Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2006. Mattie was four years old and by that time he totally understood the notion of Christmas, the importance of sitting still for a photo, and the sheer joy of decorating and celebrating the holidays. As you can see, Mattie was wearing a Christmas sweater for our family holiday card and he wanted to feature his Santa train in the photo. This train was brought out of storage this year, and just like Mattie used to do, we set it up around our tree.
Today's Coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins:
- Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 54,285,594
- Number of people who died from the virus: 824,276
We received a lovely donation yesterday from a family I do not know! So I wrote to them asking them how they learned and decided to donate to Mattie Miracle. Her answer was her family wanted their children to give a portion of their allowance to a local charity. They went on "great nonprofits" together and did a search. From there, they found Mattie Miracle, they liked what they read, and contributed. Nonetheless, hearing that made my day.
My parents had a visit from an in-home physical therapist and occupational therapist today. Both professionals did an evaluation on my dad and the PT did an evaluation on my mom. I learned from these ladies that there are TWO ways to bill Medicare for these professional services. One is through Medicare Part A (in-patient care), and there is a 60 day limit of service provided (therapy once a week for four weeks and then therapy every other week for the second month). The other is through Medicare Part B (out-patient care). Apparently one can get more long term therapy through this option. So once we exhaust the 60 days, I will be looking into Fox Rehab.
Here is info on Fox Rehab, because I think every caregiver should know about this option......................
From the start of his career Dr. Tim Fox connected with older adult patients. Early on in his work, he noted flaws in the programs serving this group and set out to change them. After tirelessly reading through Medicare’s regulations he realized he could provide a new and innovative model of care. One using Medicare Part B to cover geriatric therapy at home. With a laptop and this bold idea, Dr. Fox set up shop in his basement and went knocking on physicians’ doors. Physicians easily saw the benefit to their patients. It was 1998, and FOX Rehabilitation was off and running. However, the treatment model wasn’t all that was extraordinary. Dr. Fox orchestrated a culture where the staff defines the standards. FOX is founded on a belief that great clinicians will do great work if you remove the handcuffs of bureaucracy. This tenet has been proven true beyond all imagination. Call FOX today for an in-home evaluation 1.866.227.8766.
These two women spent about two hours with us and they put my dad through his paces. They could clearly see that my mom and dad have VERY different issues. My mom just needs therapy to help with posture, as her stance and gait have been dramatically impacted from years of my dad holding onto her arm for balance. I have noticed a significant decline in my dad, from when I saw him in April of 2021. He tires very easily and without our stimulation would sleep the day away. He needs significant help with washing, dressing, and toileting and I think the therapists were impressed with how well I have it together. Specifically I was showing his occupational therapist the workbooks I use with my dad every morning for cognitive exercise. She was so impressed that she took photos of the books.
The occupational therapist gave my dad a cognitive evaluation today by using MoCA. Here's the irony in this, if you just looked at how he answered the questions, you would think he has NO memory impairment at all. As he was able to count backwards from 100 by 7s (100, 93, 86, 79...) he knew it was winter, the month of December, the year, that we are in the USA, our house is in Oakton, he was also able to draw a clock face, and memorize two out of three words (apple, penny, table). Now he maybe able to answer these questions, but if you ask him what he did five minutes ago, what movie we watched, what we just ate, he has NO IDEA. To me this is what is important and if you can't remember what just happened, it impacts your ability to communicate, to be involved in conversation, to read a book or newspaper, and to watch a TV show. Unfortunately I have learned that my dad is not only struggling with short term memory, he also has issues with long term memory too!
Meanwhile, today I started Doxycycline Hyclate, thanks to my former physician. I have decided to return to her practice because though she doesn't offer concierge medical care, we have a 20 year history together that is worth its weight in gold! Even with one dosage on board, I can begin to ear again out of my ears, to feel the pressure in my sinuses subside, and I am not coughing any more! Amazing what happens when a physician LISTENS to a patient!
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