Friends of Ed;
I visited much earlier than usual today as it looked like a really nice day outside and I fancied a walk. I am going to miss the nice weather here in Ottawa when I go to the rainy BC coast! Father was sitting up on the edge of the bed today when I arrived and that was nice to see. He still seems to have somewhat less energy than he had last week, but hopefully that will improve in a day or two. I noted today that the gauze that pads the cannula tubes where run over his ears was looking pretty ratty so I had one of the nurses come in and replace it. Hopefully I will get over to visit for a few minutes tomorrow morning before heading for the airport. One of father's neighbors has kindly offered drive me there.
I officially told Alta Vista Manor of my travel plans today and in return they gave me some very good news: The Influenza A outbreak is officially over and the signs suggesting that visiting should be restricted have been taken down!
Vince
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Visit Tuesday March 29th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today for a couple of hours. He was a little livelier today than yesterday and said he had slept well the night before. The major excitement today was the installation of a small refrigerator so that we can keep milk and cream for coffee and tea available at all times. I also brought a few of the small yogurt cups from the cafe to store in the fridge as father uses then to take his pills and sometimes the nurses forget to bring one.
The "no visiting" signs are still up at Alta Vista Manor but judging by the sign in sheets the number of visitors has returned to about normal.
Vince
I visited father today for a couple of hours. He was a little livelier today than yesterday and said he had slept well the night before. The major excitement today was the installation of a small refrigerator so that we can keep milk and cream for coffee and tea available at all times. I also brought a few of the small yogurt cups from the cafe to store in the fridge as father uses then to take his pills and sometimes the nurses forget to bring one.
The "no visiting" signs are still up at Alta Vista Manor but judging by the sign in sheets the number of visitors has returned to about normal.
Vince
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Visit Monday March 28th.
Friends of Ed;
When I arrived today father was having a nap but he woke up a few minutes after I arrived. He said he had slept well , but he seemed to me to be a bit tired today. This should not be surprising as yesterday was a busy day for him what with visitors starting to arrive about 13:30, then the concert, and the last visitors leaving at about 19:30. He said he had really enjoyed the concert though! I visited for about an hour and a half and then left him to get in some more napping.
Vince
When I arrived today father was having a nap but he woke up a few minutes after I arrived. He said he had slept well , but he seemed to me to be a bit tired today. This should not be surprising as yesterday was a busy day for him what with visitors starting to arrive about 13:30, then the concert, and the last visitors leaving at about 19:30. He said he had really enjoyed the concert though! I visited for about an hour and a half and then left him to get in some more napping.
Vince
Monday, March 28, 2011
Visit and Concert Sunday March 27th.
Friends of Ed;
Father had a busy day today! Several of his musical friends arrived to visit at about 1:45 and after hanging their coats and visiting for a bit, performed a clarinet quartet concert in the main Alta Vista Manor lounge. Of course I outfitted father with his portable oxygen system and he attended to concert.
The players (left to right) are Ben Greenberg, Gord Price, Peter Archibald, and Larry Sargent.
After the concert there was much visiting and discussion about the concert. A few residents of the Manor came up to thank the Quartet personally. When the visiting wound down I asked father if there was anything else he wanted to do while he was out and about and he said to take him to the piano! I am quite sure he meant this in jest, but I was NOT going to let the opportunity escape! Off to the piano we went... Davina Pearl came along to help cajole father into doing some playing. We were at the piano for some time and eventually another resident of the Manor joined us in encouraging father. After a while it dawned on me that the gentleman was Bob Arbuckle, Judy Arbuckle's father! Judy went to High School in Ottawa with Sarah Roberts who is married to Ralph Roberts who is an Information Technology friend of mine in Victoria who... Never mind - It's complicated! Sarah had let me know a couple of weeks ago that Judy's father had moved to the Manor so I've been expecting to meet him sooner or later and now I have. It looks like Bob and father get along well so perhaps father has made a new friend.
Vince
Father had a busy day today! Several of his musical friends arrived to visit at about 1:45 and after hanging their coats and visiting for a bit, performed a clarinet quartet concert in the main Alta Vista Manor lounge. Of course I outfitted father with his portable oxygen system and he attended to concert.
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| The Clarinet Quartet |
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| Father enjoying himself! |
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| Concert at the Manor March 27/2011 (Roberta Archibald to the right of father, myself to the left) |
Vince
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Visit Saturday March 26th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. He said he slept well last night and was up and about the whole time I visited. I think he had been watching some television today as he complained that all he could get was election news! While I was there Judy Manning dropped in for a visit which was very nice. She plans to leave the Manor on Monday as her foot is healed sufficiently for her to live independently.
Alta Vista Manor still has the quarantine signs up advising people not to visit but there seems to be essentially no restriction in visiting rooms on the main floor. If they are willing to have the Clarinet Quintet concert tomorrow I think that we can now go back to business as usual for visiting.
In related news - I have booked myself a flight to BC on March 31 so starting then I obviously won't be able to visit father daily and won't be doing daily updates to the blog. Hopefully others who visit father will write up the details here so we can all stay informed.
Vince
I visited father today for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. He said he slept well last night and was up and about the whole time I visited. I think he had been watching some television today as he complained that all he could get was election news! While I was there Judy Manning dropped in for a visit which was very nice. She plans to leave the Manor on Monday as her foot is healed sufficiently for her to live independently.
Alta Vista Manor still has the quarantine signs up advising people not to visit but there seems to be essentially no restriction in visiting rooms on the main floor. If they are willing to have the Clarinet Quintet concert tomorrow I think that we can now go back to business as usual for visiting.
In related news - I have booked myself a flight to BC on March 31 so starting then I obviously won't be able to visit father daily and won't be doing daily updates to the blog. Hopefully others who visit father will write up the details here so we can all stay informed.
Vince
Friday, March 25, 2011
Visit Friday March 25th
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today for a couple of hours in the early afternoon. He said he had slept well the previous night (which he seems to be doing more of lately) and he was up and about the whole time I was there. While I was visiting cousin Louise called me on my cell phone so she and father were able to have a chat which was really nice! I also checked father's mailbox today and there was a nice card from Kay MacKnight. She is the widow of one of my mother's brothers.
I have now confirmed with the Alta Vista Manor activity director (Cheryl Conley) that Ben Greenberg's Clarinet Quartet is scheduled to perform at the Manor on Sunday March 27 starting at 2:15 PM. I hope to see you there!
Vince
I visited father today for a couple of hours in the early afternoon. He said he had slept well the previous night (which he seems to be doing more of lately) and he was up and about the whole time I was there. While I was visiting cousin Louise called me on my cell phone so she and father were able to have a chat which was really nice! I also checked father's mailbox today and there was a nice card from Kay MacKnight. She is the widow of one of my mother's brothers.
I have now confirmed with the Alta Vista Manor activity director (Cheryl Conley) that Ben Greenberg's Clarinet Quartet is scheduled to perform at the Manor on Sunday March 27 starting at 2:15 PM. I hope to see you there!
Vince
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Visit Thursday March 24th.
Friends of Ed;
I was able to visit father today as the quarantine is now limited to the 3rd floor. He was up and watching TV when I arrived which is a good sign. He says he slept very well last night and I think this has a very direct bearing on how well he was doing today. Shortly after I arrived so did father's dinner. Unfortunately there was no coffee with it (even though he had marked coffee on the menu sheet) but I was able to take care of that with the various supplies I had taken over.
I still have not been able to confirm that the Clarinet Quartet concert is on for Sunday as the activity coordinator for Alta Vista Manor left just before I arrived but I sent her an email and hopefully she will confirm with me tomorrow morning. Father says he is looking forward to the concert!
Vince
I was able to visit father today as the quarantine is now limited to the 3rd floor. He was up and watching TV when I arrived which is a good sign. He says he slept very well last night and I think this has a very direct bearing on how well he was doing today. Shortly after I arrived so did father's dinner. Unfortunately there was no coffee with it (even though he had marked coffee on the menu sheet) but I was able to take care of that with the various supplies I had taken over.
I still have not been able to confirm that the Clarinet Quartet concert is on for Sunday as the activity coordinator for Alta Vista Manor left just before I arrived but I sent her an email and hopefully she will confirm with me tomorrow morning. Father says he is looking forward to the concert!
Vince
Visit Wednesday March 23rd.
Friends of Ed;
I phoned Alta Vista Manor today and they told me that while they are keeping the 3rd floor (where the influenza outbreak originated) fully quarantined they are allowing visitors to other floors, though they aren't exactly encouraging it. I think it would be wise to postpone any visits for a few more days. I did go over myself to visit today as I had clean laundry for father and also some interesting paperwork. He said he had slept well last night and he seemed quite perky today. I think there is a definite correlation between his quality of sleep and how well he feels on any given day.
Father also mentioned today that he had a call from Ben Greenberg letting him know that he plans to bring his Clarinet quartet to perform at Alta Vista Manor this Sunday. Evidently this has been arranged with the Activity Director at the Manor so it would appear that they expect regular activities to resume by Sunday. At the moment I have not confirmed this but I will try and do so tomorrow and will post the updated information to the blog.
The paperwork I mentioned came about because the CBC radio program "Tempo" played Jean Sibelius' The Swan of Tuonela a few days ago. Father listens to the program regularly and he so enjoyed this piece that he asked me to try and find some way to express his appreciation. I sent the following email to the program:
==================================================
My father, E.V. Sullivan, has been a long time fan of Tempo. This is especially true now because recently, at the age of 92, he had to move to a nursing home in Ottawa. The reason for this move was lung degeneration which has hit him very hard, as he has been a life long professional musician. He specialized in woodwinds, particularly the Oboe and English horn but unfortunately can no longer play.
When I arrived to visit him on March 15th he told me that he particularly enjoyed Tempo that day as you played the Swan of Tuonela, which is a piece dear to the heart of any English horn player. He still talks of it when I visit and he asked me today to find some way to convey to you his appreciation. I would like to also convey mine as it brought him much pleasure and improved his outlook on life considerably.
Thank you from both of us...
Vincent Sullivan
========================================
Much to my surprise I received this response about 15 hours later!
========================================
It may be just coincidence, but father mentioned that Tempo had featured more that the usual amount of Oboe and English horn music today! It is things like this that make me happy to pay the portion of my taxes that support the CBC!
Vince
I phoned Alta Vista Manor today and they told me that while they are keeping the 3rd floor (where the influenza outbreak originated) fully quarantined they are allowing visitors to other floors, though they aren't exactly encouraging it. I think it would be wise to postpone any visits for a few more days. I did go over myself to visit today as I had clean laundry for father and also some interesting paperwork. He said he had slept well last night and he seemed quite perky today. I think there is a definite correlation between his quality of sleep and how well he feels on any given day.
Father also mentioned today that he had a call from Ben Greenberg letting him know that he plans to bring his Clarinet quartet to perform at Alta Vista Manor this Sunday. Evidently this has been arranged with the Activity Director at the Manor so it would appear that they expect regular activities to resume by Sunday. At the moment I have not confirmed this but I will try and do so tomorrow and will post the updated information to the blog.
The paperwork I mentioned came about because the CBC radio program "Tempo" played Jean Sibelius' The Swan of Tuonela a few days ago. Father listens to the program regularly and he so enjoyed this piece that he asked me to try and find some way to express his appreciation. I sent the following email to the program:
==================================================
My father, E.V. Sullivan, has been a long time fan of Tempo. This is especially true now because recently, at the age of 92, he had to move to a nursing home in Ottawa. The reason for this move was lung degeneration which has hit him very hard, as he has been a life long professional musician. He specialized in woodwinds, particularly the Oboe and English horn but unfortunately can no longer play.
When I arrived to visit him on March 15th he told me that he particularly enjoyed Tempo that day as you played the Swan of Tuonela, which is a piece dear to the heart of any English horn player. He still talks of it when I visit and he asked me today to find some way to convey to you his appreciation. I would like to also convey mine as it brought him much pleasure and improved his outlook on life considerably.
Thank you from both of us...
Vincent Sullivan
========================================
Much to my surprise I received this response about 15 hours later!
========================================
Hi, Vincent.
Many thanks for your thoughtful note. I'm so glad your father enjoyed the piece. I will be sure to pass along your kind words to Julie and the rest of the team. I'd like to send a CD to your dad. I've looked in my collection of unopened CDs and I have lots of flute and trumpet, but no English horn or oboe. Do you think your dad would like anything in particular? If he has a favorite composer, I have lots of CDs, including opera, symphony and piano. I am just a little short on his particular instruments. Let me know what you think he would enjoy.
Best,
Elizabeth Bowie
producer, Tempo
========================================================
========================================================
It may be just coincidence, but father mentioned that Tempo had featured more that the usual amount of Oboe and English horn music today! It is things like this that make me happy to pay the portion of my taxes that support the CBC!
Vince
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
No Visit Tuesday March 22nd.
Friends of Ed;
I walked over to Alta Vista Manor today to visit with father but they would not let me in so I guess the place is in full quarantine mode now. I'll check on the situation each day and hopefully the influenza outbreak will be brought under control soon and visiting can resume.
Vince
I walked over to Alta Vista Manor today to visit with father but they would not let me in so I guess the place is in full quarantine mode now. I'll check on the situation each day and hopefully the influenza outbreak will be brought under control soon and visiting can resume.
Vince
Monday, March 21, 2011
Visits Monday March 21
Friends of Ed;
Alta Vista Manor is still asking people not to visit the Manor. I went over today for a brief visit as I had things to give father and it appears from the sign in sheet that very few people are visiting. Father said he had not slept well last night but he seemed to be doing fairly well today, though he also said that he had taken several naps today.
Vince
Alta Vista Manor is still asking people not to visit the Manor. I went over today for a brief visit as I had things to give father and it appears from the sign in sheet that very few people are visiting. Father said he had not slept well last night but he seemed to be doing fairly well today, though he also said that he had taken several naps today.
Vince
Visits Sunday March 20th.
Friends of Ed;
I was over to father's today for a relatively short visit - about an hour and a quarter. Alta Vista Manor is now officially discouraging visitors due to the influenza outbreak so I suggest you do not visit until the outbreak has run its course. I talked this over with him and he agrees that it is the wise thing to do. Phone calls are risk free though! Father also told me that he had been given a dose of Tamiflu. Hopefully it will help out the situation without any side effects. After resolving a couple of technical difficulties for father I took my leave, making liberal use of the hand sanitizer at the front desk on my way out. I didn't visit with Judy Manning today... It didn't seem wise to do so.
Vince
I was over to father's today for a relatively short visit - about an hour and a quarter. Alta Vista Manor is now officially discouraging visitors due to the influenza outbreak so I suggest you do not visit until the outbreak has run its course. I talked this over with him and he agrees that it is the wise thing to do. Phone calls are risk free though! Father also told me that he had been given a dose of Tamiflu. Hopefully it will help out the situation without any side effects. After resolving a couple of technical difficulties for father I took my leave, making liberal use of the hand sanitizer at the front desk on my way out. I didn't visit with Judy Manning today... It didn't seem wise to do so.
Vince
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Visits Saturday March 19th.
Friends of Ed;
When I arrived at Alta Vista Manor today I was informed that the influenza A outbreak that started on the 3rd floor a few days ago had spread to other areas of the building. I was still able to visit father and he appeared to be about the same as yesterday. He did sign a consent form to have a dose of Tamiflu and hopefully this will either prevent father from contracting the flu or reduce the severity if he does. I do think that until this situation is brought under full control it would be wise for most people not to visit Alta Vista Manor at all. It is also important to note that all events are cancelled. This included the saxophone quartet concert that was scheduled for Sunday March 20th. Father's oxygen humidifier was running low on water today so I replaced it with a clean one and washed out the empty one as per the oxygen concentrator instructions. I visited briefly with Judy Manning today and she seemed to be doing very well.
Vince
When I arrived at Alta Vista Manor today I was informed that the influenza A outbreak that started on the 3rd floor a few days ago had spread to other areas of the building. I was still able to visit father and he appeared to be about the same as yesterday. He did sign a consent form to have a dose of Tamiflu and hopefully this will either prevent father from contracting the flu or reduce the severity if he does. I do think that until this situation is brought under full control it would be wise for most people not to visit Alta Vista Manor at all. It is also important to note that all events are cancelled. This included the saxophone quartet concert that was scheduled for Sunday March 20th. Father's oxygen humidifier was running low on water today so I replaced it with a clean one and washed out the empty one as per the oxygen concentrator instructions. I visited briefly with Judy Manning today and she seemed to be doing very well.
Vince
Visits Friday March 18th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today for a couple of hours. He seemed a bit down today compared to Tuesday and Wednesday. There don't appear to have been any visitors since my last visit. I briefly visited Judy Manning today and she appeared to be doing very well.
Vince
I visited father today for a couple of hours. He seemed a bit down today compared to Tuesday and Wednesday. There don't appear to have been any visitors since my last visit. I briefly visited Judy Manning today and she appeared to be doing very well.
Vince
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Visits Thursday March 17th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father at Alta Vista Manor today from about 16:00 to 19:00. He said he had slept well the night before but was still feeling short of energy today. Marie Claire Potvin visited shortly before I arrived and while I was visiting Paul Caron visited for the better part of an hour. Paul picked up one of the Centralaires concert DVDs from the new batch I had taken over to replentish the supply. Father and I joined Judy Manning in the dining room for dinner which worked out quite well.
Vince
I visited father at Alta Vista Manor today from about 16:00 to 19:00. He said he had slept well the night before but was still feeling short of energy today. Marie Claire Potvin visited shortly before I arrived and while I was visiting Paul Caron visited for the better part of an hour. Paul picked up one of the Centralaires concert DVDs from the new batch I had taken over to replentish the supply. Father and I joined Judy Manning in the dining room for dinner which worked out quite well.
Vince
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Visits Wednesday March 16th.
Friends of Ed;
Father had a very busy day today. First I got him into the wheelchair and outfitted with the portable oxygen at about 09:00 so we could go to the 09:15 appointment with Dr. Bourassa. She seemed pleased to see father and commented that he looked better than he had 2 weeks ago. Upon leaving the Doctor's office I wheeled father up to Judy Manning's room (102) and we visited there for about an hour. On the way back to his room father asked to do a bit of a detour to the room next to his where Donald Buchanan lives. He had seen the name on the door previously and he was intrigued because when he was growing up in St. Stephen he lived next to another Donald Buchanan. We had a very nice short visit with this Donald Buchanan. It turns out he was the chief engineer on some of the boats plying the Great Lakes. During all this wheeling around father also chatted with several people in the hallways.
I came back to see father later in the day for a couple of hours and in the process took him down to visit Judy Manning again and we hatched a plan to have dinner together in the dining room tomorrow. I think I have all the necessary notifications done for this... fingers crossed. Believe it or not, while I was wheeling father through the large lounge he asked me to stop and let him have another go at the piano. This I was (very!) happy to do! He still says the action is very stiff but he played away at it for a few minutes. On the way from the piano to Judy's room father commented that he has been feeling pretty good for the last couple of days. That is very nice to hear!
It appears that the rumour of a saxophone quartet concert at 14:15 Sunday March 20 has been confirmed. The last Sax quartet concert was a great success and father and I are looking forward to this one!
Vince
Father had a very busy day today. First I got him into the wheelchair and outfitted with the portable oxygen at about 09:00 so we could go to the 09:15 appointment with Dr. Bourassa. She seemed pleased to see father and commented that he looked better than he had 2 weeks ago. Upon leaving the Doctor's office I wheeled father up to Judy Manning's room (102) and we visited there for about an hour. On the way back to his room father asked to do a bit of a detour to the room next to his where Donald Buchanan lives. He had seen the name on the door previously and he was intrigued because when he was growing up in St. Stephen he lived next to another Donald Buchanan. We had a very nice short visit with this Donald Buchanan. It turns out he was the chief engineer on some of the boats plying the Great Lakes. During all this wheeling around father also chatted with several people in the hallways.
I came back to see father later in the day for a couple of hours and in the process took him down to visit Judy Manning again and we hatched a plan to have dinner together in the dining room tomorrow. I think I have all the necessary notifications done for this... fingers crossed. Believe it or not, while I was wheeling father through the large lounge he asked me to stop and let him have another go at the piano. This I was (very!) happy to do! He still says the action is very stiff but he played away at it for a few minutes. On the way from the piano to Judy's room father commented that he has been feeling pretty good for the last couple of days. That is very nice to hear!
It appears that the rumour of a saxophone quartet concert at 14:15 Sunday March 20 has been confirmed. The last Sax quartet concert was a great success and father and I are looking forward to this one!
Vince
Visits Tuesday March 15.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father for a couple of hours today. He said he had slept fairly well and he seemed to be feeling pretty good. While I was visiting Alex Dopplinger dropped in for about an hour's visit which both of us enjoyed very much. Father's friend Judy Manning also visited a couple of times today to use the phone as her's wasn't working yet. The meals seemed to go smoothly today.
My cousin Louise had sent me some more photos to show to father. The one below is of father's brothers and sister, with his mother in the middle of the group. Father is on the right side of the top step
Vince
I visited father for a couple of hours today. He said he had slept fairly well and he seemed to be feeling pretty good. While I was visiting Alex Dopplinger dropped in for about an hour's visit which both of us enjoyed very much. Father's friend Judy Manning also visited a couple of times today to use the phone as her's wasn't working yet. The meals seemed to go smoothly today.
My cousin Louise had sent me some more photos to show to father. The one below is of father's brothers and sister, with his mother in the middle of the group. Father is on the right side of the top step
Vince
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Visits Monday March 14th
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today from about 16:30 to 18:15. He said he had slept fairly well and seemed to be doing OK. He sat up in the chair to eat dinner and then continued to do so for the rest of my visit. There were green beans with dinner which he said were under cooked so I took them down to the cafe and ran them through the microwave for two minutes. Still under cooked... So I gave them another 2 minutes and then he was able to consume them.
I see from the sign in sheet that Reg Beaudreau, father's across the street neighbor, was in to visit today. I also checked up on Judy Manning, father's ex neighbor who will be recovering from foot surgery at Alta Vista Manor for about 3 weeks. She has arrived and settled into room 102. My plan for tomorrow is to get father into the wheelchair and out of his room to go and visit Judy as she can't walk.
Rumour has it that the saxophone quartet may be playing a gig at Alta Vista Manor on Sunday March 20th at 14:15. This would be another good chance to get father out of his room. When I know more I will post it on the blog.
Vince
I visited father today from about 16:30 to 18:15. He said he had slept fairly well and seemed to be doing OK. He sat up in the chair to eat dinner and then continued to do so for the rest of my visit. There were green beans with dinner which he said were under cooked so I took them down to the cafe and ran them through the microwave for two minutes. Still under cooked... So I gave them another 2 minutes and then he was able to consume them.
I see from the sign in sheet that Reg Beaudreau, father's across the street neighbor, was in to visit today. I also checked up on Judy Manning, father's ex neighbor who will be recovering from foot surgery at Alta Vista Manor for about 3 weeks. She has arrived and settled into room 102. My plan for tomorrow is to get father into the wheelchair and out of his room to go and visit Judy as she can't walk.
Rumour has it that the saxophone quartet may be playing a gig at Alta Vista Manor on Sunday March 20th at 14:15. This would be another good chance to get father out of his room. When I know more I will post it on the blog.
Vince
Monday, March 14, 2011
Visits Sunday March 13
Friends of Ed.
I visited father today for a couple of hours. He said he had slept well the night before and he seems to be doing OK. When I arrived, he was relaxing on the bed watching a science program on the television. Judging by the sign in sheet there didn't seem to be any other visitors since my last visit. I took over a couple more photographs today which you may see sitting on the table if you visit.
There was one odd little thing I checked on today. When father first went to Alta Vista Manor he said he wanted a clock for the wall. I got him a large wall clock from Home Hardware. A unique thing about this clock is that it is supposed to automatically correct for the standard time / daylight savings time change in the Spring and Fall. I was a bit sceptical about this feature as there appeared to be no way to set the clock for the year and date. I even carefully checked the manufacturers web site to see if there was an explanation of how this feature worked. There wasn't. Sure enough - when I arrived today the clock was telling the proper corrected time. So how DOES it work????
Vince
I visited father today for a couple of hours. He said he had slept well the night before and he seems to be doing OK. When I arrived, he was relaxing on the bed watching a science program on the television. Judging by the sign in sheet there didn't seem to be any other visitors since my last visit. I took over a couple more photographs today which you may see sitting on the table if you visit.
There was one odd little thing I checked on today. When father first went to Alta Vista Manor he said he wanted a clock for the wall. I got him a large wall clock from Home Hardware. A unique thing about this clock is that it is supposed to automatically correct for the standard time / daylight savings time change in the Spring and Fall. I was a bit sceptical about this feature as there appeared to be no way to set the clock for the year and date. I even carefully checked the manufacturers web site to see if there was an explanation of how this feature worked. There wasn't. Sure enough - when I arrived today the clock was telling the proper corrected time. So how DOES it work????
Vince
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Visits Saturday March 12
Friends of Ed;
I visited today from about 13:30 to 16:30. When I arrived, father and Davina Pearl were having a nice visit. I also received a cryptic email from Sarah Roberts, a friend of mine from Victoria. She indicated that a friend of hers in Ottawa had just visited my father. When I had time to look into this, I found that Judy Arbuckle's father Bob had moved into Alta Vista Manor about 3 weeks ago. When Sarah told Judy that my father was also in residence at Alta Vista Manor she brought Bob down to my father's room for a "get acquainted" visit. Thanks Judy! I had met Judy once before because of her friendship with Sarah (who grew up in Elmvale Acres) but now that our fathers are both in residence at Alta Vista Manor I suppose we will be seeing each other more often.
I mentioned yeasterday that father's new cannula was irritating his ears. I was pleased to see today that, as requested, one of the nurses had come in and added some gauze padding to the cannula tubes where they rest between the ears and the skull. This should prevent soreness caused by the the cannula tubes.
Father has been having significant coughing spells lately and one of the features is that he feels he needs to cough stuff up and can't quite do it. For this reason I brought in some licorice root tea (which acts as a mild expectorant) along with all the accessories to have a little tea party. If you would like to have some tea while visitng father you will find a kettle on the counter and various teas, tea pots, mugs, spoons, etc in the left side cupboard above the counter. Milk for the tea (if you are so inclined) can be obtained from the little cafe just across the hall from the front desk.
Vince
I visited today from about 13:30 to 16:30. When I arrived, father and Davina Pearl were having a nice visit. I also received a cryptic email from Sarah Roberts, a friend of mine from Victoria. She indicated that a friend of hers in Ottawa had just visited my father. When I had time to look into this, I found that Judy Arbuckle's father Bob had moved into Alta Vista Manor about 3 weeks ago. When Sarah told Judy that my father was also in residence at Alta Vista Manor she brought Bob down to my father's room for a "get acquainted" visit. Thanks Judy! I had met Judy once before because of her friendship with Sarah (who grew up in Elmvale Acres) but now that our fathers are both in residence at Alta Vista Manor I suppose we will be seeing each other more often.
I mentioned yeasterday that father's new cannula was irritating his ears. I was pleased to see today that, as requested, one of the nurses had come in and added some gauze padding to the cannula tubes where they rest between the ears and the skull. This should prevent soreness caused by the the cannula tubes.
Father has been having significant coughing spells lately and one of the features is that he feels he needs to cough stuff up and can't quite do it. For this reason I brought in some licorice root tea (which acts as a mild expectorant) along with all the accessories to have a little tea party. If you would like to have some tea while visitng father you will find a kettle on the counter and various teas, tea pots, mugs, spoons, etc in the left side cupboard above the counter. Milk for the tea (if you are so inclined) can be obtained from the little cafe just across the hall from the front desk.
Vince
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Visits Friday March 11
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today from about 17:00 to 18:30. He said he had slept better than usual last night and he appeared to be doing fairly well. I see from the sign in sheet that Jim Milne (conductor of the OCCB) was in to visit father for about an hour today around 14:00. The new cannula that father had put on him a couple of days ago had started it irritate his ears like the last one. I visited nurse Tessa and she said she would fix him up with gauze pads as they did with the last cannula. This should solve the problem. I also noted today that somebody had filled the humidifier bottle on the oxygen concentrator. Father could shed no light on who had filled it, but it is nice to see that it does get filled if I don't do it.
Vince
I visited father today from about 17:00 to 18:30. He said he had slept better than usual last night and he appeared to be doing fairly well. I see from the sign in sheet that Jim Milne (conductor of the OCCB) was in to visit father for about an hour today around 14:00. The new cannula that father had put on him a couple of days ago had started it irritate his ears like the last one. I visited nurse Tessa and she said she would fix him up with gauze pads as they did with the last cannula. This should solve the problem. I also noted today that somebody had filled the humidifier bottle on the oxygen concentrator. Father could shed no light on who had filled it, but it is nice to see that it does get filled if I don't do it.
Vince
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Visits Thursday March 10
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today from about 16:30 to 18:15. He said he had slept better than usual last night and he appeared to be doing fairly well. Judging from the sign in sheet nobody else had visited since my visit yesterday. Marie Claire had left father some "Fishermans Friend" lozenges yesterday which he says seem to be somewhat effective at soothing his cough. Thanks Marie Claire! Father made no comment about any dificulty with his meals today and the dinner he was eating when I arrived looked OK.
While I was looking around the living room the other day I ran across a book entitled "They Loved to Play" by Murray Ginsberg which is a compilation of stories about Canadian musicians derived from extensive interviews with them. I thought father might enjoy reading it again so I took it over to his room. I also thought that some of father's musical friends might enjoy having a look at it. Discussion might even ensue! By the way, I confirmed with father that the piano seen at the right edge of the photo of father and his siblings (See March 5th post) was indeed the first musical instrument father learned to play. A little bit of history there...
Vince
I visited father today from about 16:30 to 18:15. He said he had slept better than usual last night and he appeared to be doing fairly well. Judging from the sign in sheet nobody else had visited since my visit yesterday. Marie Claire had left father some "Fishermans Friend" lozenges yesterday which he says seem to be somewhat effective at soothing his cough. Thanks Marie Claire! Father made no comment about any dificulty with his meals today and the dinner he was eating when I arrived looked OK.
While I was looking around the living room the other day I ran across a book entitled "They Loved to Play" by Murray Ginsberg which is a compilation of stories about Canadian musicians derived from extensive interviews with them. I thought father might enjoy reading it again so I took it over to his room. I also thought that some of father's musical friends might enjoy having a look at it. Discussion might even ensue! By the way, I confirmed with father that the piano seen at the right edge of the photo of father and his siblings (See March 5th post) was indeed the first musical instrument father learned to play. A little bit of history there...
Vince
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Visits Wednesday March 9th
Friends of Ed;
I had a later and shorter visit then usual with father today due to having to do other things. It might be just as well, as Joan Paris and Hubert van Wettum visited together today and Marie Claire Potvin visited at another time so father had a busy day. He indicated that he had slept fairly well last night and he was sitting up in bed watching television when I arrived. I asked him how the vegetables were cooked today and he said the corn at lunch was not cooked enough to be edible but that about half the carrots at dinner were cooked sufficiently that he could handle them. I guess that is better than no vegetables at all. I'll keep working on the kitchen regarding this issue.
Vince
I had a later and shorter visit then usual with father today due to having to do other things. It might be just as well, as Joan Paris and Hubert van Wettum visited together today and Marie Claire Potvin visited at another time so father had a busy day. He indicated that he had slept fairly well last night and he was sitting up in bed watching television when I arrived. I asked him how the vegetables were cooked today and he said the corn at lunch was not cooked enough to be edible but that about half the carrots at dinner were cooked sufficiently that he could handle them. I guess that is better than no vegetables at all. I'll keep working on the kitchen regarding this issue.
Vince
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Visits Tuesday March 8th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father between about 15:00 and 18:00 today. I see from the sign in sheet that Gord Price visited earlier in the day for about an hour. Father told me he enjoyed Gord's visit. There seemed to be no complaints about the meals today, although father has not received any visits from the kitchen people to help him with the menus. Father had not yet filled out the Wednesday menus so I helped him do that. As an experiment I ordered him niblets corn at lunch and glazed carrots at dinner and added a note to the menu to cook them very thoroughly and to consult with Patricia in the kitchen for details. It will be interesting to see if this helps. If nothing else, it will remind Patricia of our conversation about father's need for a bit of help with the menus! Father's oxygen humidifier water was empty today so I installed a clean reservoir and cap filled with fresh water and cleaned out the empty one. It is sitting on the bureau to dry.
Louise had sent several photographs today to share with father. Two of them were of my grandfather and siblings during WW1, one was of great grandfather and his 5 sons, and the fourth was of father's childhood home in St. Stephen while it was under construction. Father says this would have been about 1914. He was quite positive in this identification which I think will interest Louise.
I got a call yesterday from Mark's Work Wearhouse where I had ordered some pants for father. I picked them up today and we checked to see if they fit properly. He says they fit OK so one of my tasks for this evening will be to get all the labels, pins, and stickers off. How exciting!
While I was visiting, Margaret Birch (the physio-therapist) came by and gave father his daily workout. She said he had been doing fairly well recently, but the exertion today sent him into a severe coughing spell. I had noticed for about the last 3 days father had been having these severe spells and I was getting a bit concerned. I went and saw nurse Jennifer and she came by after dinner with her stethoscope and had a listen to father's lung while he was breathing. According to her, the sounds were OK for both inhaling and exhaling so there is nothing to do in the short term except keep an eye on the situation. While she was there, she also changed father's cannula as the one he was using had been in service for about 7 weeks. I also checked with Jennifer and father's next appointment with Dr. Bourassa will be on March 16 at 09:45 so that would not be a good time to visit.
Vince
I visited father between about 15:00 and 18:00 today. I see from the sign in sheet that Gord Price visited earlier in the day for about an hour. Father told me he enjoyed Gord's visit. There seemed to be no complaints about the meals today, although father has not received any visits from the kitchen people to help him with the menus. Father had not yet filled out the Wednesday menus so I helped him do that. As an experiment I ordered him niblets corn at lunch and glazed carrots at dinner and added a note to the menu to cook them very thoroughly and to consult with Patricia in the kitchen for details. It will be interesting to see if this helps. If nothing else, it will remind Patricia of our conversation about father's need for a bit of help with the menus! Father's oxygen humidifier water was empty today so I installed a clean reservoir and cap filled with fresh water and cleaned out the empty one. It is sitting on the bureau to dry.
Louise had sent several photographs today to share with father. Two of them were of my grandfather and siblings during WW1, one was of great grandfather and his 5 sons, and the fourth was of father's childhood home in St. Stephen while it was under construction. Father says this would have been about 1914. He was quite positive in this identification which I think will interest Louise.
I got a call yesterday from Mark's Work Wearhouse where I had ordered some pants for father. I picked them up today and we checked to see if they fit properly. He says they fit OK so one of my tasks for this evening will be to get all the labels, pins, and stickers off. How exciting!
While I was visiting, Margaret Birch (the physio-therapist) came by and gave father his daily workout. She said he had been doing fairly well recently, but the exertion today sent him into a severe coughing spell. I had noticed for about the last 3 days father had been having these severe spells and I was getting a bit concerned. I went and saw nurse Jennifer and she came by after dinner with her stethoscope and had a listen to father's lung while he was breathing. According to her, the sounds were OK for both inhaling and exhaling so there is nothing to do in the short term except keep an eye on the situation. While she was there, she also changed father's cannula as the one he was using had been in service for about 7 weeks. I also checked with Jennifer and father's next appointment with Dr. Bourassa will be on March 16 at 09:45 so that would not be a good time to visit.
Vince
Monday, March 7, 2011
Visits Monday March 7th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father for a couple of hours today. Judging by the sign in sheet there have been no other visits since I last visited. Father said he had slept fairly well last night which was good to hear and he seemed to be doing reasonably well. When I arrived he was about half way through dinner and he didn't comment on any meal problems today.
I took in a two more photographs from Louise to show to father. One was of Father's brother Dan at about age 10 being hugged by father's grandmother. The other was of Union St. in St. Stephen NB., the town father grew up in. He enjoyed looking at the photographs. The other thing I took in was a survey from the Ottawa General Hospital that arrived at the house a couple of days ago. This is the hospital father spent about 7 weeks in during December 2010 and January 2011. They wanted to know how he felt about the experience! Actually he wasn't very happy with the experience so he didn't fill in the survey. Instead he wrote a short note at the top of the cover letter indicating he was dissatisfied and asked me to send it back.
Vince
I visited father for a couple of hours today. Judging by the sign in sheet there have been no other visits since I last visited. Father said he had slept fairly well last night which was good to hear and he seemed to be doing reasonably well. When I arrived he was about half way through dinner and he didn't comment on any meal problems today.
I took in a two more photographs from Louise to show to father. One was of Father's brother Dan at about age 10 being hugged by father's grandmother. The other was of Union St. in St. Stephen NB., the town father grew up in. He enjoyed looking at the photographs. The other thing I took in was a survey from the Ottawa General Hospital that arrived at the house a couple of days ago. This is the hospital father spent about 7 weeks in during December 2010 and January 2011. They wanted to know how he felt about the experience! Actually he wasn't very happy with the experience so he didn't fill in the survey. Instead he wrote a short note at the top of the cover letter indicating he was dissatisfied and asked me to send it back.
Vince
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Re: Visits Saturday March 5th:
I saw from the sign-in sheet that I just missed Vince on my way in. This made me a bit concerned that it would end up being too long a spell of visiting, but Ed seemed to be in fine spirits, and I ended up staying for over 2 hours.
I listened to lots of musicians' stories, which makes me feel rather honoured to be party to.
I feel so lucky to be around for some "handing down". The stories after all, reflect so much of our inheritance as musicians. We also talked a lot about the family, prompted by the interesting collection of photos that Vince had left. (Many of them are conveniently posted here!)
There are also now some clearly written instruction sheets for the oxygen set-up, in case any one of us should need them when we are there. (Thanks Vince!)
As for my next visit, I am a bit unsure when it will be. Although my plan is to visit once a week, I am starting a big (for me) renovation project next week at home, so things will be a bit unpredictable.
If you are reading this blog, I invite you to participate and add a comment or a post. Even something very brief. (The comments are rather hard to see, so a new post is better.) Don't forget this is a private space, only for people that have been invited, like you.
Vince will soon be leaving to go back home to BC, and it would be wonderful to have somewhat of a connected community of friends and supporters for Ed at that point. Lend a hand and write a few lines, and together we will have more of an impact on Ed's adjustment to his new stage in life.
Davina
I saw from the sign-in sheet that I just missed Vince on my way in. This made me a bit concerned that it would end up being too long a spell of visiting, but Ed seemed to be in fine spirits, and I ended up staying for over 2 hours.
I listened to lots of musicians' stories, which makes me feel rather honoured to be party to.
I feel so lucky to be around for some "handing down". The stories after all, reflect so much of our inheritance as musicians. We also talked a lot about the family, prompted by the interesting collection of photos that Vince had left. (Many of them are conveniently posted here!)
There are also now some clearly written instruction sheets for the oxygen set-up, in case any one of us should need them when we are there. (Thanks Vince!)
As for my next visit, I am a bit unsure when it will be. Although my plan is to visit once a week, I am starting a big (for me) renovation project next week at home, so things will be a bit unpredictable.
If you are reading this blog, I invite you to participate and add a comment or a post. Even something very brief. (The comments are rather hard to see, so a new post is better.) Don't forget this is a private space, only for people that have been invited, like you.
Vince will soon be leaving to go back home to BC, and it would be wonderful to have somewhat of a connected community of friends and supporters for Ed at that point. Lend a hand and write a few lines, and together we will have more of an impact on Ed's adjustment to his new stage in life.
Davina
Visits Sunday March 6th.
Friends of Ed.
I visited later and shorter than usual as I was quite tired today. Father also seemed to be not as well today. While I was there he had a long coughing spell trying to expel some phlegm. It pretty well tuckered him out. I see from the sign in sheet that Davina Pearl visited after I left yesterday. There seemed to be no visitors other than myself today, and there seemed to be no complaint about the meals. In fact, he commented that the main course at dinner was a cornish game hen which he said was very good!
Cousin Louise has been finding and sending to me some amazing photographs. Today she sent me several, including the one below...
This photo is of "Ye Headland Inn" on Peaks Island in Casco Bay near Portland Maine. It was owned and run by father's maternal grandparents and father and the rest of Dr. Sullivan's family would spend a lot of time here during the Summer. Ownership left the family with father's parents generation and according to father it became a retreat for Nuns. As near as I have been able to determine it burned to the ground in the 60s or 70s. Showing father this photo produced a flood of memories about the place and his experiences there. His short term memory may be a problem, but his long term memory is doing very well!
Here is a view I managed to find taken from the other side. It is scanned from a postcard mailed in 1913.
Vince
I visited later and shorter than usual as I was quite tired today. Father also seemed to be not as well today. While I was there he had a long coughing spell trying to expel some phlegm. It pretty well tuckered him out. I see from the sign in sheet that Davina Pearl visited after I left yesterday. There seemed to be no visitors other than myself today, and there seemed to be no complaint about the meals. In fact, he commented that the main course at dinner was a cornish game hen which he said was very good!
Cousin Louise has been finding and sending to me some amazing photographs. Today she sent me several, including the one below...
This photo is of "Ye Headland Inn" on Peaks Island in Casco Bay near Portland Maine. It was owned and run by father's maternal grandparents and father and the rest of Dr. Sullivan's family would spend a lot of time here during the Summer. Ownership left the family with father's parents generation and according to father it became a retreat for Nuns. As near as I have been able to determine it burned to the ground in the 60s or 70s. Showing father this photo produced a flood of memories about the place and his experiences there. His short term memory may be a problem, but his long term memory is doing very well!
Here is a view I managed to find taken from the other side. It is scanned from a postcard mailed in 1913.
Vince
Visits Saturday March 5th.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father today from about 15:00 to about 17:00. When I arrived, I was quite surprised to see him in the comfey chair watching a bit of news on TV. This is unusual and I think it a good sign! I had brought with me a number of photographs to discuss with father, one of which was a very interesting one sent to my by my cousin Louise. (Thanks again Louise!)
This is a photo of father and his siblings in 1928 or perhaps early 1929. From left to right the older children are David, Charlotte, William (Bill), and Edward (father). The baby is my father's brother Daniel. Father most enjoyed seeing this photo! He was about 10 years old at the time and tells me that he remembers it being taken. It was a professionally posed photo taken by Hollingsworth studios in St. Stephen. Another comment he made was about the look on Charlotte's face. She looks very interested in and "motherly" towards baby Dan. Evidently this struck father as "out of character" as he says Charlotte was quite the tomboy! (Why is it that tomboys are female and tomcats are male?) Another interesting thing father mentioned is that the door knocker on the front door of his house on Tweed Ave. in Ottawa came from the house where this photo was taken. I didn't know this, and can now make sure the knocker stays in the Sullivan family. I must ask father the address of this house in St. Stephen so I can add it to here as a historical note. Note that on the right edge of the photo you can see the end of a piano. I wonder if this was one of the first musical instruments father played?
From the sign in sheet it appears that no one else had visited since my last visit. Father says he did not sleep at all well last night but he actually seemed to be doing reasonably well today. He said he had been napping during the day so that is perhaps the answer. The meals seemed to go reasonably well today (I had had a chance to inspect the menu slips before they went to the kitchen) but father says that some things are still undercooked compared to his preferences. I'll keep working on that one.
Vince
I visited father today from about 15:00 to about 17:00. When I arrived, I was quite surprised to see him in the comfey chair watching a bit of news on TV. This is unusual and I think it a good sign! I had brought with me a number of photographs to discuss with father, one of which was a very interesting one sent to my by my cousin Louise. (Thanks again Louise!)
This is a photo of father and his siblings in 1928 or perhaps early 1929. From left to right the older children are David, Charlotte, William (Bill), and Edward (father). The baby is my father's brother Daniel. Father most enjoyed seeing this photo! He was about 10 years old at the time and tells me that he remembers it being taken. It was a professionally posed photo taken by Hollingsworth studios in St. Stephen. Another comment he made was about the look on Charlotte's face. She looks very interested in and "motherly" towards baby Dan. Evidently this struck father as "out of character" as he says Charlotte was quite the tomboy! (Why is it that tomboys are female and tomcats are male?) Another interesting thing father mentioned is that the door knocker on the front door of his house on Tweed Ave. in Ottawa came from the house where this photo was taken. I didn't know this, and can now make sure the knocker stays in the Sullivan family. I must ask father the address of this house in St. Stephen so I can add it to here as a historical note. Note that on the right edge of the photo you can see the end of a piano. I wonder if this was one of the first musical instruments father played?
From the sign in sheet it appears that no one else had visited since my last visit. Father says he did not sleep at all well last night but he actually seemed to be doing reasonably well today. He said he had been napping during the day so that is perhaps the answer. The meals seemed to go reasonably well today (I had had a chance to inspect the menu slips before they went to the kitchen) but father says that some things are still undercooked compared to his preferences. I'll keep working on that one.
Vince
Friday, March 4, 2011
Visits Friday March 4th.
Friends of Ed;
Father said he had a better than average sleep last night and I noticed that he seemed to be a bit perkier today than usual. By this I mean he spent much more time sitting up in a chair than lying in bed than is typical. I visited him from about 16:15 to 18:15. I see from the sign in sheet that Joan Paris and Hubert Van Wettum visited today from about 12:00 to 13:00. Father says he enjoyed their visit.
My cousin Louise emailed me some information that her sister Andrea had found while searching the archives of Philadelphia newspapers: The wedding notice for father's parents, published back in 1914! Incredibly, she added to that a photo of the wedding! I printed these things out on paper and showed them to father today. To say the least, he was tickled pink! We had quite a long discussion about these things and it brought back many memories for him. Thank you Andrea and Louise!
I had mentioned yesterday that the supply of demineralized water for the oxygen humidifier was getting low. I am happy to report that Medigas had delivered 2 more jugs of water today. The humidifier seems to consume a bit less than a jug a month so there is now at least a 2 month supply. I also checked father's mailbox downstairs in the activity room today but there was no mail.
Meal times seem to have gone smoothly today - or at least father did not bring any problems to my attention. The menus for Saturday were still in the room so I checked them over and found no problems.
Vince
Father said he had a better than average sleep last night and I noticed that he seemed to be a bit perkier today than usual. By this I mean he spent much more time sitting up in a chair than lying in bed than is typical. I visited him from about 16:15 to 18:15. I see from the sign in sheet that Joan Paris and Hubert Van Wettum visited today from about 12:00 to 13:00. Father says he enjoyed their visit.
My cousin Louise emailed me some information that her sister Andrea had found while searching the archives of Philadelphia newspapers: The wedding notice for father's parents, published back in 1914! Incredibly, she added to that a photo of the wedding! I printed these things out on paper and showed them to father today. To say the least, he was tickled pink! We had quite a long discussion about these things and it brought back many memories for him. Thank you Andrea and Louise!
I had mentioned yesterday that the supply of demineralized water for the oxygen humidifier was getting low. I am happy to report that Medigas had delivered 2 more jugs of water today. The humidifier seems to consume a bit less than a jug a month so there is now at least a 2 month supply. I also checked father's mailbox downstairs in the activity room today but there was no mail.
Meal times seem to have gone smoothly today - or at least father did not bring any problems to my attention. The menus for Saturday were still in the room so I checked them over and found no problems.
Vince
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Visits Thursday March 3rd.
Friends of Ed;
It was a busy time at Alta Vista Manor today. I visited twice, the first time from about 13:15 to 15:15 and then later from about 17:00 to 18:00. During the first visit I had a nice meeting with Patricia (one of the two kitchen managers) about the problems father has been having with his meals. Patricia assures me that she will consult with father on the menus until she gets to know his likes and dislikes fairly well and she will also make sure that complete meals are chosen. I also spoke with her about the problem father has been having with undercooked vegetables. Patricia says their system can handle making sure father's vegetables are more thoroughly cooked. I hope she can follow through on these two points.
Father's oxygen humidifier water was empty today so I installed a clean reservoir and cap filled with fresh water and cleaned out the empty one. It is sitting on the bureau to dry. In the process I noted that Medigas had not followed through on providing an additional supply of demineralized water as I had asked them to do last Sunday. I spoke to nurse Tessa about this and she ordered some more water so hopefully this problem will be taken care of in a day or two.
One problem we have had in the past is that when staff clean up the bedside table they knock the tuning of the radio off the station. (CBC Radio 2 at 103.3 MHz.) In order to prevent this I installed a cardboard shield over the tuning knob today so casual contact can't shift the dial. As an added bonus the cardboard is the stylish Loblaws "No Name" yellow! If the radio needs retuning you will have to untape the shield to get at the knob.
As I mentioned yesterday I have the DVD of the Centralaires / Grey Jazz concert ready. I took 7 copies over to father's room today and they are sitting on the bureau to be picked up by any of his friends who are visiting. You can also contact me directly if you would like a copy.
While I was visiting Judy Manning, one of father's ex neighbors from Tweed Avenue, visited for almost an hour. As it turns out, Judy is going to have a foot operation soon and will need to spend a few weeks recuperating. She has chosen for her recuperation - Alta Vista Manor! She will arrive about March 14th and needless to say I expect father will receive a lot of visits from her once she is able to get out and about!
I also checked father's mailbox today and there was a beautiful card from his sister in law Adele and her children Louise, Mark, and Andrea. If you visit you will see the card on the table where father takes his meals.
After leaving the Manor I went pant and pajama shopping for father. There was no stock on the pant size he takes so I have ordered 4 pairs, hopefully to be delivered before I go back to BC. I did find a set of pajamas that I thought father would like so I took them back to the Manor and he tried them on. He seems to be much happier with these than the last ones I purchased for him.
Vince
It was a busy time at Alta Vista Manor today. I visited twice, the first time from about 13:15 to 15:15 and then later from about 17:00 to 18:00. During the first visit I had a nice meeting with Patricia (one of the two kitchen managers) about the problems father has been having with his meals. Patricia assures me that she will consult with father on the menus until she gets to know his likes and dislikes fairly well and she will also make sure that complete meals are chosen. I also spoke with her about the problem father has been having with undercooked vegetables. Patricia says their system can handle making sure father's vegetables are more thoroughly cooked. I hope she can follow through on these two points.
Father's oxygen humidifier water was empty today so I installed a clean reservoir and cap filled with fresh water and cleaned out the empty one. It is sitting on the bureau to dry. In the process I noted that Medigas had not followed through on providing an additional supply of demineralized water as I had asked them to do last Sunday. I spoke to nurse Tessa about this and she ordered some more water so hopefully this problem will be taken care of in a day or two.
One problem we have had in the past is that when staff clean up the bedside table they knock the tuning of the radio off the station. (CBC Radio 2 at 103.3 MHz.) In order to prevent this I installed a cardboard shield over the tuning knob today so casual contact can't shift the dial. As an added bonus the cardboard is the stylish Loblaws "No Name" yellow! If the radio needs retuning you will have to untape the shield to get at the knob.
As I mentioned yesterday I have the DVD of the Centralaires / Grey Jazz concert ready. I took 7 copies over to father's room today and they are sitting on the bureau to be picked up by any of his friends who are visiting. You can also contact me directly if you would like a copy.
While I was visiting Judy Manning, one of father's ex neighbors from Tweed Avenue, visited for almost an hour. As it turns out, Judy is going to have a foot operation soon and will need to spend a few weeks recuperating. She has chosen for her recuperation - Alta Vista Manor! She will arrive about March 14th and needless to say I expect father will receive a lot of visits from her once she is able to get out and about!
I also checked father's mailbox today and there was a beautiful card from his sister in law Adele and her children Louise, Mark, and Andrea. If you visit you will see the card on the table where father takes his meals.
After leaving the Manor I went pant and pajama shopping for father. There was no stock on the pant size he takes so I have ordered 4 pairs, hopefully to be delivered before I go back to BC. I did find a set of pajamas that I thought father would like so I took them back to the Manor and he tried them on. He seems to be much happier with these than the last ones I purchased for him.
Vince
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Visits Wednesday March 2nd.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father for about 2 hours today between about 17:30 and 19:30. Judging by the sign in sheet there have been no other visitors in the last 24 hours. When I arrived there was a crisis going on regarding father's dinner. It had been sitting there for an hour uneaten and stone cold because it was not at all what he had requested. I never did get the details straight but it seems as if the dinner delivered to his room may have been intended for a different room. Unfortunately the menu slip had been discarded before I arrived so I could not figure out exactly what had happened. Instead, I got a new entree from the kitchen and then took the tray to the little cafe opposite the front desk and heated everything up in the microwave oven there. Father seemed to be reasonably happy with this compromise.
I have had a few emails from my cousin Louise today and she sent me a nice photo of father. I took it in to show him today and he told me that it was taken in the rehearsal hall of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) central band in DownsviewOntario Toronto to Ottawa
With the help of a friend of mine (Thanks Joe!) I have finally had some success converting the Centralaire's / Grey Jazz concert of February 13th to a DVD. Over the next few days I'll make a bunch of copies. I will leave some in father's room for friends to pick up as they visit or you can contact me directly if you want a copy.
Vince
I visited father for about 2 hours today between about 17:30 and 19:30. Judging by the sign in sheet there have been no other visitors in the last 24 hours. When I arrived there was a crisis going on regarding father's dinner. It had been sitting there for an hour uneaten and stone cold because it was not at all what he had requested. I never did get the details straight but it seems as if the dinner delivered to his room may have been intended for a different room. Unfortunately the menu slip had been discarded before I arrived so I could not figure out exactly what had happened. Instead, I got a new entree from the kitchen and then took the tray to the little cafe opposite the front desk and heated everything up in the microwave oven there. Father seemed to be reasonably happy with this compromise.
I have had a few emails from my cousin Louise today and she sent me a nice photo of father. I took it in to show him today and he told me that it was taken in the rehearsal hall of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) central band in Downsview
With the help of a friend of mine (Thanks Joe!) I have finally had some success converting the Centralaire's / Grey Jazz concert of February 13th to a DVD. Over the next few days I'll make a bunch of copies. I will leave some in father's room for friends to pick up as they visit or you can contact me directly if you want a copy.
Vince
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Visits Tuesday March 1st.
Friends of Ed;
I visited father between about 17:15 and 19:15 today. Judging from the sign in sheet there have been no other visits in the last 24 hours. The main reason I visited later than usual today was to make sure father got to his doctor's appointment at 18:00. No staff showed up to take him by ten minutes to six so I got him into the wheelchair and set up the portable oxygen and off we went. There were no miscues and the appointment was successfully completed. It was another general "get to know you" appointment without a lot of overt medical assessment. Father wondered about this later but I think the doctor was doing quite a bit of assessment, but doing it very subtly.
When I asked father how he had slept last night he said "not at all" which didn't sound very good! Fortunately he did seem to be doing reasonably well today despite the lack of sleep.
One thing I did today was to pick one of the smaller but nicely blooming Christmas Cactus plants from the house and take it in to Alta Vista Manor to add a bit of colour to the room. I also received an email from my cousin Louise today. She lives in New York City and commented on how nice it was to be able to check up on father's condition via the blog.
Vince
I visited father between about 17:15 and 19:15 today. Judging from the sign in sheet there have been no other visits in the last 24 hours. The main reason I visited later than usual today was to make sure father got to his doctor's appointment at 18:00. No staff showed up to take him by ten minutes to six so I got him into the wheelchair and set up the portable oxygen and off we went. There were no miscues and the appointment was successfully completed. It was another general "get to know you" appointment without a lot of overt medical assessment. Father wondered about this later but I think the doctor was doing quite a bit of assessment, but doing it very subtly.
When I asked father how he had slept last night he said "not at all" which didn't sound very good! Fortunately he did seem to be doing reasonably well today despite the lack of sleep.
One thing I did today was to pick one of the smaller but nicely blooming Christmas Cactus plants from the house and take it in to Alta Vista Manor to add a bit of colour to the room. I also received an email from my cousin Louise today. She lives in New York City and commented on how nice it was to be able to check up on father's condition via the blog.
Vince
Re: Visits Monday February 28th:
Wow! That sounds very hopeful, if there could be some staff help filling in the menu.
Vince, will you know who we are supposed to ask if there are issues going forward?
As mentioned in Vince's post from yesterday, I had a great visit yesterday. Ed seemed to be in a good mood, with enough energy to tell a fair number of stories. For my part, I told him about Howard Cable's visit to the Grey Jazz rehearsal last Friday, and showed him a few photos from it. He remembers working for Howard back in Toronto.
He was also very patient while I received the oxygen training from Vince. This will allow me to A) help keep Ed's breathing water clean, and B) be equipped to take him on any possible "expeditions" outside the room.
It might be worth mentioning here for anyone who received the training already that we realized now that the whole bottle should be switched and cleaned each time, including the lid. It seems to be needing refreshening faster than originally thought.
As for this coming week's visit from me, it will most likely be on Saturday Mar 5.
I'm looking forward to seeing Ed in his favourite red robe!
Davina
Wow! That sounds very hopeful, if there could be some staff help filling in the menu.
Vince, will you know who we are supposed to ask if there are issues going forward?
As mentioned in Vince's post from yesterday, I had a great visit yesterday. Ed seemed to be in a good mood, with enough energy to tell a fair number of stories. For my part, I told him about Howard Cable's visit to the Grey Jazz rehearsal last Friday, and showed him a few photos from it. He remembers working for Howard back in Toronto.
He was also very patient while I received the oxygen training from Vince. This will allow me to A) help keep Ed's breathing water clean, and B) be equipped to take him on any possible "expeditions" outside the room.
It might be worth mentioning here for anyone who received the training already that we realized now that the whole bottle should be switched and cleaned each time, including the lid. It seems to be needing refreshening faster than originally thought.
As for this coming week's visit from me, it will most likely be on Saturday Mar 5.
I'm looking forward to seeing Ed in his favourite red robe!
Davina
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