The last few days have been different.
My mother is in a retirement home in Wetaskiwin having been evacuated there from Drayton Valley. My sister lives just outside Calgary and she came up to visit mom yesterday for the day. She had mom stocked up with short term supplies to get her through the next few days.
My aunt was in a different retirement facility in Drayton Valley and she was evacuated to Edmonton. She is my favourite aunt and my only remaining aunt. The other three passed years ago.
My aunt has two children, one has a farm near Tomahawk and the other has a few acres new Evansburg. The area my Evansburg is under an evacuation order due to wildfires and my cousin and her husband have not left. Last I heard they have no power and staying to fight it out. Her brother from Tomahawk came to help them. I phoned her and told her that I would look in on her mom in Edmonton.
No matter who you are I never want to see anyone lose everything in a fire.
My aunt was put up in a new retirement facility about an hour travel time from where I live. So new it has not formally opened up yet. They opened it up to accommodate evacuees from Drayton Valley. I found my aunt in a room with just a hospital bed and a chair, no television, no radio. It was a tough visit. My aunt is eighty-five. She does not know who I am, did not recognize the names of her son and daughter, does not remember her sister who is my mother. It is awfully damn hard to see someone that I was close to deteriorate like this. I hope I live long enough and well enough to not suffer the same fate.
I hunted down some staff. They were still trying to bring themselves up to speed on the senior evacuees' case files. I explained my aunt's condition, asked them to provide a wheelchair as she cannot use a walker. On my way out I ran across the Recreation Coordinator and asked her to look in on my aunt and brought her up to speed as well.
I expect this to be temporary. There is some rain in the affected areas today with hopefully more on the way. I want everyone to be able to get home soon.
When people slip into dementia, it is indeed difficult for those around them. But often it's not difficult for themselves. Their existence is simplified and can be quite happy, which is a great blessing for them.
ReplyDeleteHome is where you son and daughter visit, or where your nephew visits even if you do not recognize them. Thanks for making it home to a few BW.
ReplyDeleteHome is wherever you are visited by a son, daughter, or nephew. Well done BW.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard enough to be displaced when you have all your facilties, but doubly hard on dementia patients who simply don't understand why their entire world has been turned upside down. Difficult as the visit was with your aunt, you did right by her.
ReplyDelete