Yesterday the Doctor sent his Physio Nurse over, to try and get some idea of Mom’s strengths, weaknesses, and to figure out an exercise plan for her. Nice concept, nice to have that sort of backup too, from one’s Doctor. Yet, to be honest, what she called simple exercises, aren’t all that simple for a lady of 92, though I have to say, was impressed on how Mom managed them.
They really aren’t hard to do, to help build up her arm strength, or leg strength, and who knows I might even benefit from doing them with her. Might make it easier for her too, but now comes the big questions, that naturally I forgot to ask.
- How often do we do the exercises?
- Do we do them all at one time or split them up during the day?
- When do we start to increase the number of repititions?
- Should I involve the morning home care workers for a morning routine?
Interesting to note, at how much one forgets to ask, when the person is there to answer them. Kind of makes you wish you could see into the future, but then, not sure I want to. That’s getting dangerous, scary too.
Point is, we need (as caregivers) to be constantly thinking ahead, and to try and fathom what obstacles we are going to face, to accomplish certain tasks. I think this is giving me an insight, in how to prepare for various visits, such as from the Doctor, the Nurses that come for specific task.
One needs to keep track of so much, that it does become ‘system overload’ but you know, the computer can make things easier. Only trouble is, to organize it so you can account for the different variables, like tracking med changes, tracking weight or blood pressure. But also for tracking questions, keeping notes on daily happenings such as excessive puffing, exertions.
Lots to think of, lots to try and sort out. This should be interesting, applying my computer skills (what little I have) into making this all work out.