Several days have passed since my last post.

Two days ago I received a call from the case manager of the long term care company. She had gotten a call from the company that assigns the aides to my mother. My mother is not sleeping, hence neither are the aides. The care manager wanted me to go back and petition the company to review their decision of not splitting the shift” My mother needs someone to be up with her at night, the twenty-four hour decision is essential but not addressing all the needs of everyone involved. I have about three weeks to file for the appeal until the time frame expires.

As you recall, when I initially petitioned the long term care for two-twelve hour shifts, it was denied and one person over twenty-four hours was assigned; it saves the company money and the assumption is that the aide will sleep during the night. This has not been the case. In my previous post I told you that aide #2 had a middle of the night issue. This seems to be the pattern, the waking and agitation in the night.

Both aides are dealing with this.

The doctor called a geriatric psychiatrist and it was decided to cease the current meds and switch to another one. Aide#1 reported that my mother slept until 5:00 am yesterday, so that was an improvement: I was hopeful.

In order to have a review I have to obtain a  letter of need from the doctor.  Over the next few days we would see the result of the new meds and take it from there.

I texted the aide this morning, thinking for sure that we had found the “cure.” Certainly, surely, this was it! This was the medication!

And I received: “Good Morning, Susie, I’m trying to get some sleep she was up at 1:00 am trying to get off the bed and she was calling for Jack. she sleeping now. First night with the pill was good.

She was asking if my name was Annette.”

I left a message for the doctor reporting the latest. It appears to be a pattern, sleeping every other night probably from exhaustion: Her sleep cycle is totally off.

Here I am again, looking to do battle with an agency. I am holding my breath for a few days.

And I almost forgot to tell you: Jack was her husband, my dad, gone since 1991.
Annette was her older sister, gone since 2009.

She was looking for love in memory.

The series starts here:
Part 1: And The Band Played On … a mother’s life, a daughter’s journey

The previous post is here

The next post is here