Changing Minds and Hearts.

It's been a hell of a week. We have been helping with an older couple settle back into his home routine after experiencing a heart attack leaving his heart to function at 33% when I get a phone call telling me that my mother was admitted to the hospital last Tuesday. She was dehydrated and had a urinary track infection; add to the equation that she is 93 and has some mild form of dementia doesn't help. She does recognize my sister who has been her primary caregiver for about the last 4 years. She took care of her children's other grandmother many years ago before she passed away.

In the past this sister and I have had strong differences of opinions about Mother and her about my transition, (I think). Last year my ex-wife and daughter got my sister to let us watch Mom for one night a week so she could do yoga with my ex-wife, Linda. I have mentioned a huge shift in the relationships with my ex and daughter and it's been amazing.

My sister is Mom's legal guardian and caregiver and knows mom's habits quite well; how she eats, reacts, her daily routine. But this hospital stay is just another episode in Mother's downward health spiral, and will be a set back.

My other 3 sisters were spending 2 weeks at a home on the Georgia Coast and had expected to come get mom and take her back, without this sister who has been her caregiver. So when the one sister (P) came back to Valdosta to get mother; that was when she fell ill and had to be hospitalized. I was checking in on mom and to see if M needed a to get lunch and P looked pissed, it was as if she was blaming mom for upsetting her (P) plans, as she had brought along her dog. Why she brought her dog is nuts, cause it would probable be an problem as they travel back to P coastal home unless the dog was traveling in a kennel.

The following day my sisters (P) and (B the younger) showed up to visit mother. And they were so excited to see mother eat a little more than usual, and was making plans to take her to the beach. They just knew mom was getting better and would have a great time at the beach. But the problem is that they only saw a narrow window of her life now. She was awake and more responsive in those moments so they assume that she is getting better; false thinking, bad assumptions bad choices. They have no idea what mother will do, how to care for her, how to calm her down or what she does when she is nervous.

Our thoughts are to support my sister M as she has the Power of Attorney to care for her and made important decisions.