Finally an up date....

Tales of an „old Folks home“

Written May 31, 2016; continued June 6

For almost 3 years now I’ve been living in an „old folks care home“. The reason is, not my age but I need care after surviving that very stupid airplane crash on March 2, 2013 and since then I’m committed to a wheelchair. I was almost paralyzed.

The people who work here are all quite nice, but living among other sick people, many of them old and „dement/Alzheimer“ cases get really frustrating at times. I’m just too young to live here. With the help of my kids, especially my daughter, Regina, I should be moving into a new home in August 2016. YES!!

It’s very difficult to watch some of those “oldies”, they can’t really be blamed….it’s a horrible situation to be in. No one voluntarily gets dement or suffers Alzheimer, but it gets so sad to watch these people get worse and worse over time.

We have luckily a good kitchen here. Some people eat their meals at their floor, but most go down to the main dining room. And here it at times gets very narrow because of all the wheel chairs and walkers. Most manage, but some have big problems getting around.

Let me give you some samples:

Mr. Zoll.: a former high school teacher. His wife is also here but they now are in separate rooms (I heard she, a dement person, threw him out). He’s generally quite nice but sometimes gets loud and complains. But I’ve learned to ignore such behavior…he doesn’t act like that on purpose.

Then of course there are the deaths that are expected in such homes…..

They offer lots of activities here but nothing of real interest to me, like playing Rummy. I used to really enjoy rummy, but here it’s boring!

January 2018

Well, my move went well….my house is great!! (thank you Regina). I have a Polish care person living with me, which really makes life easy. Normally they change every 2 months but 2 of them were not too good and won’t be coming any more. My present one, Renate, is simply marvelous! She speaks German well, which is great….my last one spoke it hardly at all and that made life quite difficult. I have no idea who will come after March when Renate returns home. Oh well, something will work out. Being in my own home I can invite people over and go for walks into town, when weather permits, for shopping or town activities (like the Christmas or Easter markets). There’s always my care person there to push my wheel chair. At the old folks’ home no one had time ☹. That home is now pretty much booked solid with around 80 people living there yet care people not increased (a problem all over Germany).

Some dancers from my old dance classes came to visit me which was so nice, but some are dead in the meantime.

Soon it’ll be my birthday and I want to have a party like I did last year! I’m trying to keep busy….I read a lot and watch TV or videos or check the internet (like facebook). I have tons of books to read!! Some in German, some in English. And my kids come to visit often, which they couldn’t do in my first care home…it was too far away.

I also have much of my former belongings (dishes, clothes, etc.) Unfortunately, some stuff got lost in my last moves. *sniff* That Storage place I mentioned in an earlier post is torn down in the mean time and I think a lot of my stuff (like furniture and boxes of books, etc.) got thrown out.

Being in a wheel chair I’m restricted in travels….

I have a therapist who comes twice in the week and another one who comes once a week. With them I practice walking with a walker or on crutches! And it works, but I won’t be able to walk without help. There are good days when I think I could, but when I try then I realize it doesn’t work…..darn.

I also have a cat, Nellie, again. She was already 8 years old when I got her. No, she can’t compare to Shila, but she’s a good cat, very cuddly.

I have an Instagram account (I still try to keep involved in the internet lol) in the meantime, there you can see pictures of Nellie.

Here: https://www.instagram.com/dorrievancleef/

My biggest problem (besides not being able to walk) are meals, there are just too many foods I don’t like (mushrooms, fish, many vegetables) which makes it difficult for my care persons to cook.

My ex lives just around the corner and often comes by to help with something, which I really appreciate.

Today is Sunday…ugh (stores closed TV program terrible).