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.

Mom Had a Fall

My mom had a fall yesterday and was unable to get help for about 4 hours. Her head somehow got wedged in the basket of her walker and somehow she ended up with her blankets over her head as well. She tried to call for help in the hopes that passersby might hear her from the hallway but alas no one came to help.

I do pay for a necklace for mom to wear in case she ever has such a problem. The necklace has a button which is to be depressed if you get into a "situation" but mom didn't have it on. She always takes it off when she is getting her bath and then she often neglects to put it back on due to forgetfulness or distractedness.

It was many hours later when the wound nurse visited to change her dressings that she was discovered and the ambulance personnel prompted were called to come and check her over. Mom didn't go to the hospital as she said she didn't feel she had any broken bones but she is battered, bruised and very sore.

We are on an urgent waiting list to get mom into a nursing home. In fact I just spoke to the nursing home the day before this falling incident and they are working as fast as they can to prepare things equipment wise. The issue really is when the room will be available as it is currently occupied. They may move the gentleman to another room but I know this is asking a lot. I just leave it in the Lord's hands and pray for mom and her new home to come available as soon as it possibly can.


Update:  A few days after the fall mom ended up being admitted to hospital. She has a cellulitis infection in the legs. This is her fourth trip to hospital for a similar reason which is why she is now on a waiting list to go into a nursing home.  My brother and nephew are with her and looking after things. I imagine she will stay in the hospital until her infection gets better. In a way, it is a bit of a relief to me that she been admitted so that the doctors can treat the infection which was also setting into her bladder; another recurring health issue.