Church Day

Called Mom a little earlier than usual this morning to check and see if she was up for church.  She said, "I don't know."  (She is starting to say that a LOT lately)  I asked her to let me talk to one of the staff.  I heard her say, "Would you talk to my son?" as she handed the phone to someone.  It was Tiffany.  I asked her if Mom was ready for church this morning and she said that Mom was all dressed in her church clothes and ready to go.  I thanked her and she hung up.  I called Mom right back and told her that everything was fine and that I would be there within thirty minutes to pick her up for church. 

Mom was in her usual spot on the couch in the front room when I arrived.  She seemed to give me a double take before it looked like she recognized me.  She didn't have her cane.  They are now getting her used to using her walker instead.  I got her signed out around 9:20am and we slowly made our way out of the East wing - down the hall - through the front waiting room - to the front door.  I had my pickup parked at the curb by the front entrance.  I got Mom secured and bucked up in the passenger seat and placed her walker in the bed of the pickup.  Rather than trying to initiate the conversation I decided to see if Mom would talk on her own.  It was a very quiet ride to church.  When we arrived, I got the walker out of the truck bed and Mom made her way up the ramp into the sanctuary.  Ladybug was already there playing the piano.  I said , "Isn't that a beautiful piano player?"  Mom just looked at me and smiled.  Ladybug told me later that she wasn't sure if Mom recognized her.  During Sunday School, Mom sat with her hands on her legs, fingers straight, pointed to her knees and often had her eyes closed. In between Sunday School and the morning worship service I helped Mom find the rest room.  After the congregational singing, Ladybug went and sit  next to Mom to help find the scriptures for her in the Bible during the preaching.  Mom said she didn't want to read them but would just listen.  

After the morning service, we had a noon meal served in the fellowship area and I got Mom all set up with a bowl of chili and a small plate of food.  She really didn't eat very much.  After dinner, I helped Mom back out into the sanctuary and after sitting there for a few minutes she seemed slightly agitated so I asked her if she needed anything.  She wanted to know why it was taking them so long to clean up in the kitchen.  I said, "Well, Mom some people just now finished eating and there aren't very many that are helping with the cleanup.  Are your getting tired?  Do you want me to take you home?"  She said, "I don't care."  It seemed to me that she was starting to get a little cranky, so, I made arrangements for some of the other brethren to take care of the duties I usually perform and loaded Mom back up in the pickup and we returned to OAR.  I signed her back in at 2pm.  

We had received word that Mom's brother Glen (who also was an Alzheimer's patient) Passed away last night.  I didn't say anything about it to Mom.  When I talked to Snickers this afternoon, she and Popcorn were headed over for a visit with Mom and planned to tell her about Uncle Glen.  Mom was the oldest of eight siblings and now she and her youngest brother are the only two survivors in the family.