stoutfellow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stoutfellow) wrote2013-01-06 04:33 pm
stoutfellow) wrote2013-01-06 04:33 pm
Vacation: Family
I was in California for just over three weeks; with the exception of the flu minidemic - a week or so - events went pretty much as planned. I was able to spend time with each of my sisters and their families at least twice; I was staying with my brother D, so I saw plenty enough of him; and, again except for that one week, I saw Dad pretty much every day.
He's... faded. His hearing is mostly gone, and he has trouble with communicating, in both directions. This frustrates him, and so many of the automatic reactions to his stumbling speech are exactly wrong.... He's more emotionally open than he used to be, especially if he doesn't get his afternoon nap. But when he's lucid, which is most of the time AFAICT, I can still see the man I used to know in there. There are still things he enjoys: watching football and golf on TV (with amplifying headphones overcoming his near-deafness), candy (which we give him plenty of; what's it going to do, rot his tooth?), and just being around his family. The staff at the home seems capable (and they've got good cooks, among other things), and the other residents are friendly.
We did get him out of the home once, taking him up to C's place for dinner on the second. C and her husband fixed a meal suited to his unidental condition: flaky salmon, sweet potatoes, and some well-cooked vegetables, all of which were delicious. C also supplied a carrot cake in honor of my birthday (two days in the future, but wotthehell); this she had to cut carefully for Dad, because there were nuts in it. He loved the meal; I don't recall seeing him eat that much at one sitting in a long time.
He's ninety-three, and there's no knowing how much time he has left. I can't get out there very often, but I'm glad I had this opportunity to see him, and I'm looking forward to the next planned get-together in June - a combined celebration of his birthday and Father's Day.
He's... faded. His hearing is mostly gone, and he has trouble with communicating, in both directions. This frustrates him, and so many of the automatic reactions to his stumbling speech are exactly wrong.... He's more emotionally open than he used to be, especially if he doesn't get his afternoon nap. But when he's lucid, which is most of the time AFAICT, I can still see the man I used to know in there. There are still things he enjoys: watching football and golf on TV (with amplifying headphones overcoming his near-deafness), candy (which we give him plenty of; what's it going to do, rot his tooth?), and just being around his family. The staff at the home seems capable (and they've got good cooks, among other things), and the other residents are friendly.
We did get him out of the home once, taking him up to C's place for dinner on the second. C and her husband fixed a meal suited to his unidental condition: flaky salmon, sweet potatoes, and some well-cooked vegetables, all of which were delicious. C also supplied a carrot cake in honor of my birthday (two days in the future, but wotthehell); this she had to cut carefully for Dad, because there were nuts in it. He loved the meal; I don't recall seeing him eat that much at one sitting in a long time.
He's ninety-three, and there's no knowing how much time he has left. I can't get out there very often, but I'm glad I had this opportunity to see him, and I'm looking forward to the next planned get-together in June - a combined celebration of his birthday and Father's Day.