LJ Idol Week 7
May. 10th, 2022 09:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mollywheezyPrompt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are"
My dad fell and broke his femur, very near his hip, on May 30, 2021. He had surgery to repair it on Memorial Day and spent 10 days in the hospital. He was in rehab, which he hated, until July 20, when I found a CNA (certified nursing assistant) we could almost afford so he could get enough help to be at home. The look on his face when I told him he was going home and the huge smile he had when he was sitting in his recliner for the first time made it worth all the effort.
Unfortunately, my dad never regained the ability to walk. He was hospitalized for pneumonia for three weeks from late August to mid September, and the hospital staff never got him out of bed, against the doctor’s orders. Stupid Covid rules didn’t allow my mom or me to visit enough to keep an eye on things. We couldn’t make sure my dad was getting the best care in half an hour per day.
When he came home from that hospitalization, he could no longer, even with assistance, stand and pivot to transfer from the bed to the wheel chair or from the wheelchair to his recliner. It took me weeks, but I worked with Home Health and the insurance company to acquire a Hoyer lift for my dad.
I had seen Hoyer lifts before, and had had training for using one once, since I happened to be with one of my hospice families when their Hoyer lift was delivered and they invited me to stay. However, I had never actually used one, and it’s not as easy as it looked. The technician who did our training suggested I practice with my mom since she could move easily and would be able to get herself into the sling properly. My mom shrieked, “I am NOT getting into that thing!” The lift works through using pneumatic pressure, enabling someone to pick up far more weight than they could on their own. I managed it, but it does take effort, especially in making sure I didn’t bang any part of my dad into a wall or into a piece of furniture.
The Hoyer lift made daily life easier, even if not exactly easy, but it did not enable us to take my dad anywhere. If he had to go to the doctor, we used Elder Ride, a service with cars and vans built so a person can be wheeled up a ramp into the back and clamped into place, reversing the process upon arrival. I thought I could probably get my dad into the car with the Hoyer lift, although that is not its intended use, but the Hoyer lift is huge and not at all portable, so I would not be able to get him out of the car.
When we ran out of Home Health days, our doctor wrote an order for outpatient physical therapy for my dad. I was unable to schedule Elder Ride for his first appointment since they were already booked. I decided I was going to get my dad into the car with the Hoyer lift because the physical therapy location would have a Hoyer Lift to get him out of the car.
Getting my dad into the wheelchair with the Hoyer lift was not a problem. I wheeled him to the elevator while my mom used her walker, and then returned to wheel the Hoyer lift to the elevator, which was more difficult than I had expected. My mom with her walker, my dad in his wheelchair, the Hoyer lift, and I completely filled the largest elevator of my parents’ apartment building. Fitting us inside was akin to playing live-action Tetris. We received many comments from other residents who had called the elevator to their floors and couldn’t fit. Most along the lines of, “What is that thing?!” Trying to get my dad into the car with it took 45 minutes, and I was breathing heavily and sweating when I finally succeeded. My dad was not particularly pleased either, since he was never very fond of the Hoyer lift. He never admitted it, but I think he was rather afraid of hanging in the sling. I also am certain my lack of skill using the contraption did not instill him with confidence.
When I arrived at the physical therapy building, I parked and went inside to bring back a Hoyer Lift and/or help. The employees would not let me use their Hoyer lift because it was a liability issue. They tried to tell me to take my dad back home and we would reschedule, but I refused. The Stubborn is strong in my family.
My dad’s physical therapist had the build of an American Football player. He, and the similarly built security guard we found to help, had no problem lifting my 135 pound dad out of the car and into his wheelchair. They were not very gracious about it but did it, perceiving they would not win the battle of wills with me. The physical therapist was much kinder about putting my dad back into the car after spending time with him. It was impossible not to like my dad, who was always quick with a laugh and a smile.
When we returned to my parents’ apartment, it took me 45 minutes to get my dad out of the car with the Hoyer lift. I actually think getting him out of the car was even harder than getting him in. It took me forever to figure out how to lift my dad off the seat enough to get him out of the car without the bar that holds the sling being trapped inside the car.
It was an ordeal of a day, but I began to consider if it would be possible to take my dad somewhere fun. I had pushed my dad in his wheelchair around the garden at their apartment complex, but other than that, he hadn’t left their apartment other than for doctor or therapy visits since Memorial Day weekend, and it was November. I began searching for drive in or drive through events, and remembered the Botanical Gardens’ Christmas Lights display!
This time, I had Arthur to help with getting my dad in and out of the car with the Hoyer lift, so it only took half an hour rather than 45 minutes. The four of us went to the Botanical Gardens’ Galaxy of Lights on December 3rd. They have a walk through version, but of course we did the drive through version. My dad was smiling brightly in the passenger seat next to me as I drove. I drove so slowly through the display a couple of cars became impatient and passed me. I didn’t care. I was going to make the trip last as long as possible.
Even with Arthur’s help, getting my dad out of the car was still harder than getting him in. Unfortunately, the sling wasn't positioned very well, which I can't fix. With Arthur crawling into the driver’s seat to push while I pulled from the passenger side, we finally got my dad out of the car and he was dangling in the sling. I said, "There we go! GOOD!"
My dad glared at me and said, "Molly! What part of this do you think is good?!"
I answered, "I didn't drop you on the ground. We have a very low bar for what qualifies as good around here, Dad."
He didn't laugh at it then, but when we were back in their apartment and told my mom, he did. I asked if he had fun and if all the Hoyer lift drama was worth it and received a resounding yes. Arthur and I researched more drive through Christmas lights events and found one about half an hour away which we planned for the next weekend on Saturday. My dad passed away on Friday. I will be forever thankful we had such a fun time together as a family before it was too late.
A/N: I tried to include a picture of a Hoyer lift, but I couldn't get it to work.
My dad fell and broke his femur, very near his hip, on May 30, 2021. He had surgery to repair it on Memorial Day and spent 10 days in the hospital. He was in rehab, which he hated, until July 20, when I found a CNA (certified nursing assistant) we could almost afford so he could get enough help to be at home. The look on his face when I told him he was going home and the huge smile he had when he was sitting in his recliner for the first time made it worth all the effort.
Unfortunately, my dad never regained the ability to walk. He was hospitalized for pneumonia for three weeks from late August to mid September, and the hospital staff never got him out of bed, against the doctor’s orders. Stupid Covid rules didn’t allow my mom or me to visit enough to keep an eye on things. We couldn’t make sure my dad was getting the best care in half an hour per day.
When he came home from that hospitalization, he could no longer, even with assistance, stand and pivot to transfer from the bed to the wheel chair or from the wheelchair to his recliner. It took me weeks, but I worked with Home Health and the insurance company to acquire a Hoyer lift for my dad.
I had seen Hoyer lifts before, and had had training for using one once, since I happened to be with one of my hospice families when their Hoyer lift was delivered and they invited me to stay. However, I had never actually used one, and it’s not as easy as it looked. The technician who did our training suggested I practice with my mom since she could move easily and would be able to get herself into the sling properly. My mom shrieked, “I am NOT getting into that thing!” The lift works through using pneumatic pressure, enabling someone to pick up far more weight than they could on their own. I managed it, but it does take effort, especially in making sure I didn’t bang any part of my dad into a wall or into a piece of furniture.
The Hoyer lift made daily life easier, even if not exactly easy, but it did not enable us to take my dad anywhere. If he had to go to the doctor, we used Elder Ride, a service with cars and vans built so a person can be wheeled up a ramp into the back and clamped into place, reversing the process upon arrival. I thought I could probably get my dad into the car with the Hoyer lift, although that is not its intended use, but the Hoyer lift is huge and not at all portable, so I would not be able to get him out of the car.
When we ran out of Home Health days, our doctor wrote an order for outpatient physical therapy for my dad. I was unable to schedule Elder Ride for his first appointment since they were already booked. I decided I was going to get my dad into the car with the Hoyer lift because the physical therapy location would have a Hoyer Lift to get him out of the car.
Getting my dad into the wheelchair with the Hoyer lift was not a problem. I wheeled him to the elevator while my mom used her walker, and then returned to wheel the Hoyer lift to the elevator, which was more difficult than I had expected. My mom with her walker, my dad in his wheelchair, the Hoyer lift, and I completely filled the largest elevator of my parents’ apartment building. Fitting us inside was akin to playing live-action Tetris. We received many comments from other residents who had called the elevator to their floors and couldn’t fit. Most along the lines of, “What is that thing?!” Trying to get my dad into the car with it took 45 minutes, and I was breathing heavily and sweating when I finally succeeded. My dad was not particularly pleased either, since he was never very fond of the Hoyer lift. He never admitted it, but I think he was rather afraid of hanging in the sling. I also am certain my lack of skill using the contraption did not instill him with confidence.
When I arrived at the physical therapy building, I parked and went inside to bring back a Hoyer Lift and/or help. The employees would not let me use their Hoyer lift because it was a liability issue. They tried to tell me to take my dad back home and we would reschedule, but I refused. The Stubborn is strong in my family.
My dad’s physical therapist had the build of an American Football player. He, and the similarly built security guard we found to help, had no problem lifting my 135 pound dad out of the car and into his wheelchair. They were not very gracious about it but did it, perceiving they would not win the battle of wills with me. The physical therapist was much kinder about putting my dad back into the car after spending time with him. It was impossible not to like my dad, who was always quick with a laugh and a smile.
When we returned to my parents’ apartment, it took me 45 minutes to get my dad out of the car with the Hoyer lift. I actually think getting him out of the car was even harder than getting him in. It took me forever to figure out how to lift my dad off the seat enough to get him out of the car without the bar that holds the sling being trapped inside the car.
It was an ordeal of a day, but I began to consider if it would be possible to take my dad somewhere fun. I had pushed my dad in his wheelchair around the garden at their apartment complex, but other than that, he hadn’t left their apartment other than for doctor or therapy visits since Memorial Day weekend, and it was November. I began searching for drive in or drive through events, and remembered the Botanical Gardens’ Christmas Lights display!
This time, I had Arthur to help with getting my dad in and out of the car with the Hoyer lift, so it only took half an hour rather than 45 minutes. The four of us went to the Botanical Gardens’ Galaxy of Lights on December 3rd. They have a walk through version, but of course we did the drive through version. My dad was smiling brightly in the passenger seat next to me as I drove. I drove so slowly through the display a couple of cars became impatient and passed me. I didn’t care. I was going to make the trip last as long as possible.
Even with Arthur’s help, getting my dad out of the car was still harder than getting him in. Unfortunately, the sling wasn't positioned very well, which I can't fix. With Arthur crawling into the driver’s seat to push while I pulled from the passenger side, we finally got my dad out of the car and he was dangling in the sling. I said, "There we go! GOOD!"
My dad glared at me and said, "Molly! What part of this do you think is good?!"
I answered, "I didn't drop you on the ground. We have a very low bar for what qualifies as good around here, Dad."
He didn't laugh at it then, but when we were back in their apartment and told my mom, he did. I asked if he had fun and if all the Hoyer lift drama was worth it and received a resounding yes. Arthur and I researched more drive through Christmas lights events and found one about half an hour away which we planned for the next weekend on Saturday. My dad passed away on Friday. I will be forever thankful we had such a fun time together as a family before it was too late.
A/N: I tried to include a picture of a Hoyer lift, but I couldn't get it to work.
no subject
Date: 2022-05-15 09:44 pm (UTC)Very true.
*Hugs back* He really was.