Saturday, October 22, 2011

Preparing Mom for Winter

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and the wrong. Sometime in your life you will have been all of these.

Dr. Robert Goddard

 

Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD. 

(Leviticus 19:32) 

 

Last winter I bought her a beautiful red car coat in lightweight wool. However, it is supposed to be a very cold winter this year and the little red coat, though pretty, won't keep her warm.  Especially if she has to go anywhere on a cold and windy day.  Mom and I chatted a bit the other day about her needs.  In the end I think I was able to find things that were a good compromise between her wants and what I thought would match better with the clothing she currently wears. She doesn't have a lot of space to put too many clothes so we have to be able to coordinate multiple outfits with fewer items of clothing. Not as easy as it sounds when we have limited purchasing options.


First up was a warmer jacket. I bought her this beige coloured jacket which has a warm, but not too thick, inner lining.  It also has a detachable hood which she likely won't wear. I paired it with this beautiful chocolate and camel coloured shawl for added warmth on a blustery day. I am thinking of taking off the garment tag at the neckline.  This will give an added colour option because it will then be reversible.  The compromise is that mom wanted a purple jacket (same style). I felt the beige one would coordinate better with all the bottoms she is likely to wear on excursions. I got the nice cape to give her a bit of a colour lift while still coordinating with her bottoms.
Here is what the cape looks like on the inside if she chooses to have more of the tan colour showing.
 

Next up was a nice woolen sweater. This will enable her to wear the summer dresses over the winter months.  She really enjoys wearing the dresses because they are so comfortable and have big pockets.  This nice purple sweater and a soft camisole underneath will keep her nice and toasty. She wanted purple. The compromise is I would have preferred a slightly heavier knit for her and a shorter length so she doesn't have to sit on it. I think in the end, the care workers will probably tuck the length in at the back of her,  rather than have her sit on it. I would have selected a gray sweater but I know that colour isn't to her taste.


  In the photo below, I've paired the sweater with one of the summer dresses.

In the next photo, I've paired the sweater with a beautiful tank top I bought.  It will coordinate well with two of the skirts she wears in winter. I hope she likes it. It is a stretchy comfortable fabric. I don't normally buy her tank tops to wear especially for winter but this one is so pretty.  She doesn't have to wear it over the Winter but can wait until Spring.


I also bought this lightweight and long, striped t-shirt. It will coordinate well with the sweater and a navy velvet skirt she likes to wear.  I really like this t-shirt and I think she will too! It still coordinates well with the purple sweater.

Here, I've put a stretch navy blue camisole underneath the top. It isn't as see through as it looks. It looks very see through because of the back light coming through the window.

 

It seems a never ending job to buy things for my mom. I am happy to do it most times but my longstanding leg and heel issues make this a somewhat more difficult task than it used to be. However, with the exception of one or two skirts, a heavier weight dress and coordinating sweater, some warm socks, two or three nightgowns (I've been looking for long cotton jersey nightgowns) and a proper pair of shearling booties (to be ordered on line from New Zealand as my Christmas gift to her), I think I have finally got enough clothing for her. In retrospect, that list of outstanding items sounds rather long! LOL.  Sadly, there are many outfits (jacket and pants which mom can no longer wear and didn't wear at all) and which I probably need to bring home from the residence to make room for what she does wear.


What about you my dear readers? 
Do you also shop for your elderly parents? Do you have difficulty finding what you need? Do you have to buy adaptive clothing or can you get by with regular clothing? If you do shop for your parents, I pray the good Lord would bless you for your caring heart.

10 comments:

Kay L. Davies said...

Oh, Penny, I'd give anything to be able to shop for Mom again.
The big problem was, with two daughters, two daughters-in-law, and a granddaughter who would also shop for her, things got out of hand.
When I went out to visit, I'd stay in the facility's guest suite for a week, but the others were in and out all the time. Each time one of us showed up, she'd say, "Oh, I need such-and-such" and she might end up with three, four or five of the same thing.
She'd never think, "Maria already bought that for me," because she had Alzheimer's. But if she said "I need this" to me more than once in my week there, I'd say, "Look, Mom, you already have it."
It was SO hard to say no to her, as I'm sure you've discovered with purple coats!
It's been more than four years, and I still miss her.
— K

Joyful said...

Dear Kay, I'm very sorry for your loss. I am the only one shopping for mom or she probably would end up with multiples. In fact sometimes she still does! LOL. At the moment mom doesn't have Alzheimer's but with numerous infections and hospital stays, her memory has been affected. Out of sight out of mind and sadly the workers there don't always "see" what is right in from of them. I do love to buy mom something that will meet her needs and make her happy and am blessed I STILL can. Big hugs. xx

Brenda Green said...

Good Job! Penny,
You do a great job, The things look beautiful. It is not easy to shop for someone else, especially when you have different taste. hugs me

Joyful said...

Thank you Brenda! I always enjoy your visits ;-) I'm fortunate that mom usually loves what I buy for her especially if it's something she hasn't asked for and I surprise her. It is only when I can't find what she wants or I am trying to coordinate something and can't find the item, that both of us are disappointed.

Vores have said...

Hejsa.
Flot tøj du har købt til din mor.
Min mor lever endnu - hun er 87 år, bor stadig i eget "hus"- men har dog det sidste 1/2 år haft brugt for hjælp. Den ene nyre har sat ud - og hun har dårlig hjerte.
Jeg hjælper hende gerne med tøj valg - og vi køre gerne de 70 km ned til hende og hjælper hende med hendes have.
Medmenneskelighed for ens kære.
Ønsker dig en god søndag.
Knus Hanne Bente ♥

Joyful said...

Hej Hanne, det er så stor, at din mor er stadig i live og at du er i stand til at hjælpe hende. Jeg er sikker på, hun er så glad for, at du behøver omsorg for og hjælpe hende med alle hendes behov. Jeg håber, når vi bliver ældre vi har også nogle til at hjælpe os. Hugs.

Hello Hanne, it's so great that your mother is still alive and that you are able to help her. I'm sure she is so happy that you do care for and help her with all her needs. I hope when we are older we also have some one to help us. Knus, Joyful♥ .

Vores have said...

Hej igen Joyful.
Jeg kommer lige til at tænke på et indlæg jeg har inde på min blog.
AT FLYTTE FOKUS - skrevet af Mother Teresa - jeg har læst det i et kirkeblad fra mit sogn.
http://www.finus.dk/#post344
Håber at det okay at jeg har sat link ind.
Knus Hanne Bente ♥

Joyful said...

Hello Hanne, I think your post on Mother Teresa is very appropriate for my blog post thoughts on helping the elderly so I do not mind that you have put a link to it. Thank you for thinking of it and encouraging others to be more concerned about someone else. Mother Teresa was a very wise and giving person. Someone I greatly admire. Hugs, Joyful

Hej Hanne, jeg tror dit indlæg på Moder Teresa er meget passende for min blog indlæg tanker om at hjælpe de ældre, så jeg ikke har noget imod, at du har lagt et link til det. Tak fordi du tænker på det og opfordre andre til at være mere bekymret for en anden. Mother Teresa var en meget klog og givende person. Nogen jeg beundrer meget. Knus, Joyful

Angelika Poe said...

good morning dear Penny, as I read, you have a lot of beautiful things make for Mom bought to ensure that it does not freeze when the Canadian winter is coming. You are a dear daughter. I have no more mama, more than 25 years she's dead
For me, I'll buy one for the winter, nothing, everything is there and can get the cold.

You a wonderful weekend, we go into the garden there continue to resolve, it must be done once, since the end of November it is delivered.

Many greetings to you from the Geli

Fred Alton said...

May the Lord Bless you for your caring ways, Penny! I know your Mom will love you for it. I had the privilege of hearing my 90 year old Mom preach today in church, then brought her here for lunch. No - sorry - but I don't shop for her. However, I would if I didn't have two sisters who are more qualified for that activity. ☺

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