Life With Dad: Happy 80th Birthday

As Dad always said....the two Founding Fathers (George Washington and him) were born on the same day...February 22!! Dad celebrates 80 years on this earth today!  When we walked in the nursing home, this is how he looked...his legs were itchy for some reason.  I am not sure why his one slipper is off??   He apparently was awake until about 3 a.m. the night before his birthday!!  The nurses said that he was wandering around in the wee hours in his long underwear!!  We sang Happy Birthday to him, and he even sang along!!

The photo above shows him after the first haircut that I gave him in the nursing home.  I went up this week on Wednesday and gave him a new haircut so he would look "spiffy" for his big day....

...the finished product...with a smile! (and I notice that he has the same flannel shirt on in each haircut picture!)  He told me that the last time I cut his hair he received lots of compliments.  Sometimes his short-term memory causes him trouble, but he did tell my sister and brother-in-law that I had promised to cut it again soon.  When I went to write the date on the calendar that we cut his hair (he likes to see how long he goes in between haircuts), I also wrote his birthday on the calendar.  He asked me what I had written on there and I explained that I added his birthday, but he didn't know when it was, and he didn't remember how old he was going to be.

This is the look before the haircut the first time I cut it for him.  I didn't have the clippers with me, so I had to do the best that I could with scissors only.  I have cut his hair three times so far.  One time he had it cut by a stylist who comes to the nursing home and the cost was ten dollars.  Now when I cut it for him, he always asks me how much it will be and explains that he doesn't have any money to pay me.  You have to understand that Dad used to always have his wallet with him, and carried two fifty dollar bills and some other cash.  Now he keeps telling my Mom that he needs cash in his wallet, which he loses every other day!  She finally photocopied a twenty dollar bill on both sides and gave it to him to keep in his wallet since one of the nurses told us that he borrowed some money from another resident.  We don't really want him to have money while he is in the nursing home. Tip #1: Check with the facility about their policy for having money and valuables.  For our family, there were many reasons that we didn't think he needed to carry money.  Obviously, since he can't remember where he places things, we knew it would get lost eventually.  Also, one evening Dad escaped by walking out of one of the doors and was picked up by some man.  When Dad couldn't give him the address of where he lived, the man took him to the police station.  The nursing home had already called the police to alert them. Now he has to wear a bracelet with his name and the address of the facility on it.  He cut the first one off, so they took his pocket knife away from him.  It was scary to think about him wandering around outside without a jacket when it was cold outside, plus having some stranger pick him up.

This shows Dad asleep in his chair with Punky.  We had to take him for a consultation with a Special Care Specialist to adjust his medicines.  For a while, Dad was suffering from severe "sundowners", which means that when the sun goes down, he would become more agitated and confused.  There are many theories as to why this occurs, these are some explanations according to an Alzheimer's website: 

Common Sundowner's Triggers

• End-of-day activity (at a care facility). Some researchers believe the flurry of activity toward the end of the day as the facility's staff changes shifts may lead to anxiety and confusion.
• Fatigue. End-of-day exhaustion or suddenly the lack of activity after the dinner hour may also be a contributor.
• Low light. As the sun goes down, the quality of available light may diminish and shadows may increase, making already challenged vision even more challenging.
• Internal imbalances.Some researchers even think that hormone imbalances or possible disruptions in the internal biological clock that regulates cognition between waking and sleeping hours may also be a principle cause.
• Winter. In some cases, the onset of winter's shorter days exacerbates sundowning, which indicates the syndrome may have something to do with Seasonal Affective Disorder, a common depression caused by less exposure to natural sunlight.
  
  
  
  
  
  Here Dad is asleep in a chair out in the central seating area while petting my dog, Monroe.  The medicine adjustment made him more "relaxed" in the afternoons and just before the sun goes down.  The nurses said that after about two weeks, they could see that he had calmed down. Tip #2: You need to keep track of their medicines, as they may need to be adjusted periodically.   We have had to get his adjusted several times since he went into the nursing home.
  
  
  
  
  
  Dad and his buddy, Jerry, recently enjoyed some Girl Scout Cookies.  I took them up to Dad and he immediately grabbed the box and opened them, and then wanted me to help open one package.  They ate one whole section just before dinner!!  Have I mentioned how much my Dad loves cookies??  Hope that you all have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!  And happy birthday, Dad, love you!!