Week of January 3,2009 to January 9, 2009

We've decided to try something new with Dad. There's a little bit of "burn out" happening and we need to pace ourselves for the long term. We've decided to go to a "week program." Kathryn and Dennis will take one week, Todd and I will take the next, and so on and so on... We are also hoping that fewer visits will encourage Dad to start socializing more with the other residences. Of course this might not happen but we can hope!

This was our week. Todd and I visited on Monday. Dad had called and said there was something important he needed to talk to us about. He wanted our confirmation that the woman in the swimsuit picture in his bedroom was Joan. He simply can't recognize her in that picture. Other pictures in the room he had no problem with. Todd assured him that was Joan. Dad was hungry for a hamburger so we went to Wendy's for dinner. When we came back I washed his dishes and balanced the checkbook. Todd & Harold started watching the football game.

We called every day during the week. Wednesday he said he needed more Excedrin from CostCo. As luck would have it I was headed there that evening so I asked if I could just pick it up and bring it to him later. He said sure. We decided to visit again on Friday. Dad need more milk and some cash ($150.00). Again I asked if I could just bring it since we wouldn't get there until after 5:00p.m. He was ok with that. I meet Todd there and we visited for just a few minutes. Todd is still trying to get rid of the cold he got the week of Christmas and he was exhausted. Dad kicked us out after a few minutes and told Todd to go home and get some sleep.

Dad seemed pretty with it this week - at least during our talks and visits except for his short term memory. He keeps telling Todd that we (Todd & I) don't return his calls and that Todd doesn't visit that often.