Interview of a lifetime

Dad is scheduled to have an interview with a care center for Mom this
week.

Do not know just what happens then or what happens next (yes, I know
what happens next but allow me a little denial), or when anything
will happen but this is the next step.

Mom and Dad and I had lunch together today. I made a vegetarian loaf
and we broke bread. Not like it will be the last time or anything,
just, it seems we are coming down to some more last times each time I
visit. Mom can still feed herself but she does not know what the
items are on her plate, or which plate is hers or what the difference
is between her plate and my plate. She took a slice of bread and then
remarked that that thing was on her plate and she did not know just
what to do with it, but she thought she should eat it. So Dad cut it,
buttered it, and she was fine from there. She had a bowl of
strawberry's for desert and she still wanted just one more spoon of
vege loaf so she tossed that on top of her strawberry's. Which is
fine, it all gets mixed soon anyway, but we usually wait.

What is more distressing is her losing battle with thoughts and words
and speech, well, not actually speech, she can speak fine, she just
can not string three words together into a thought. She did have a
memory of the lady who comes in once a week to help her bathe, she
was quite upset last week when the lady asked her to take a shower.
Mom told me that the lady told her to take a bath and she told the
stranger that she did not need any help taking a bath, she never had
needed help taking a bath, she would not start needing help with her
bath now and besides, she did not need a bath. Mom told me the lady
insisted on a bath so a bath was taken. (Dad confirmed all this and
more and said it was quite the time)

So Mom had this memory from about four days ago. But when I walk with
her outside she can only talk and mumble about how glad she is that I
am here and could I help with the problem people in the house, in the
bathroom and any dark room.

Apparently she goes through the house turning on the lights all night
and then she raids the refrigerator and freezer looking for
something. So Dad not only has dead bolts on the doors he has a lock
on the freezer and fridge and he has changed the lights so they will
not be on all night. Joy for all.

So the interview this week. We will see what happens next.