Hubby and I visited Mom and Dad on Mothers’ Day and had a very nice visit. While we waited for Mom to get done futzing around, Dad decided to talk to us. While not many of the things he ‘says’ sound like words, there is no doubt he is talking. There is a tempo, a cadence; there are inflections and intonations, a certain flow to his utterances that make it clear that he thinks he is talking clearly. So we just go along with it, nodding when it seems right, laughing when it seems to have tickled him, and responding in shock or mock fear on occasions when it seems that is what he’s looking for.
Sometimes, actual words come out.
Sometimes, those actual words are in a place in the syntax that let us know that that was the correct word. On those occasions, I can sometimes piece together what else he has uttered and make sense of what he’s saying. It’s like cryptograms for speech.
He is very clear when calls Mom, “My wife,” and “Little girl.”
While we stood there listening to Dad, I very distinctly heard him say my name. I looked at him, and he said it again. Happy Mothers’ Day to me. Daddy said my name. First time in almost 2 years I have heard that. He got a great big hug from me, and a meaningful exchange of eye contact between hubby and I.
We finally made it down to the festivities. There were lots of treats set out on a table and Dad was starting to try to push his way to them. We decided to take Mom and Dad into the dining room and have them sit to wait while hubby and I got them each a plate of goodies. First, hubby brought back some glasses of punch, but Dad remembered seeing some cookies and thought that’s what he was going to get. Hubby had returned to hold our place in line, only to find out that the chef had decided to reverse the direction of the line. We would be first in the other direction. Apparently they’d set the sugar free choices at one end and people were choosing those selections because the came to them first rather than passing by to the regular desserts.
After we ate and chatted a bit, we returned to the main living room for some entertainment by a father son music team. Father sang and played guitar, son played the violin.
This was also the regular time for one of the local churches to visit, have a short service, and give communion. Their leader came to Mom to ask if she planned to attend.
Before we went in to eat, Mom’s brother and sister in law had been sitting in the living room. When we went back to listen to the program, they were no where to be found.
Mom decided she wanted to attend the service, so we delivered them to the chapel. Dad was tangled up in the leader’s dogs’ leashes, tethered to a table or chair leg, but free to wander about the room. When he made it past the dogs, hubby and I left to go work on Mom’s hanging basket.
In years past, we have built the basket while Mom and Dad watched from the comfort of their room, but this time we decided it would be much more efficient if we just presented it to her as a finished product.
It turned out so beautiful and fragrant!
Mom remembered that she couldn’t possibly over-water this type of hanging basket and wanted to get out to test that for the first time this spring.
I returned the next day with a new watering can, but that’s for another story.
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Tags: Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's care, caregiver, caring for elderly parents, elder care, senior care
May 15, 2011 at 1:14 pm |
“Daddy said my name. First time in almost 2 years I have heard that. ”
My throat closed up on this– what a wonderful feeling that must have given you!
May 15, 2011 at 7:01 pm |
It was probably the best Mothers’ Day present I’ve gotten since my son made a macaroni card