Fogbow

Nice update, Shiz. A milestone for sure. Happy for you.

Yeah, it's a terrible thing to watch your dad go downhill - and it's expensive and brutally hard work sometimes. But worth it. Every time I think of my dad, I get a warm feeling. We became friends in those last years, and I miss him. But I did what I could, and I talked to him on his final day, and we laughed and had a good conversation. So I am ultimately okay with his passing. I wouldn't want him to suffer for another minute.

So it's hard to read this thread, but you're doing the right thing.

I'm glad things went as well as they did.

You're doing great. Definitely have Mrs_Shizzle follow through with that referral. My own Mrs' odyssey into gastroenterology started with poorly treated diverticulitis.

That's my dad sitting in one of the dining chairs. Mrs. Shizzle is trying to hide behind the wall to the kitchen.

My dad has a thing about barns so my wife paints him a barn every year for Christmas. He insisted we bring all the barn paintings and instead of scattering them about we did a gallery wall with 10 of them. My wife really doesn't like a few of the early paintings but my dad insisted they all make the move.

The IKEA desk that I sweated all over while I was assembling it this morning. When we got there my dad had turned off the AC and it was close to 80 degrees in the apartment.

The kitchenette. As assisted living apartments go this isn't horrible. It's about twice as big as he'll ever need. This was before we cleaned it up for the day.

He has a little patio off his unit and it's bit larger as a corner unit. They let him bring his grill. He won't use it but we will when we come visit. My dad likes to sit outside and read when the weather is nice.

Looks perfect, Shizzle. You get a gold star son.

Really nice!

Nice work. Well done.

Do I see a microwave over by the fridge? 'Cuz, yanno, my dad had trouble using it up that high, so we gave him one that sat on a table at a height he could use.

And if that isn't a microwave, does he have one?

There's a microwave on a low stand against the picture wall.

Foggy wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 9:08 am Do I see a microwave over by the fridge? 'Cuz, yanno, my dad had trouble using it up that high, so we gave him one that sat on a table at a height he could use.

And if that isn't a microwave, does he have one?

There is a microwave in the living room area. Low.

Hay yeah, I see it now. Good deal. It's a much bigger - and nicer - assisted living place than my dad had. That looks totally livable and pleasant.

We had intended to put the microwave over where the table is but it worked out better on the opposite wall. I was surprised how much we got in there without it feeling cramped and my dad seems pretty pleased with it. I think it was listed at 590 square feet which seems about right. He only used the breakfast nook, a small bedroom that was setup as a TV room and his bedroom in the house so there's really not a big difference in the space he was living in. He has a living room and dining room in the house that were rarely used from the time they moved in. We're the only people who use the spare bedroom. He told me today that the food has been pretty good so far.

I'm looking around for a different walker. The one he has is fine if he's just using it in the facility but it's a bitch to get in and out of his car. He really shouldn't be driving but nobody has been able to talk him out of it so it's something we have to consider.

Besides a full wheelchair that I manhandled in and out of the car trunk, I got Mrs a four wheel "rollator/transporter" similar to what your Dad has in the picture above. Ours had a removable padded back, and two fold down stirrups so I could boogie her around in tight quarters and limited inclines.



But, like your Dad, she had difficulty folding the thing up and getting in/out by herself when she was briefly healthy enough to drive. So, I got her a three wheel version. It was lighter, easier to fold, and had bigger wheels that navigated sidewalks better. It did not have a place for her to sit down. It had a nylon bag to stow her stuff.



I shopped for both online, and Walmart had the best price. I got her wheelchair from a local pharmacy that specializes in senior care products. That where I got her transfer bench for the shower, handles for a commode, and all the hand rails I put up around the house. I got the elevated padded commode seat at Lowes. I used patio seat cushions to elevate her indoor chair seats, and to pad her wheelchair seat/back.

At some point you may want the lifting belts so two people can assist him getting up and down. There's a whole world of stuff you might want as he progresses. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

I actually looked at one similar to the tricycle type but one of his friends lives in a unit almost at the end of different wing and a seat is mandatory. My dad will get tired suddenly and need to sit down wherever he is. I’m looking at one now that folds side to side rather than front to back and looks like it’ll slip into his back seat without too much trouble. The reviews all say it folds easily.

Of course, the real answer is to get him to stop driving. We’ve tried to have that conversation. It didn’t go well. We’ll keep trying.

We do have a lifting belt but won’t need it much from here on out.

He’s had a fall sensor for a couple of years and it’s been helpful. He’s also had a whole bunch of great neighbors who’ve kept an eye on him. There’s one that’s gone above and beyond. My dad had a minor fall the night my wife was in the ER with diverticulitis recently. The EMTs took him to the ER and when he was released at 1:30 am, she picked him up and brought him home. She’s always been like that.

Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 8:12 pm I actually looked at one similar to the tricycle type but one of his friends lives in a unit almost at the end of different wing and a seat is mandatory. My dad will get tired suddenly and need to sit down wherever he is. I’m looking at one now that folds side to side rather than front to back and looks like it’ll slip into his back seat without too much trouble. The reviews all say it folds easily.

Of course, the real answer is to get him to stop driving. We’ve tried to have that conversation. It didn’t go well. We’ll keep trying.

We do have a lifting belt but won’t need it much from here on out.

He’s had a fall sensor for a couple of years and it’s been helpful. He’s also had a whole bunch of great neighbors who’ve kept an eye on him. There’s one that’s gone above and beyond. My dad had a minor fall the night my wife was in the ER with diverticulitis recently. The EMTs took him to the ER and when he was released at 1:30 am, she picked him up and brought him home. She’s always been like that.

My mother wants one of the umbrella stroller-looking ones that fold into a cylinder instead of flat. You can get the 7 lb two wheel version
https://www.hdis.com/ez-fold-n-go-walke ... cid=199755
or the 14.5 lb four wheel version.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Able-Life-Sp ... 9zEALw_wcB
Or a 3 wheeler if he'd prefer
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hugo-Mobili ... 10#overlay

That last one, the Hugo Sidekick, looks extremely interesting. Adding to the short list. Thanks!

Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 10:51 pm That last one, the Hugo Sidekick, looks extremely interesting. Adding to the short list. Thanks!

No idea why my brain glitched out and called it a 3-wheeler, but hoping you can find something that works well for him. My mom has at least 2 styles of walkers but in her case they should be called "left them in the other rooms" instead of walkers. But she does love and use her fancy crooked handle cane covered in bright flowers I got for her. She's only 4'10" and under 100 lbs so we have to shop in the children's section practically. Small, lightweight and adjustable are the basic requirements so colorful is just a fillip for her.

We're back at my dad's for a while trying to get the house ready to sell. We drove over yesterday and started moving furniture around this morning. Has anything happened in the world I should know about?

We have three rooms mostly staged now. Tomorrow's first priority is a Goodwill run or three to get the living and dining rooms cleared out so we can start in there. My brother was supposed to be here this week but delayed. Again. He has a flight out on the 8th now. We'll see. That's okay though because Mrs. Shizzle and I work so well together that we're getting a ton of work done in a very short period of time.

We're coming across all sorts of odd stuff buried in boxes in the back of closets all over the house. My mom kept absolutely everything but it was interesting to find photos of family from the 1860s that I don't think I've ever seen before.

Oh, and my dad's internet has been absolutely horrible for as long as he's had it in this little town. When we pulled up to the house yesterday there was a hang tag on the door to contact Verizon if he wants to upgrade to fiber. Figures.

Has anything happened in the world I should know about?

Nope.

Did you really mean 1860s?

Foggy wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2024 7:10 am Did you really mean 1860s?

Yep. At least according to the notes on the back. It wasn't my mom's handwriting so I don't know who made the notations. There are thousands and thousands of photos from the 1950s through the early 1970s when my mom seems to have largely stopped taking photos. There are also a number of cameras including a Kodak Brownie Starmite that's in nearly mint condition and a 35mm Graflex from 1960 that's the camera my brother and I both learned on. The receipt for $57 is still in the box.

OMG, that's so cool. That's a treasure trove.

Shizzle Popped wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2024 8:14 am and a 35mm Graflex from 1960 that's the camera my brother and I both learned on. The receipt for $57 is still in the box.

The flash tube alone will fetch a few hundred on Ebay from Star Wars fans...