Family Time
My wife Carol and I have returned from an extended (23 day) live-in experience with my 92 year old father in his apartment in the Memory Care unit of his retirement community. He moved into memory care a couple months ago, and for a while before that, it appeared that he was nearing death. Carol and my sister Cindy decided that we would stay with him for his last weeks, and we took turns living with him. We appreciate more deeply and better understand the work staff in these places do. Lots of bathroom time. Understatement. Now Dad's recovered some physical abilities. He is still able to walk, talk, and laugh, but has very little short term memory. His thoughts and memories and present experience seem to blend and twist into surprising shapes and utterances that challenge one's ability to make sense of anything. Being his son and having all those shared years with him at a tender young age the things he says and does often trigger emotions and thoughts that add to the