The quieter you become the more you can hear ~ Ram Dass



Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Roommates

Mom has a roommate at the nursing home. She's 85 (her birthday was in October the day before mine). She's foreign but I don't know what nationality she is. She speaks English well though. Although today was the first time I heard speak in her native tongue. I guess it was because she was yelling at me LOL.

This woman had a roommate for three years. I never asked what happened to her. When mom first got to the room with her, she used to try on my mother's stuff and look through all her drawers. She may still do that I don't know. We had a couple of books there in case mom wanted to read. Ron ended up reading them and he left it by her TV. It kept disappearing and then we found it in a drawer. We think she kept putting it in there. After that when Ron would get done reading, he would just put it in the drawer. One time when it was still on top, he went to take the book and she had a fit saying "what are you doing with that." We told her he was just going to read it then put it back. When I decided to decorate mom's bulletin board for Halloween, she had a fit because I was taking the things that were on the bulletin board off. I told her I was just decorating for Halloween and I would put the stuff back up after the holiday's. I still think she might have had something to do with the decorations coming off the board ;-) but I can't be sure. Today when we came to visit, Mom was still in her room. I figured I would take the few Halloween things that were still on the board and bring the stuff for Thanksgiving in the next few days. Oh boy, was the roommate upset. Again she said "what are you doing." I said "I'm taking the Halloween stuff down and will be bringing Thanksgiving stuff to put up." Then she said something in a foreign language and I told her she had to speak English if she wanted me to understand. She told me she liked looking at the decorations. I told her I would be bring the other things soon. Mom was still in bed and I decided to see if I could get her up by myself and get her in the wheelchair. We did fine. The roommate again started yelling at me saying "where are you taking her." I told her we were going to the lounge area.

I don't know if she forgets who I am or doesn't see well. I know one day I went into the room and she was crying because she said someone stole her glasses. I looked all over for them but then the nurse told me they were missing for a long time. She got a new pair but she said she couldn't see out of them. I always try to talk to her all the time and ask how she's doing. I think when I bring the Thanksgiving things, I might ask if she wants me to put a few things on her bulletin board.

Mom said she's never seen anyone visit her except for some religious people that come once in a while and pray with her.

If nothing else sometimes it is very interesting when I go into Mom's room.

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