Kay Visit on 8/24/2013

I think this is Tom

I  Went to see Kay again.  She was in her bed and napping I guess.  Anyway I woke her up and got her to the patio down the hall. We sat and held hands for about 45 minutes or so.   I gave her a Toffee candy from Costco and a graham cracker.  Finally we went back to her room and I left after turning her TV on again.  Her room is a furnace these summer days and especially with the TV going.  My 42 inch big screen here consumes 500 watts when fully bright. Her screen is not that big but big enough to put out unwanted heat.   Even with normal picture I am sure it heated up the room somewhat.  She was pretty alert.  I asked her a couple simple questions and she was able to answer them.  First I asked he if she wanted to take a nap as I was thinking of going home.  She said yes she would but then I asked her if she would rather sit outside with me. She said or indicated she would rather be outside with me.  So we stayed outside  a while longer.  

I see a sad thing that goes on in these institutions or at least it does in this one.  It is a building with a very small yard outside that had a couple tables but is completely concrete.  The patients can not get out of the building of course.  They can get out of the building but just into the concrete coated yard.  I called the people there this morning to tell them that yesterday Kay said she was not feeling well.  I wanted to tell them so they could take a closer look at her today.  They told me she was up and walking the halls.  That brought me up short and reminded me that all these people had to do when they were not involved in some sort of activity, which is necessarily most of the time of course, that is walking the halls. I've seen a lot of that and it never dawned on me that  they may be bored out of their skulls.  I just thought that was what people with dementia do.  Now I know. Actually that is all they have to do.  They go to the TV viewing room and do not bother to watch the TV.  When I have seen them they just seem to look ahead and not not bother with the TV.  At least they have someone to look at across the room.  Even people with dementia can't look at the walls across the room 24 hours a day.  They, as Kay did, walk the hall. That isn't all that interesting but I think they just have to get out of their boring room.  Occasionally I attempt a conversation with some and many cases they do talk to me to the best of their ability.  Sometimes they are surprisingly lucid.  I believe this is a good reason for Kay to get out of that place as much as possible.  If any of the family visits her take her out for just  a few minutes.  I am thinking of going there and make a special attempt to talk to some of those who do not have visitors.  I will talk to the appropriate person there the next time I go to find who might be a good person to talk to.  Then I will go see Kay.  As I cant take anyone anywhere with my eyes this way. I might do some kind of a game.  Since I got old I think more about these poor people abandoned by the world.  Maybe I can get Kay and the person selected to play the game.   Kay is not always up to games I suppose then we will just hold hands with her.  Probably after I give a few minutes to the other person.