General Update #182 - October 8, 2020

October 7 Addendum

As Dusty was departing farmhouse yesterday afternoon Joyce asked him who the nurse who had been helping her all day had been. Dusty asked for clarification and Joyce said she wanted to know the name of the nurse who had been with her all day, the one with the glasses and the moustache. Dusty informed Joyce it had just been them together all day. Joyce accepted this after a brief pause to think and then did recall that she was remembering Dusty helping her and not some other person.

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October 8, 2020

Dusty arrived to farmhouse ~7:50 a.m. finding Joyce awake, alert, and looking through yesterday's newspaper. Joyce stated she had gone to the bathroom earlier in the morning when asked and "had been awake for a while." Joyce asked if she had to do PT today and Dusty let her know that she only had to work with him as no one from Kindred was scheduled to arrive today. Dusty set to work making her breakfast tray and preparing morning medications.

Craig arrived into farmhouse ~8 a.m. to check on Joyce and look at today's newspaper's obituaries. Craig informed Dusty during conversation that Joyce had bad pain in her left leg last night which made it difficult for her to walk and so he was surprised that Joyce had made it into the bathroom this morning on her own. Joyce reported no pain today in her leg when asked.

Vitals taken at 8:11 a.m., blood pressure 171/106, pulse 78. Blood glucose level at 158. Lidocaine patch applied to back. 

Breakfast given to Joyce at 8:12 a.m. (1 hardboiled egg with Mrs. Dash seasoning, 1 slice whole wheat toast with butter, 1/2 banana, vanilla Ensure). Morning medication (Carvedilol, Metformin, 2 Tylenol, Multivitamin, Iron, Potassium). Joyce put down the newspapers and moved her tray onto her walker, refusing to eat, stating she was tired and "needing to wake up." Joyce then rolled forward in her recliner and kept trying to sleep while Dusty emptied dishwasher and put away Joyce's clothes that Carol had taken out of the dryer and folded last night. Dusty worked on Joyce to stay awake and eat, finally getting her to start working on eating ~8:38 a.m. Joyce lethargic and was very slow throughout the breakfasting process. Joyce finished eating ~9:23 a.m.

Joyce napped intermittently in her recliner from ~9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Joyce continued to remove her oxygen line, requiring prompts to restore it into place. Dusty made fresh supply of boiled eggs for Joyce's refrigerator inventory.

11:09 a.m. - Scam phone call to farmhouse land line intercepted by Dusty.

11:30 a.m. - Dusty attempted to get Joyce to use the bathroom but she stated she was too tired to move and needed time to wake up. Dusty continued to attempt to get Joyce to rise without success until he had to join his video call ~Noon.

12:58 p.m. - Vitals taken once Dusty got off his video call. Blood pressure 151/81, pulse 77. Joyce said "Good morning" to Dusty. Dusty informed her it was afternoon and Joyce struggled to gain coherency. Joyce had difficulty responding to interrogatives and could not remember eating breakfast, stating that she thought she had slept through it as she did not recall feeding herself. Joyce repeatedly declined offers of lunch and requests to be taken to bathroom. Joyce cited she was fatigued and resumed napping of and on. Dusty continued prompting her to eat or make a trip to the bathroom each time Joyce stirred, looked at him and said "Good morning!" before nodding her head at his questions and then falling back asleep. 

2:10 p.m. - Bathroom trip. Urinary incontinence. Diaper and diaper pad insert changed. Urine passed. Returned to recliner ~2:28 p.m. after Joyce declined PT walk and exercises, citing she was "too sleepy to do them right now" but would consider "doing them later." Joyce declined lunch again, citing she was not feeling hungry. Dusty informed her that if she waited too much longer he would not be around and she would have to wait to eat dinner with Connie once she arrived to provide evening care. Joyce said that she would prefer to wait to eat with Connie. Dusty provided Joyce a snack to go with her 2 Tylenol. 

2:40 p.m. - Joyce accepted 1/2 banana and 2 Tylenol. Joyce kept attempting to set aside the banana out of Dusty's line of sight. Dusty had to continue prompting Joyce to eat. Banana eaten by 2:55 p.m.

Joyce napped off and on until ~3:27 p.m. when Connie arrived to farmhouse early. Joyce was excited to see Connie. 

Dusty departing farmhouse to work at his office on campus ~4 p.m.

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Connie covering morning and early afternoon care for Joyce tomorrow (October 9) with Carol covering evening care for Joyce as Dusty and Jess will be traveling out of the area for medical and Scouting appointments in Spokane. 

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