she wanted to talk about it more, but she said she didn't.

This visit was a little longer than usual, and Lillian paid cash for the (nominal) parking fee at the hospital. Our next scheduled visit is next Wednesday, April 29.

April 15: Tax Day visit

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Even though it's tax day, we didn't do anything tax related!  Today was a typical visit, no urgent needs or things to be addressed right away.

When I arrived we sat down to go through the mail. The pile was relatively small and there wasn't anything unexpected in the mail.  Next, I took a look at Lillian's pill box and checked the compartments. Everything looked fine - that she had taken the expected pills up until today and the compartments for the rest of this week had the expected pills in them.

It was such a nice day today that we decided to take a walk outside. Spring is certainly underway! We walked all the way around the pond on the property, and stopped to watch the ducks and ducklings. Lillian told me a story about reading the children's book "Make Way for Ducklings" to Kathy's kindergarten class many years ago as a part of a parent reading program in the school. She said ducklings always make her think of that book!

We walked for about 30 minutes and she kept a good pace. By the time we returned to the apartment, we were both quite warm. She sat down at the kitchen table and I got her a glass of water before I left.

I will visit again next week on Wednesday, April 22.

April 8: Visit at home after spring break

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It was so nice to see Lillian after spring break!  She looked well and happy, and she was excited to tell me about her vacation with Retta's family last week. When I asked about her birthday last Saturday, she said that they had a special dinner and a homemade cake - chocolate cake with white frosting, her favorite!  She said that Chelsea and Megan had baked it for her.

First, I checked her hearing aids, and we cleaned them up and put in new batteries.

There was a pile of mail on the desk; much of it had accumulated from last week. We looked through everything and threw most of it away. There was a renewal notice for Ladies Home Journal, and I asked if she wanted to continue it. She said she didn't read it any more, so we threw the notice away. She also received a co-payment bill for the ER visit charges from back in February. Boy, that seems like a long time ago! We tucked it in another envelope to mail to Retta to pay.

Since there was nothing else that needed to be addressed immediately at the apartment, we took the ER bill down to the front desk and put it in the mailbox. While we were there, we stopped in the little library. Lillian spotted a new Kellerman mystery novel and signed it out. Then we met Alma in the hallway and visited with her for a little while. My hour visit was just about up, so I left Lillian visiting with Alma in the library. Before I left I made sure she had her apartment key with her.

I will see her next week on tax day, April 15.

March 25: Scheduled visit - Packing

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I visited Lillian yesterday at our scheduled time. She looked good and was excited to tell me about her upcoming trip with Retta's family. Next week is spring break and the family is going to the North Carolina Outer Banks beach for a week's vacation. On the drive from Alexandria, Retta and family will pick up Lillian.

First, we went through the mail as usual, and found no unusual letters or bills. Since Lillian will be gone for a week, we used my computer to put in a mail hold with the post office. Mail service will resume automatically on Monday, April 6.

Next, I asked Lillian if we should start packing for her trip. At first, she said she didn't want to, but then I asked if we could get her suitcase, at least. She thought that would be a good idea. We went to the storage area in the basement but, whoops, forgot the key for her locker! Back to the apartment. We found it in the kitchen junk drawer. It was unlabeled; we went ahead and put a simple label on it (using a slip of paper and some scotch tape).

We brought the larger suitcase upstairs and gave it a quick wipe down (dusty!). There wasn't a lot of time to pack, but we picked out a few warm weather clothes, sunscreen, and her sun hat. This will help her get ready to go on Saturday.

It sounds like it will be a wonderful getaway for the family! I will see Lillian again on Wednesday, April 8 for our next scheduled visit. I am looking forward to hearing all of the stories!

Tuesday March 17: Cardiology and "Selfie!"

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This week, Lillian and I had a scheduled cardiology appointment with Dr. W. I gave Lillian a call to remind her in the morning, and when I picked her up, she was ready. She even had her care notebook with her!  We had a few extra minutes before we had to go, and we checked her hearing aids. They looked good (she was wearing both of them!) and we put in fresh batteries.

We arrived at the cardiology office and checked in. No new paperwork to fill out. In short order, we were in the examining room and since it was a simple check up after a medication change, I stayed in the room with her. Lillian has lost 2 lbs. and her blood pressure is lower. We talked with the nurse about the Emergency Room visit in February.

When Dr. W. came in, he asked about any more symptoms, and Lillian said she hasn't felt light-headed or faint since that one day. Dr. W. was pleased with the lowered blood pressure, said he was sorry that she had the problem with the Toprol. He said that that kind of problem is not unusual, but Lillian was also dehydrated. That probably made her symptoms worse on that day.

Lillian scheduled another follow up appointment in 12 weeks, on June 2.  There were no medication changes from today's visit.

The appointment was pretty short, and we felt like celebrating the good results. We stopped on the way home at the Caribou Coffee. While there, we noticed some young ladies talking and laughing with each other. Lillian noticed they were taking pictures of themselves with their phones. It inspired us to do the same! Here we are, on a bright sunny afternoon at the coffee house!

We headed for home. I accompanied Lillian back to her apartment and returned the care notebook. I also wrote the June cardiology appointment in her calendar.

Lillian says that she is spending the week after Easter with Retta's family because it's also spring break. Looks like we'll cancel our planned visit in 2 weeks.

We will meet as usual next week, on Wednesday, March 25.

March 11: Visit at apartment - New Clothes!

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I arrived for our scheduled visit with Lillian this morning and all was well. We did our usual hearing aid check and review the mail. I noticed a large unopened box by the desk from LL Bean in the kitchen. Lillian said that sometimes Retta orders clothes for her and she thought that's what it was. She doesn't remember what day it arrived.

We opened the box and found several items. On the invoice, we could see that Retta did order it.

So we had a little "fashion show" at the apartment trying on clothes. There were two short sleeve pullover tops, a pair of canvas espadrille shoes in navy blue, a cream-color cardigan sweater, a nicer spring blouse (like for church), and two pairs of light fabric slacks with elastic waists. The items matched the invoice exactly.

Retta must know Lillian's style and size well! Everything fit nicely.

We clipped off the tags and put the clothes in the hamper. Lillian said she prefers to wash new clothes before wearing them. We put the shoes in her closet (no washing necessary).

I asked if she thought there were any other clothes she might need (underwear, hose, socks, etc.) she said no, but I did a quick closet and dresser check, just in case. At least for underwear and hose, she seems to have enough but I didn't look too closely at their condition. Maybe next time Retta is in town, she can check them and take her shopping. Underwear is something that maybe is better shopped for in person!

If you would prefer we take care of it, I'd be happy to arrange a shopping trip with her.

I noticed her swimsuits that she uses for water aerobics. One of them is looking a little thin and it has lost some elasticity. That might be a good item to replace, in your next order.

Finally, I reminded Lillian that our next visit is on Tuesday (3/17) next week, when we go to the Cardiologist for a check up. I will call her that morning to remind her.

March 4: Chores at the Apartment and Quick Errand

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This afternoon, Lillian and I worked on a few small things at her apartment. There was a stack of mail to go through, and we didn't find anything remarkable in the pile. We checked her hearing aids and changed the batteries. We also gave them a good cleaning.

Next, we reviewed the datebook/planner and I noticed that Megan's birthday is next week. We decided to go out and find a nice birthday card for her at the Hallmark store. Lillian couldn't remember how old Megan would be this year! Based on my conversations with Retta, I got the impression that Megan was an early teenager (13? 14?), so we picked one suitable for that age group.

Lillian wanted to put a $20 bill in the card as a gift, but since it's not such a great idea to send cash in the mail, I suggested she send a gift card. We purchased a $20 gift card to Target, which is in the next shopping center over from the Hallmark store. Lillian used her credit card for that purchase and when I asked, she explained that Retta pays that bill for her. Watch for that charge in the next statement!

Upon returning home, we filled out the card, tucked in the gift card, stamped it and dropped it in the mailbox. With the errand, our visit was a little longer than usual - 90 minutes.

Our next scheduled visit is March 11.

Feb 25: Canceled Visit

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Just a quick post to record that Lillian and I did not have a visit this week. I was sick with a cold, and when I called her to reschedule, she said it was OK to cancel and just meet next week.

Next visit will be Wed, March 4.

Feb 18: Home visit - missing glasses... found!

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Today I came by at our scheduled visit time, and Lillian was expecting me, as usual. I immediately noticed Lillian was not wearing her glasses! When I asked, she said she doesn't know where they are. At first, we looked around the apartment in typical places for glasses: kitchen table, bedside table, and on the floor nearby. Not to be found.

I did a quick hearing aid check (changed the batteries), and then we started troubleshooting. She doesn't remember when she last had them exactly, but we worked backwards through her schedule over the last few days.

I called down to the front desk to ask if anyone had found a pair of glasses, and luckily someone had! We went down to the desk, and they were Lillian's. They were found in the changing room near the pool. She probably left them there, or they fell out of her bag, after Water Aerobics this morning. We returned to the apartment, and my visit was just about done.

Good thing she wasn't without them for very long!

Next time will be in a week, as usual, on Feb 25.

Feb 11: Home visit, new hearing aid batteries.

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After the excitement of the Emergency Room over the weekend it was nice to have a quiet visit with Lillian. She was expecting me this afternoon.

I had updated her medication list on the computer and brought a new printed copy for her care notebook.

We worked through the clutter on her desk, including mail and a small package. The first shipment of auto-delivery hearing aid batteries had arrived. We opened the box, checked that the batteries were the correct ones, and stored them in the kitchen drawer (the usual place). The desk top is all back in order.

We made a cup of hot tea and visited for the remaining few minutes. Lillian still seems a bit shaken up from the ER, but she looks well and says she had not had any episodes of lightheadedness or dizziness.

Our next appointment is next Wed. 2/18.

Feb 7: Recap of Lillian's visit to the ER

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This report is to recap and document Lillian's visit to the ER yesterday. Retta and I were in touch over the phone, and Lillian is back at home and doing well now.

At about noon on Saturday, I received a call from Retta that Lillian was on the way to the ER at Jefferson Hospital. She had been called by Jefferson Creek staff after they called 911 for Lillian.

Lillian had been visiting with Alma and when she stood up from her chair, she wavered a little and sat back down suddenly. She had fainted. Alma asked if she was alright and gave her a little shake and Lillian woke up, but said she wasn't feeling well. Alma called the front desk, which set things in motion.

I arrived at the ER about 45 minutes later, and was taken to the room where Lillian was being treated. She had an IV in and she looked quite pale and tired. She was awake and talking, and she seemed glad to see a familiar face! Even though she was awake and coherent, she said she felt worn out, and she didn't really want to talk very much.

The nurse came in, and I was able to provide Lillian's list of medications, allergies, and HIPAA documentation. She explained that when the ambulance picked her up, Lillian had low blood pressure and a slow pulse, and that's probably why she fainted. She was also mildly dehydrated.  They were giving her IV fluids (no medications) and they had already given her some anti-nausea medication IV. She had thrown up once before getting in the ambulance.

I told the nurse about Lillian's new medication, Toprol XL, and that she had just started taking it. That was important information, it turns out. Toprol XL sometimes brings blood pressure down too low for some people, and they thought that might be what has happened. They asked for the name of Lillian's cardiologist, Dr. W.

We stayed in the ER for another 3 hours. Over that time, Lillian started to look better and better as she received the IV fluids. She reported feeling better, too. She even ate a little snack. When the doctor came in, she said she had contacted Dr. W. they decided to reduce Lillian's dose of the Toprol XL.  She said they thought this would address the problem.

The nurse came back after the IV fluids were done, took out the IV in her hand, and gave us instructions for going home. By the time she was discharged, she looked a whole lot better - more color in her face and cheeks!

The ER had sent a new prescription to Kroger, so we stopped by there on the way home. I ran in and picked it up while Lillian waited in the car.

When we got back to her apartment, I made sure she was settled in. Alma knocked on the door to check on her. Alma agreed to pick up a take-out meal from the dining room for Lillian and to stay with her for dinner. Lillian and I updated her pillbox once again, with the new, lower-dose Toprol XL and threw out the old bottle of pills.

I felt alright about leaving Lillian by then - it was about 5:30 then. She looked a lot better, and was almost back to her normal amount of energy. Alma said she'd check on her, and as I left, I stopped by the front desk. They said they would check on her daily, too, for the next 3 days.

Unless another urgent need comes up, our next visit will still be Wednesday, February 11.

Feb 3: Visit to Cardiology

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Today we went in for a visit to Lillian's cardiologist, Dr. W. This was a check up appointment that we scheduled back in December.  I had called Lillian Monday night to remind her, and she was ready to go when I arrived. We took a few minutes before we left to check her hearing aids (all good), and then pick up her medication list, insurance information, and HIPAA documentation.  We made it to the office in plenty of time to fill out the paperwork.

The office staff were very nice and were glad to see Lillian. I sat in the examination room for most of the appointment, but stepped out for privacy during her physical examination. The nurse was happy to receive her medication list! She said it made her job easier to have a list to check against their records in their computer system.

Since last visit, Lillian has gained a little weight (4 lbs). The doctor is concerned about her blood pressure, because it has been trending high for the last year and it was high again today. (The cardiologist could see blood pressure readings from other times Lillian had been to her internist - pretty cool!)  It wasn't at a dangerous level, but higher than he would like for Lillian. He decided to prescribe a new blood pressure medicine called TOPROL XL (Metoprolol Succinate). Other than that, the doctor said Lillian's heart remains in stable condition - no major changes better or worse.

The nurse gave us information about the new medication, and an extra copy for me. She told us to watch out for any allergic reaction, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, swelling, or stomach upset. Lillian is supposed to start it as soon as she can.

They told us they sent the prescription directly to her pharmacy and they assured us that this new medication was covered by Lillian's medicare and her insurance. We decided we would pick it up today and Lillian would start it tomorrow morning. It's a once-a-day pill, and they said it was OK to take it with her morning pills.

We made a follow up appointment for 6 weeks, on March 17.

On the way home, we stopped at the Kroger to pick up the prescription. It was ready when we arrived and Lillian had no co-pay. They also provided us with information on the new medication. They confirmed that it was OK to start it tomorrow morning.

Lillian purchased a few items while we were at the store. It was getting close to dinner time by then, and we headed for home.

We arrived home and after getting settled, we put Lillian's medical information back in place in the notebook and updated her medication list with the Toprol XL. We took out her pill box and Lillian added the Toprol to each day, starting tomorrow.  We also wrote the March 17 appointment in her calendar.

My next visit is scheduled for next Wednesday, February 11.

Jan 28 Visit: Checked the Usual Things and Socialized with Friends

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This week's visit was pleasant and I got a chance to meet one of Lillian's friends here at Jefferson Creek. When I arrived, we did a quick hearing aid check (all good), and looked through the mail. There was a postcard to remind Lillian of her upcoming cardiology appointment next week. I double checked her calendar and it is listed. I added a little note in her datebook that I will come to pick her up at about 1:45pm. This should allow us plenty of time to get to the office and update any records they need.

I will bring along the HIPAA document Lillian and you signed so that they can share her medical information with me during the appointment.

There were no surprises in the mail when we went through it. Also, Retta, thanks for the voicemail that I should get a tax receipt for donations to Good Will.

Since we had nothing else planned for this visit, we went to the coffeehouse over in the community building of Jefferson Creek to get a cup of tea and a little snack. We encountered Alma in the hallway as we walked to the coffee shop and asked her to join us.

After our drinks I escorted Lillian back to her apartment and I picked up the bag of items for donation. Next time, if you wanted, you could simply leave a comment on this blog to reply to a simple question. I'll get an email notification automatically. Give it a try!

It was a pleasant visit, and we are looking forward to our cardiology appointment next week on Tuesday (Feb 3). I plan to call Lillian to remind her on Tuesday morning, so she will be ready when I arrive.

Jan 21: Continue closet clean out

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Greetings from snowy Virginia, Demo family!

I had a normal visit with Lillian yesterday afternoon. First thing we did was check her hearing aids. I am pleased to report that she has been wearing them consistently each time I visit her. She commented that now they are working better for her so she doesn't mind having them in.

We switched the batteries and gave both hearing aids a good cleaning.

Next we went through Lillian's mail. The desk is looking pretty good - minimal clutter and once we get through the mail the desk is completely organized.

We tackled the rest of the closet today and we managed to finish going through all of her clothes.  We put anything in need of a good washing in the hamper, and took a bag of worn out clothes and shoes to the dumpster. On our way back from the dumpster, we asked the front desk if they had a way to donate old clothes. They were willing to take them because they usually take a load of items to Good Will every 4-6 weeks. If we give the pile to them, we won't get a tax receipt, though.

I thought I'd ask Retta if a tax receipt is needed, since she does the taxes. Can you let me know? We bagged up the items and put a label on the bag. If you want the receipt, I'll take it to Good Will on my way home after next week's visit, and I'll pick up a receipt for you. Otherwise, we'll just turn it in to the front desk.

Our next visit is next Wednesday 1/28.

Jan 14 - Closet Clean Out

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This visit, we stayed in Lillian's apartment and we started work on her closet. As they tell us on television shows about organizing and de-cluttering, we decided to put each item in one of three piles: Keep, Donate, and Throw Away.

We quickly realized we wouldn't finish the closet in 1 hour, so we went to the apartment front desk and they gave us three good-sized boxes for the three piles. By the time our hour was up, we had made it through the shoes, the off-season clothes, and part of the top shelf.

It was nice to visit with Lillian as we worked. She says that January is a good time to clean out, because it's a brand new year and we want to start it with an organized home. She had a positive attitude about cleaning things out, and she only waffled on whether to get rid of a few items. We put them aside to reconsider next time.

We stacked up the boxes in the corner of the bedroom when we were done. I think we'll be able to finish next time. Our next visit will be next Wednesday 1/21.

Happy New Year: Visit on Jan 7

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It was so nice to see Lillian today! She seemed happy and pleased to see me. She shared with me about all of the things she did while up in the Washington D.C. area with family. She was especially glad she got to visit her brother, Gene, and her niece and great-niece and great-nephews in Maryland!

First things first; when I arrived, I checked Lillian's hearing aids and all looked well. She reported that she was hearing better and with Retta's help, she said she had no trouble with them over the holiday.

Lillian's held mail had been delivered, but she had not gone through it all yet. We dug into the pile and recycled much of the junk. There were many Christmas cards, which we put in a neat pile in an old shoe box. Lillian did not want to throw them away just yet. We hadn't taken the time to read the letters enclosed in some of them. She said she'd go through them later in the week on her own.

This filled most of our visit time, but at the end, I asked Lillian if there was anything she wanted me to help her with. She said that her bedroom closet was filled with stuff and it was time to clean it out. I thought that was an excellent idea, and we'll get started next time.

Next visit will be Wednesday, January 14.