As I was eating dinner with Dad last week in the Memory Care dining room, I observed his fellow residents, all of whom manifest various levels of cognitive dysfunction. But despite their disabilities, most of them retain remnants of their former personalities and habits.
For example, there's the affable doctor who can still carry on a good conversation - with himself or others. Then there's the busy little woman who can't seem to sit still for very long; she seems driven to serve, moving from table to table as though to offer assistance but never quite articulating the offer or interacting in a meaningful way. And then there's my father who cannot leave the table without first pushing in his chair, even though he nearly loses his balance in doing so.
I've also observed residents in the skilled nursing wing whose Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease has progressed to the point that they are nearly comatose. This makes me thankful for every small way Dad is able to function in the activities of daily living for it may not last much longer.
Sue
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My father spent several years in the "memory care"-equivalent wing of a nursing home. It was not a place where he could have familiar furniture and the like. The place your father is sounds wonderful (my father's place was good and appropriate; it just did not offer some of what your father can have).
I found it interesting to spend time there and got to know a number of the other people. Some were quite "with it," and others were not. Each day was also different, even though the days did seem repetitive.
Your comments about the individuals brought those memories back for me. It was a good thing. Thank you.
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