Good Days, bad days, repeat

I talked to my Mom for about 20 minutes before I had to leave and get the kids. My Dad is stable but acts like a 3 year old. It's so hard for everyone. I feel sad about everything. Apparently, the stroke did more damage to his cognitive skills and he's regressing (more than usual). Sometimes, he's all right and acts somewhat normal. Yesterday was a bad day. I'm so sorry that my Mom has to deal with all of this...let alone the nurses. He has gotten into physical fights w/ people...refusing therapy, changing, feeding, medicine, etc, etc. What do you do with this behavior?? You can't sedate him because he'll just sleep all day (which he wants to do anyway), he has no desire to move or get out of there. My Mom is considering taking him home and seeing if that makes a difference. I don't know. I know she can do a certain amount to help him and make him comfortable but his mental state is so up and down, I just hope we can get her some aides to help each day and give her a break.

I'm reminded of when my parents used to take care of some elderly people at their home. One woman, Mary Z., had Alzheimer's and was really hard to deal with. She would wander, get into trouble by talking to strangers (had her apartment robbed twice) and just was the standard person with dementia. I don't think my dad is so bad, but when he's spitting food into people's faces, you have to wonder. It's upsetting and makes me angry that the stroke has taken so much of his control (physically and behaviorally)away.

Oy! Sometimes life just throws this curves at people you love. I hope today was a better day for my Mom and that my brother's and sister help her out more.

Thank God is it Friday and we can relax a bit with no getting up early, driving in the rain, etc, etc. I'm really ready for Spring. :) I think we have to wait for another 2 more months. sigh...and I've got to start planning a trip to California to visit my parents.