Hi Ms. Annie.
This story makes me sad.
But life is realy unpredictable.
My dad suffered a stroke 2 years ago and now also requires round the clock nursing care. He is 87 years years old, a widower. Before the stroke, my Dad is a lively, fiercely independent man who liked good food, books, TV shows and he doted on his grandchildren. He is a great father and we love him so much na kahit hindi kami mayaman we try our best to make sure he is always clean (to avoid infection like pneumonia, UTI) and as comfortable as possible with no bedsores. Cleanliness is essential so family and friends wont be repulsed to visit. We dont want Dad to be isolated with only working nurses around. A bed-ridden patient has special needs and require vigilant care.
We thank our lucky stars for househelps who love Daddy too and understand the need for daily change/washing of bed linens, clothes & towels, proper garbage disposal because of the adult diapers and other medical discards like gloves and needles, proper handling and preparation of Dad’s meals, cleaning and sanitizing the room, etc. And they also assist when the nurses and therapist need extra hands to turn Dad on his bed, move him to a wheelchair or give him a bath.
Such extra effort for good hygiene is imprtant because I want the family, especially his grandchildren to be able to hold, hug and kiss him (we try to take precautions though like masks and sanitizers because pneumonia and other infections are constant threats).His speech is still slurred although for the past two months we can understand more words clearly and he is more alert and gives more coherent answers to questions now. I guess the love and constant presence of family around him made that possible. We encourage him to talk and talk like he used to and reminded him not be mad or angry when we cant understand him right away. Clearly his journey to overcome the crippling effects of a stroke is not his alone but also the family’s. We know there is no cure, but we constantly pray for God’s grace and guidance for Daddy’s remaining days/years with us.
