withdrawal

Today I brought my daughter to visit my brother one last time before she goes to college.  We came into the activity room where my brother often sits and he was there with his head on the table, totally out of it.  However, as soon as we came into the room he came out of the withdrawl, and we had a nice breakfast with him, discussing the Olympics.  He seems to be watching a bit of it, and I think he is reading about the results in the paper.  When he said good-bye to my daughter, he thanked her for coming and made some sweet remarks about wishing her success in college.

I ran into his new friend, who has memory issues, and has asked me twice what my name is and who I am.  I am wondering if this new friend has something to do with his withdrawal from the world.  Before, he was spending time with some of the more alert patients.

His withdrawal from activities and the world is really starting to bother me.  I am thinking I really need to get him into another nursing home, just because he needs the stimulus of something new.

I found out about one this week that takes public aid that would cut the drive down by about 1/3.  It still is kind of far away, but it would be better.  I just hate to move him and then find out there's another one that would be just as good but closer.

Also, I am not optimistic about any nursing home taking him unless it's straight from a hospital.  I think the nursing homes are prejudiced against him because of his age and his developmental disabilities, they think he is going to be too much to take care of (he actually is one of the patients who needs the least care, at least in the facility he is in right now.)  But I feel I need to try.

This week, I am about to start a two week vacation, which should be a little stressful because we are taking my daughter out to college and that's a big change.  I am a little nervous about leaving him for so long, this is the longest I have been gone since my parents became ill and eventually passed away.  I have prepared a two page document for the nursing home and his case manager with phone numbers, etc., and I have two wonderful friends who have volunteered to deal with an emergency, should it happen, until I get home.  Cross your fingers!