Category Archives: Health Care Stories for Seniors

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #31

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #31

NO SAIL PAST THIS YEAR?

NO PROBLEM

   WELCOME To The SCYC DRIVE PAST 2020

You will recall last year’s Sail Past when husband was the Commodore of their local yacht club. (Refer to May 20, 2019 in the archives on the Blog Roll) TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #28 (SCHOONER COVE YACHT CLUB’S NON-TRADITIONAL SAIL PAST 2019) Last year(due to gale force winds) the members manned their boats tied up to the dock and toasted the COMMODORE (husband), as he was ferried past their sterns in a dinghy, waving his SCYC burgee. This year, the club could not even assemble on the docks for their Sail Past Ceremony, as gatherings that size are prohibited … Read the rest

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #6

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #6

THE L_O_N_G CONVALESCENCE

Let’s just say that once husband and Prairie Girl woke up after the operation, the fog took some time to clear before reality set in. Comprehending what had just happened took some time to digest. Husband and Prairie Girl were never so relieved to be TOGETHER! The 14 days spent in the hospital was a new journey for both of them. Never being on any medications or being diagnosed with anything serious in their years together, had led them to believe that illnesses and accidents happen to others- not to them.

Amazingly, PRAIRIE GIRL found  it to be second nature to care for her FREEDOM 69 husband.  This surprised even her! Prairie Girl, immediately … Read the rest

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #5

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #5

THE RETIREMENT THAT ALMOST WASN’T!

FREEDOM 69 TIMELINE:

January 1, 2017 – Husband Officially Retired

January 1- February 1- Husband enjoying Retirement Cruises

March 4th- FREEDOM 69 RETIREMENT PARTY

March 7th- Tour of Memorial Gardens and Meeting with Funeral Planning Consultant (Read March 11th Post: A Retirement Party on the Weekend and a Funeral Consult 2 Days Later)

March 21st-Ambulance called at midnight

March 22nd- Emergency Surgery -Bowel Reconstruction (8.5 hrs. with 2 surgeons working on husband)

April 5th- Husband discharged with Daily Home Care Nurse Visits

Prairie Girl and husband were completely blind-sided by this incredible medical journey that husband landed himself into. They imagined that they’d merrily continue into this new retirement phase with even more adventure and … Read the rest

TENDER TUESDAYS

TENDER TUESDAYS

SENIORS CARING for SENIORS (Part 4)

COMING HOME

Thanks for returning to Tender Tuesdays! This week’s installment captures our dad’s “great escape” from the 5th Floor of our local hospital. This is Part 4 of senior kids managing the care and affairs of their parents living long and healthy lives, with many surpassing the not so unusual 100th Birthday milestone! In fact a friend of mine, only yesterday, excitedly relayed her plans to celebrate her own mother’s upcoming 100th birthday party. See what I mean?

Our father’s stay on the 5th Floor was short-lived. As soon as we met with the hospital’s Social Worker and understood our options, we unanimously agreed that he’d be moved as quickly as possible. … Read the rest

TENDER TUESDAYS

TENDER TUESDAYS

SENIORS CARING for SENIORS (Part 3)

What Happens on 5th Floor, Doesn’t Stay on 5th Floor

Welcome back to Tender Tuesdays! This week’s installment moves forward with our father’s brief stay on 5th Floor of our local hospital. As you’ll recall, we’re the senior kids caring for parents living long and healthy lives- many surpassing the more normal 100th Birthday milestone. This is the new norm!

Picking up from last week’s post, our dad was being moved out of Palliative Care and sent up to 5th Floor. We went up with him, the orderlies pushing his cot through the crowded hallways into a room with two beds. When we arrived, the nurse who accepted our father, was curt, ill-prepared, … Read the rest

TENDER TUESDAYS

TENDER TUESDAYS

Seniors Caring for Seniors (Part 2) – Navigating Paliative Care

Thank you for following Tender Tuesdays, as one reflects upon the next stage of our father’s journey through the medical system and the effects upon his wife and his senior citizen care-giving kids. Thankfully, there were many tender moments along the way…

The kids had their hands full leading up to the decision to place Dad in Palliative Care. As the days progressed, Dad required more and more nursing care. He was sleeping the majority of his days away, and required assistance to get to the washroom throughout the day. The Government’s Home Care Program was arranged to arrive during the day to help with this, but at the … Read the rest

TENDER TUESDAYS

TENDER TUESDAYS

I have decided to share tender stories on Tuesdays with my readers.  This doesn’t mean they won’t have humor and a bit of cheek, but most of all, hopefully they’ll  touch you personally.

TENDER TUESDAYS will be a series of posts that will start with sharing post installments of Seniors Caring for Seniors. Enough time has elapsed since the passing of my father-in-law, that one feels compelled to write about the humorous, tender moments experienced with this 93 year old that is so dearly missed.

With people living longer these days, there’s a new phenomenon occurring within society where life expectancy for healthy people to exceed expectations has become the norm. Celebrating one’s 100th birthday is now an everyday … Read the rest