A year sure has gone by fast. This date last year, we had just had our 2nd visit to the ER with my mom. It was clear that it was time to move her. I remember that day, the social worker at the hospital called all over looking for somewhere for my mom. I had been looking myself and I thought I had found the place. They did not want to take her from the ER. They wanted her meds to be stable. But the meds are what got us the 2 trips to the ER in a week. I remember that I thought, I would take her home before sending her back to the Assisted Living house. The last call the social worker made was to Jewell Care Center. They said they would take her....
I had been looking at nursing homes before all the trip to the ER happened. I spent my days off traveling around the city. It was a new process for me and I just prayed as I made this decision. It is horrible when you are looking for a nursing home for you then 61 year old mother. Everyone always says, "Oh she is so young." I thought that the next step was a locked Alzheimer's unit at a nursing home. See my mom was still walking a year ago. She wasn't walking well, mostly shuffling and not sure of her footing at all. When people heard she had a memory problem, it was just assumed the right place was a locked unit. I thought the morning of October 27, 2009, I had found the place for my mom. I was wrong.
I remember the social worker at the hospital saying to me that just because the facility is new and looks good doesn't mean the care is great and the same for an older facility, doesn't mean the care is bad. I never went to look at Jewell Care Center on my rounds. But I was taking my mom there the night of the 27th. The weather was horrible and I drove her myself. She was still very over stimulated from the meds. She was 102 lbs and probably scared. I had to leave her there that night and try to sleep. The next morning we woke up to a blizzard. I was not able to see her until Friday. I sure did a lot of praying and I called all the time to see how she was. It took her a little while to settle in, but she did.
It is funny how I thought I knew the place that God wanted her to be. I thought Manor Care was the place for my mom. But now that I look back, she is right where she is supposed to be and God knew that. His ways are always better. He still takes care of her. He still looks out for her. He still hears my prayers. When you are in the moment, you think why is this so hard? What is God doing? Doesn't he care about what I am dealing with? But I think He was preparing the right place for her. He was doing things His way. He was doing things in His time.
She is no longer walking. But she is now at 139 lbs a year later. Everyone loves her there. We have great insurance that covers what Medicare doesn't and Medicaid covers the rest. I would have never known if we didn't go to Jewell Care. Her doctor didn't change from the Assisted Living house. It is the same and he knows all her history. I have great relationships with the staff. I know they care for her and will until the day she moves into Heaven.
I am so grateful that God is with me through this journey. He knows better then I do. He sees the whole picture. He knows what is best for my mom. There are still time I don't understand this journey or why? But I always remind myself that His ways are not my ways, His thoughts are not my thoughts. He is walking this journey with me. He is there with my mom.
