When I received the call from my sister telling me that Mother's doctor recommended that she moved from the nursing home to the "Casa de Saude do Espirito Santo das Irmas Hospitaleiras", I admit that I was devastated. That was the place that Mother always asked not to go to. How could we even consider having Mother in a Mental Institution? Although the doctor guaranteed that it was another wing, that it was a nursing home for women, just the thought of going through the same entrance door was getting me worried.... Mother would never accept that and worse she would never forgive us for agreeing to that! My sister was looking for my input and although my heart was saying no.... she can't go there, my mind was saying yes... that's where she will get the care that she needs!
At the nursing home, the staff wasn't prepared to deal with Alzheimer patients and they would call my sister every single time Mother had an occurrence. She was not forgetting... she was being difficult...
Several years have passed... Mother has passed away and to this day, I thank God for the decision that we both made. With that decision, we gave our Mother a much better quality of life than if she had stayed at the old Nursing Home. She was able to get care 24/7 with doctors, nurses, caregivers, nuns... she went on road trips, to the theater, played games, exercises, physicals every time it was required, you name it and she had it.
Two names that come to mind and I want to thank them for all their care and support; they are Sister Encarnacao and the Male Nurse Saul, they were both a big part of Mother's life.
But Mother's favorite time was her Sunday Afternoon with my Sister and Brother-in-law... going out with them was the highlight of the week!
My sister would call me every single time, so that we could talk to Mother on the phone. To this day I still wait for that phone call, every Sunday around 12:00pm.
I have no doubt that the three of us, we still connect at that time every single Sunday!
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