On Thursday my father in-law (Don) had an appointment for the vaccine at the assisted living place he lived in until last September. He passed out and the staff found him on the floor one morning. On getting released from the hospital the next day, he was very upset about having to go back to that place and quarantine in his room because he left the facility. So, the siblings stepped up and we've been caring for him ever since. I think they've lost a lot of residents (probably most facilities have) and seem almost desperate to do anything they can to get him back! The staff
really likes him there!
I learned at Huntsman that patients like me don't get to jump the line because we are immunocompromised, we just have to wait with everyone else. That's cool, I'm careful about stuff! Dons assisted living facility had a mass vaccination day on Thursday for their residents, but after that was done, they had invited a "hand selected" few to come for the vaccine. Don was one of them, and I was his driver. We started talking to a couple that was there for the same thing. Their Mom lives in Memory Care, they are her caretakers. They are closer to the designated age group than me, but I got thinking ...
When the facility director came in the room, I asked if caretakers could get the vaccine as well, because I am a caretaker and immunocompromised on top of it! The guy we were talking to in the hall was getting his vaccination at that moment, sleeve pulled up ready to go. When I said that, he said, "No, wait. I want to give my vaccination to her. I can wait!" I was stunned and so grateful. He insisted I take it. I thanked him profusely. As bad as Don's memory is, he remarked again today about how great it was that we both got the vaccination, that the man was willing to give up his so I could have mine. The facility still gave him the shot as well.
After we left the facility, I was headed down 3900 S. towards the freeway. The area was familiar to him and asked me if we could do something, ... to go there. I figured out he was talking about the cemetery where his wife, Betty is buried (even though he didn't say any of those words). Of course! I should have thought of it myself! I told him I would do my best to find her grave, if I could find one landmark, then I knew where she was. I pulled up to the spot and went to make sure we were in the right place. I found her headstone (they are almost all flat, very simple grave markers) and called for him to come. He jumped out of the car, tears welling up in his eyes and came over to see it. I asked him if he wanted to talk to her for a minute, he declined that, but he was so grateful to be there for with her a few minutes.
We talked to a nurse practitioner yesterday that approved him for hospice care again. Dementia by itself isn't a qualifying ailment for hospice. But dementia in addition to vascular disease is. He has all the signs for vascular disease (including a heart attack in 2019), so she had no problem re-enrolling him. That will be a great thing for us!
