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Gladys’ New Home Is Ready
Everything is ready for us to become caregivers for my sister. All of the office furniture has been moved from the first level. Carpets have been cleaned; sheers and pictures put up and everything in the handicap bathroom is in place.
Gladys’ bed has been set up, the wardrobe arrived and has been assembled and the other furniture has been placed similar to the way it was in Pennsylvania. We hope this change will be an easy one for Gladys and that she will quickly adjust to living with us in Georgia. She and Nikki will be driving down from Philadelphia, making a few stopovers along the way to visit with friends.
We visited Adult Day Care providers and asked around about doctors who treat elderly people. I talked to several friends about being on standby in case I need someone to sit with Gladys. Since I work for a pastor and have to be at church at 7:00 AM on Sunday mornings, my daughter, Anita, has assumed responsibility for getting Gladys to church on Sunday mornings for our 10:45 AM service.
So, I think most of our primary concerns have been covered. Now, we’ll just wait and see what else we’ll need.
Caregivers’ Journal: Everything’s Coming Together
We had a very hectic few days as we prepared for Gladys’ arrival. Becoming caregivers caused us to reevaluate the junk we accumulate. However, furniture has been moved, rooms have been cleared out, blinds dusted and carpets cleaned.
Our former office, that will become Gladys’ bedroom, has been moved upstairs to the former exercise room (Fred’s exercise room, I’m a couch potato). Moving furniture up and down three flights of stairs is not fun. When you are our age, it’s really not fun. Fortunately, Fred enlisted the help of our 20 year old God-son, Keith. In addition to the furniture, we had to box up three bookcases of books and take them up three flights of stairs. Needless to say, we are all tired. 
Here are some pictures of the former exercise room that is now our office and the former office that is now clear. We had to put the bookcases in another room because the new office is too small for the “stuff” we have. I hope to have the new bedroom furnished and partially set up by next Monday.
By the way, poor Cocoa knows something is up. She has been in hiding for the past three days, only coming out early in the morning to eat and at night when all is quiet.
Cocoa Said She Did Not Sign Up for Care Giving!
We have a Siamese cat named Cocoa who didn’t sign up for this care giving thing. She is an introvert who doesn’t like strangers. As soon as she hears the doorbell she runs upstairs and hides in my closet. Cocoa knows that something is going on so she has been hiding since we started moving furniture.
I think this is going to be more stressful for Cocoa than it will be for us. She doesn’t understand what is happening. She just knows there’s too much activity for things to be normal.
Cocoa’s favorite spot is sitting in the window downstairs in what will become Gladys’ bedroom. I doubt if she will continue to sit in that window, even after we finish moving things around.
If anyone has any suggestions on introducing an introverted cat to new people, I sure would appreciate your input.
