Margaret Is Back In Noosa Nursing Centre

It has been quite a week.  Over last weekend in Noosa Hospital Margaret's physical condition improved a little so there was no reason not to return her to her room at the Noosa Nursing Centre.

On Monday she was transported, by ambulance, back to the centre and returned to her old share room.  Coincidentally the lady she was meant to share with was in the next room to Margaret in the Noosa Hospital and looked like being there for some time so Margaret has the room to herself; more later.

We visited Margaret soon after her re-admission and she was very unhappy as she thought that she was going home.  We called back in the afternoon and took Louis into visit her which was a great success as he jumped on the bed and gave her a great sloppy kiss.  We stayed for a little while and checked her medications were in order and that they were aware of her weak condition.  We needn't have worried she is now noted as requiring two people to assist her at all times even if using her wheely walker.

We  didn't take Louis on Tuesday morning.but stayed for about three hours with her.  She had spent the night sleeping on the floor!   She is considered a risk of falling out of bed so her bed is lowered as far as possible and a mattress placed on the floor to minimise the effects of any fall.  Margaret prevented this by actually crawling onto the mattress and falling asleep.  She was covered up and tucked in and spent a quiet night sleeping on the floor which she also did on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  Margaret was very confused all the time we were there.  She appears to be living back in the late 1970's when we lived in Woodville,  South Australia.  In particular she constantly reminded Helen not to be naughty girl.  Margaret also thought that we were going to catch a bus back to South Australia and asked how we would get from the Flinders Street Bus Station home.  She was happy to hear that we would take a cab.  She sat up in a fairly basic arm chair and kept falling asleep.  After lunch, which she didn't eat,  she was put back in bed.  When I said good bye she said that i mustn't leave her as she wanted to come to South Australia with me.

Tuesday evening Margaret's GP ,A, phoned me to say that he had visited Margaret on Monday evening to sort out her medications and had seen her on her mattress where she was quite comfortable and happy.  He had visited just after lunch on Tuesday would visit her again on Wednesday lunch time and would discuss future care then.  He also said that Margaret told him that I had left her to return to South Australia.

Wednesday morning I clipped Louis and we took him in to visit Margaret.  She was sitting up in her arm chair.  Her legs were beginning to swell again and she was even more confused.  Helen was still in trouble for sneaking out of the house and not coming back all night, a thing she used to do in the 1970s.  We got assistance to get her in her wheelchair and took her for a walk around the block.  While Helen was pushing her she complained that Helen was deliberately hitting all the bumps!  Poor Helen she was cropping it while actually being quite sweet and careful.

I took Louis home and left Helen at the centre.  While I was away Margaret kept getting Helen to rescue me as I was stuck in her en-suite bathroom.  Helen had to open the door wide to show here that I wasn't there.  Over lunch she wouldn't eat anything and actually threw her Apple Crumble at Helen.

I returned in time to see A who will place Margaret on the Palliative Care Programme next week.  She is however very week and even with assistance has had her knees buckle when being transferred from her chair to wheely walker.  We are going to to take in her favourite sandwiches and some wine for lunch on Thursday.  A was also concerned with Margaret's legs and when I suggest a chair with leg rests agreed that it was necessary.  After Margaret gave A a long talk about the "Landlady" not being nice and poor Helen hadn't got anywhere to stay he left and will return on Friday, making four visits in five days.

Helen and I went to the local agents for electrically assisted recliner and lift chairs to check their availability and, by chance, he had the ideal chair available immediately.  It was second hand but looks new.  I notified the home that it would arrive between 9.30 and 10.30am Thursday morning and was asured that it would be OK.

We arrived just after 9.30 am this morning, Thursday, and the char had been delivered and Margaret was being settled into it when we got to her room.  The Carers were concerned that it was too big and took up the space where Margaret's mattress was placed at night.  This meant that the space for the other occupant was pretty much taken up by Margaret.  We thought that we could rearrange the furniture but as Margaret had fallen asleep in her new chair decided to leave it until she woke up.  Margaret slept all morning and even if the chair is only used for a short time seeing her comfortably sleeping in it makes its expense worth while.

I went home to make Margaret's lunch time sandwich while Helen stayed behind.  Margaret stirred occasionally and talked about our two dogs. We haven't had two dogs since 1984!  After I returned the space problem was solved by moving the other occupant' bed out so to all intents and purposes Margaret is in single room for the time being.

At 12.00 noon Margaret again rejected the lunch from the home although it
 looked very appetising but ate the Liver-wurst and Tomato sandwiches I had made instead.  She also drank a little fizzy white wine, which by law can't be called Champagne in Australia, to wash it down.  we left her at 1.00 pm still snoozing in he new chair.

We both agreed that Margaret is significantly weaker that when she left hospital and will take Louis into see her tomorrow morning.