While Mom Eats

All I need to do to insure that I'll stop writing regularly is to write that writing is good for your health.

I have a few minutes while Mom is eating. It's the only thing she can still do on her own, except for sleeping. With her meals, we give her finger food that isn't too messy, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Tonight she's eating salmon, vegetable medley (green and yellow beans and baby carrots) and strawberries. She has always loved fruits and vegetables, so getting her to eat healthy is not a problem. She can no longer use utensils, so eats it all with her fingers. She still has an amazingly good appetite, especially for a woman of her size. At this time of night, however, all she wants to do is go to bed, so keeping her awake and focused on her food is the big challenge.

The latest development with her health is that she has developed a problem with her right wrist. Though right-handed, she's been functioning as a lefty for years, protecting her arthritic right shoulder. Late last week, her right wrist started hanging as though limp. Her arm is not limp, and she still has plenty of grip strength in her right hand. We bought her a wrist brace and called her doctor, who suspects that it's wrist drop.

When Mom was receiving home hospice, they would occasionally send out Maureen, the most amazing Occupational Therapist. She was a miracle worker with Mom. We knew that she worked for a home health agency in addition to the hospice, so we called her to see if she could come out to provide some help for Mom. Long story short, the agency won't send anyone out to help. Even though Wikidoc says physical or occupational therapy can help (and what self-respecting health care provider doesn't rely on Wikidoc?), they say there is nothing they can do. Nothing they are willing to do seems more to the point, and that opinion comes from previous experience trying to get private physical or occupation therapy for Mom in the home. Basically, Medicare pays so far above the billing cost, they won't bother even with private pay home care, since it only pays what they're asking, instead of above and beyond. And you wonder why we're frustrated with the health care system?