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“Did the hospital call?” he asked me as he took a seat across from me at the table.
“Nope, nothing.”
“Let's hope there’s a positive change waiting for us when we get there,” Jensen said.
We finished eating and decided to take one vehicle, opting for his since he was parked behind me in the driveway. The ride was silent. When we got to Mom’s room her eyes were open and there was a doctor and a nurse in there assessing her. “Is everything all right?” I asked as I reached her side.
“You must be Mitchell. I'm Dr. Turner. When your mother woke today, she was a bit agitated and tried to rip out her IVs. It set the alarm off and the nurses came right in. They had to sedate her, and she didn’t do much more than mumble. When we reassessed her injuries, she flinched a bit when we got to the bruised area. I'd like to have another X-ray done just to be certain nothing is damaged. I understand that Dr. Chan spoke with you last night about your options?”
He turned and glanced my way. I pulled strength from Jensen’s presence beside me. “Yes, and as much as I'd like to say I'd be able to take care of her, which was the whole point in moving back to Vegas, it's clear that I can't. I'd be interested in looking at some of the facilities they mentioned if that's all right?”
“I think that's a wise decision and don't think less of yourself for doing so. Taking care of an elderly parent is no easy feat and it requires around-the-clock coverage. It's best left in the hands of professionals in my personal opinion,” he said as he placed the stethoscope around his neck. “The orderlies will be in shortly to take her down for X-rays. You can wait here and when they come back up, I'll have the nurse bring you some brochures. I know it's not a quick or easy decision to make, but I don't want to release her to go back home. Granted, it's a familiar place and that portion of it would be good, I'm afraid that she's going to hurt herself especially considering she's still not speaking so she can't tell you what she needs,” Dr. Turner said. Though his words were true, they hurt like hell.
“I understand, though it doesn't make it hurt any less,” I admitted.
“Nurse, why don't you go on and print the papers out now, that way they can read it over while she's in X-ray,” Dr. Turner said.
“Yes, Doctor,” she replied as she headed out of the room with Dr. Turner behind her.
“Momma?” I leaned over her, “Momma, it’s me, Mitchell. Can you hear me?”
Her eyes were glazed over, not focused on anything. My heart was fucking breaking. She was all I had left, well, her and Jensen.
Chapter 6
Kate was staying at the hospital until we found a home to place her in. They made it seem like it was as easy as that, a cut and dry process. Nothing to moving a woman from a home she made and lived in for forty plus years. Did they train them to be like that in med school? Cold, as though nothing mattered. Take a number and have a seat then onto the next. It was like choosing meat at the butcher’s counter.
We decided upon three facilities to tour today, saving the hospital recommendation for last so our decision wasn’t swayed in any way. I was glad we’d taken my vehicle. Mitchell was in no state of mind to drive and losing him to a bad decision wasn’t happening on my watch. Dr. Turner recommended memory care facilities as they were still concerned with the possibility of Kate having dementia. All three today offered that in one variation or another.
He sat silently beside me, I reached over and took his hand in mine. A bold move, yes, but a necessary one. When he didn’t recoil, I threaded our fingers together. “How are you holding up over there?”
“I don’t even know anymore. One minute I’m on the phone with my asshole boss, the next I’m looking at homes to put my mother in. I have no words,” he replied.
When Mitchell's father died it was quick, he had a heart attack and died in his sleep. This, what his mother would now go through, would be a long, drawn-out process of watching her deteriorate. Was it just me or were the gods cruel at times? Why couldn't everyone just go instantly when it was their time? No watching a loved one suffer. No pain and anguish, they would just disappear. No bodies to bury or cremate. No expensive funerals to be paid for. They were just…gone.
We pulled up in front of the first facility, a clean, yellow building with white trim. A very calm, soothing color. Various trees and flowers lined the grounds in front of it. “This looks like it could be nice,” I said to Mitchell. “Are you ready to go in?”
“About as ready as I'm gonna be.”
We walked inside and checked in with the receptionist at the front counter. We had called ahead to all three places to ensure we could tour them today and they obliged. At the first facility we met with the director, Cooper, who gave us the tour. This place was a large, multi-story building and it was one where singles or couples could move in together. It was designed to be a one stop residence where you started out in an apartment and were free to come and go as you pleased. Then as time wore on and a resident required care, they would move into the next stage of the facility, whether it be part-time or full-time care. Honestly, that was quite a nice concept. Especially for those with no family to make decisions for them. Here, they’d have all they needed until the end.
The downstairs ward was locked, and that was where the patients with Alzheimer's or dementia resided. They called it the Memory Care unit. Mitchell tensed as Cooper opened the doors though we followed him inside. Tension roiled off of Mitchell and I wished I could do this for him but unfortunately these weren't my decisions to make. I was merely along for moral support. The staff were friendly, and the patients appeared to be well cared for but just knowing why they were there was not something you could really put into words. In the end, we thanked Cooper for his time and drove to the next location which was nearly a mirror image of the first.
Again, we met with another director who took us on a tour and went through the same sales pitch. Breaking down how each section of the facility ran and what its purpose was and ended up in another memory care unit. While you could honestly never tour enough facilities to feel like you’ve made the right choice for your loved one, the opposite side of that was it quickly became too much. There I was and it wasn't even for my parents, and I felt stressed as we reached the third facility.
This one didn't gradually evolve the way the others had. This establishment was solely focused on memory care, so the entire facility was secured. It was a two-story building with a large, gated area behind it where the patients could be escorted outside to enjoy some sunlight and foliage. Carla, the director, took us into different group rooms that they had where the patients could go in and play board games, or watch movies, mingle with each other, though there weren't many in there at this moment.
“The majority of our patients are in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's or dementia which keeps them to their rooms. For those who have family, they can still come and visit but it is difficult for the loved ones when the patient has forgotten who they are. In my opinion,” Carla said, “I strongly believe it's important for them to be here because somewhere deep inside there's always hope that a part of the brain does remember them and appreciates them being here. But even so, they appreciate having someone watch TV with them, or read. Overall, another spending time with them, even if they don't know who you are, is still appreciated and makes their days a bit less lonely.”
“Would the doctors here be able to properly assess my mother and see if she truly does fit into those categories? And if she doesn't, would we then be able to either take her home or move her somewhere else that may be a better fit?” Mitchell asked her. I knew he was grasping at every straw he could to make himself believe he made the right decision and if for some reason it was the wrong one, he needed to know that there was a way out. I just wanted to hug him and make the pain go away.
“Absolutely. Every patient that is brought in is thoroughly assessed and we monitor them closely. If this isn't the right care for your mother we would immediately notify you and help you get her moved to a facility that matched her needs,” Carla assured Mitchell.
“The hospital wants us to move her now. They said since she's not speaking there's really not much they can do for her because her injuries are minor. Do you have a bed available in your facility for her to move into tomorrow?” Mitchell asked.
“We do. Would you like to see the available rooms?” Carla asked.
“Yes, please.”
