Emma visits Grandma

Last night, Emma and I visited Grandma at Rex Rehab. Grandma isn't a huge dog fan. She grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and to her dogs are outdoor creatures, not family members. She does tell the story of one of the farm dogs that would scratch at the back door to be let in at night, and yes, their training went well and the dog slept inside. Why bring a dog to visit someone who isn't a dog person? I brought Emma for two reasons:

• Change of scenery from Grandma. It was an excused to bring her outside on a beautiful spring day. It was about 70 degrees out and I wheeled her out to the front porch area and then went to the car to get Emma who made herself available for petting.
  
  
• The Other Grandma has a dog visit her. My Uncle Phil's family brings a dog to visit his mother-in-law who is in a nursing home after having not one but two hip fractures within a few weeks (she broke her wrist too). This way my Grandmother can report the Phil and his family that yes, in fact, a dog has visited her as well. Grandma will like that.

This was probably my last visit to Grandma at this facility. She is not progressing the way the staff had hoped and the social worker at Rex Rehab told my mother that Grandma is "on the fence" between needing assisted living or a nursing home.

My parents did a ton of research in a short period of time and selected a facility that will help her with rehab to get out of the wheelchair. Nursing homes do rehab but to keep from getting worse, not rehab to improve. Grandma is scheduled to move to The Oaks at Carolina, near the NC Farmer's Market, on Friday. My parents felt that this would give Grandma one more shot at getting to Abbotswood, the independent living retirement community that she had planning on moving into in April. With the broken hip and the need for 24 hour care, though, that move is on hold.

Grandma should be at The Oaks for at least a month.