My family went to court in September 2014 to get guardianship of my dad, due to his dementia. My older sister stepped up and she would become the guardian. In November, we had to put my dad in a assisted living facility, he didn't even last a week there, due to he kept walking away. Family had to sit with him that first weekend until we could see if he could get into the memory care unit. Thankfully, my sister set it up to go month by month contract. He was placed in a locked down unit and it was very hard to see him there not being able to come and go as he pleased. It was hard on all of the family. It was also difficult seeing the other patients that were housed in this area.
My sister gave my sisters and I a key on Christmas of 2014, my key said "FAITH", I hung the key on my mirror in my car. It was a reminder every day to have faith in our situation. Dad did get out of the memory care until and moved to the nursing care part of the facility. They tried physical therapy with his legs in the memory care unit, but he didn't respond. My dad was going down hill fast. On January 1, 2015 my sister who was the guardian, was out of town, it was up to me to meet with the hospice staff to place in their care. They made sure my dad had everything he needed. He got a special chair since he could no longer walk. The staff at the facility all took to dad, and if we asked for something, it was taken care of. Someone from my family visited with dad every day, we didn't have to make a schedule with others. It all just fell into place.
On Valentines Day of 2015, all the kids that lived in town came to see him, we filled a whole waiting area up. Dad passed away in March 2015 and I remember my last visit with him the day before he passed, also the phone call from the facility to say we needed to get there quick. None of us made it in time, but we know he went in peace.
It's now time to pass my key on to a friend whose Mother is sick.
-Beth
