Problems, Problems, Problems

First, as always,  I never mean to compare my problems to those who have really SERIOUS problems.  I'm generally fortunate on the REALLY BIG PROBLEMS.  But problems are problems and I get to complain...

Dad fell again a week ago.  One finger was really sore.  He never tells me these things at first.  It was obvious a finger joint was out of place.  So I called his dr and asked what I should do (treatment obviously but I wasn't sure who to go to first).  He said to bring dad to him for a referral to the x-ray lab next door.    I never get the building right!  It is building 11345, and there is a small building between 11340 and 11350.  You would THINK that is 11345.  It isn't.

So I dropped Dad at the curb and parked the car 100 yards away.  When I got back I discovered my error and we had to walk across the enclosure street.  And the buildings on THAT side all have the entrances on the backside of the buildings (Is that dumb or what?). 

Walking is not one of Dad's good points these days, so we had to walk slowly.  A friendly passerby offerred assitance and helped.  When we got to the street-side of the building I thought we wanted, I saw a open door, so I brought Dad in there as a shortcut.  Someone in there got a wheelchair for Dad and brought us right to the front desk.  It was the xray lab! 

An assistant there offerred to go next door to the DR and get the referral.  I applaud such kind helpful people!  Dad got his fingers xrayed and we were told to go home and the DR would call us.

The DR called and said the finger was broken at the joint.  Not really serious, just put a popsicle stick on it as a splint with adhesive bandages for a month.  It could be taken off for bathing and reattached.

Good Old Dad decided it wasn't worth the bother and it would heal on its own.  I considered my options.  I could beat him senseless and apply the splint, but he could still take it off on his own.  I could drug him and epoxy a splint to his finger.  I could try to scare him into allowing the splint. 

I opted for trying to scare him into allowing the splint (less chance of me ending up in jail that way).  I mentioned immobility from the joint healing fused.  I suggested infection.  I suggested gangrene.  His response was that it didn't seen that bad and he might not live all that long anyway!

The finger is swollen and there are bruises.  He refuses to go visit the DR and I can't actually drag him that far.  I'll wait watchfully.

Then he fell out of bed last night and landed on the same hand.  First time THAT has happened!  I got him back into bed.  Then spent the next hour awake in my own bed thinking of how to build a bed rail that would keep him from falling out yet allow him to get up to go to the bathroom at night.

But the next morning, I needed to go grocery shopping.  No lunchmeat and few veggies. 

Remember I brought Iza and Ayla to the vet Tuesday?  Well, I forgot to close the back of the SUV after taking the carriers out.  The battery was dead!  No grocery shopping today...

I did that last year once and the battery wouldn't fully recharge after being jump-started from a boat battery.  I had to get a new one.  Minor cost, but an annoying process.  I HATE sitting around a repair shop (the dealership) for an hour or two while they do a 5 minute job.  So I tried recharging this baterry.  It got to 63% charged by dinnertime (after the repair shop was closed) and no further!  It's dead.  And tomorrow is SATURDAY, so they will be super-busy. 

I will call them to see if they can replace the battery fast, but I may just go to an auto store and leave the car running while I buy a replacement there.  THEN go grocery shopping. 

I thought of a couple bed rails I can set up tonight, and I'll do that.  Dad is frightened of rolling out of bed again.  I also found some nice ones I can buy online and have delivered in a few days.  Dad is contradictory about this.  Afraid of falling out of bed again, but not willing to allow the more professional bed rail to be purchased.

This MAY be the tipping point of getting him into assisted-living care.  But if he won't spend $80 on a convenient fold down bed rail, I doubt he will agree to $5,000/month for assisted living.  He would be happier in many ways in assisted living and he can afford it just on his monthly annuity, but he is SO CHEAP!  But seriously, he is getting to the point where I can't take care of him as well as professionals could. 

Its time I just TELL him that I am going to visit some local assisted living places and see how good they are.  And then DO it.  I know what he might accept (to the extent that he would accept anything).  A simple bedroom/bathroom unit with a kitchenette for snacks, a common TV room where other residents are there to watch TV with and idle chatter, and meals with others on schedule.

I went and checked the battery charger.  It was still on 63% after 5 hours.  I turned it off and tried the engine.  It started right up, so I drove it around for 30 minutes to give it a shot at recharging the battery fully from the engine.  Safely in the garage, I turned it on and off twice and it seemed to work fine.  I guess I'll just put the 2 boat batteries in the back for possible jump-starting and hope for the best.  I still don't trust that battery.

When I got back, I set up the temporary bed rail I thought about for Dad.  He griped and fussed that it wasn't perfect (while still fearing falling out AND STILL not wanting a commercial version).  He is impossible to please.  But that's not new; he's always been that way.