Saturday, March 5, 2011

March 5, 2011: Saturday night at the home



My friend, Sara Sissenwein Norris, made this beautiful quilt for Jim. She used Jim's favorite colors - blue and purple. The quilting is done with purple thread. It really perks up Jim's room at the nursing home.

Saturdays I spend the whole day and night with Jim. Today Jim ate his lunch and dinner in the dining room. It's much nicer than staying in his room. I can't buy meals at the home on the weekends. There's no one to pay and give me a receipt. Tonight I had Jim's dessert and a banana. There's an extra bed in Jim's room that I sleep in. I put on a sleep mask and earplugs. The nurses come in and out all night long. They knock loudly and turn the big lights on. I don't think Jim has had a full night's sleep in the last 3 months that he has been hospitalized.

Jim's mother sent him a care package. He really likes the squeeze ball. It's good hand exercise for him. I've been researching tools to help him uncurl his fingers. I found "Saebo Flex" online. It looks promising. I showed it to his OT, Holly. I'm hoping she will try and get the company to send her a sample. They don't sell to individuals.

Jim did a new move today. He pulled his right knee up while in bed. He can roll himself around on the hard mat in the gym. The bed is just too soft for him to move much.

He also is lifting his feet onto the foot stands on his wheelchair. Today he stayed in his chair from noon until after dinner. It's much better for him to be sitting up than just laying in bed.

He got to visit with the old guy who is a volunteer at Sharpview. He seems to just hang around the home. Today he was playing the piano and we enjoyed listening to it. He says that he is almost 70 years old and is still working. But he's at the home just about every night and weekends.

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