A good thing? Maybe. Or maybe just an expensive, temporary gadget disguised in good intentions...

Aunt Pat has scared everyone a little. Cousin Delphine writes:

We were in Arizona for a week. Got back Tuesday. So missed our beauty shop appointment but got one for Wednesday. So I went and got Mom and while at the nursing home they told me Mom is refusing to eat. She started this in April but I guess it is getting worse. She will eat a little breakfast but no other meals. Is becoming very weak and extremely shakey because of it.

She also is hiding all her pills in her bra so as not to take them. She has regressed back to what pills she took about 10 yrs ago and can remember what she took but they have all changed over the yrs. Due to different health problems and changes, so she won't take them now as she remembers when she only took 3 and now takes about 7 and she thinks the nursing home doesn't know what she needs and are trying to poison her.

She also remembers way back when she was in nurses training and how terrible that "institution" food was and no way can "institution" food be any good so now refuses to even taste it. I have eaten there with her several times to check it out and I found the food very good. I have asked them to cut her portions in half as if she gets too much it sickens her before she even starts to eat. So hopefully if there is less on her plate she will feel more like eating. I bought her some candy bars since she isn't eating anyhow and some snack pack puddings in hopes that she will at least get something down. They tried putting her in IDPT ( a separate room where a nurse sits right with you to encourage you to eat) and they did that one day but the next day she raised a fuss and refused to go in there. Today at the cafe by where we go to on beauty shop serves chinese food and makes a very good sweet and sour chicken. Two weeks ago I took Mom and she really ate that. I think I will go get her today and take her for that again to see if she will eat.

Betty and I took Mom shopping. She got all kinds of new spring/summer clothes. She had fun! We were both in a big handicapped fitting room with her, helping her in and out of clothes. Quite an operation! Then went to have ice cream together later...

She says she would rather be with Grandpa since he can't be here, and I suppose at moments she really does, but I also notice that when people take the time to do things with her, to engage her, she comes more alive. It is a strange time in a person's life, though. Everyone gets to that stage sooner or later if you live long enough - you feel like you're in a waiting room, not quite here...but not over there, either.