Hello all:

My mother has dementia. Even though she has not been diagnosed as such, it's quite obvious to those around her and to those who know her so well and love her.

Some backstory:

Me: back in 1985, I had to have a pituitary tumor removed (as well as the pituitary gland). I was 22 years old at the time (I'm 45 now). Since then, not only has my vision changed (lazy right-eye, "blind" areas in the lower left-hand side of each eye, limited peripheral vision), but because the ligaments in my neck have become calcified, I cannot move my head more than an inch in any direction. I also have apparently lost the ability to sweat and also have problems with my urination (as soon as my bladder becomes full, I start to dribble/drool (what a picture I just gave y'all, huh), sometimes not even realizing it is happening (sitting in a chair . . . ). Therefore, I go around most of the day with moist shorts/pants). Of course, this might be prostate related.
I haven't driven a car for several years, so I rely on my mother/others to transport me (unless there's an emergency, then I would have to drive). In the past I have seen and gotten my medications from an Endocrinologist (who I don't see anymore because he lives too far away for us to drive) and now a G.P. (as my primary-care, since that's what Medicaid says I have to have), as well as a pulmonologist (even though I don't have trouble with my lungs). What I need is someone more like an Endocrinologist who can monitor my hormone-levels and increase/decrease the dosages accordingly.
My medications include Synthroid (synthetic thyroid hormone replacement), Zoloft (for depression), Lisinopril (blood-pressure), DDAVP (controls my "output" of water, otherwise I might lose too much electrolytes (which did happen after my surgery. I was allowed to join my parents in their hotel room, spent the day out by the pool swimming and getting some sun. I guess I sweated-out too much electrolytes and that night found myself getting cold-sweats, shaking and throwing-up. I eventually blacked-out and found myself back in the hospital where they told me they had given me an IV with electrolyte replacement.) and injections of Depo-testosterone (in the hip, a real pain-in-the-you-know-where) twice a month. My Mom usually gives them to me, but since she is in rehab, my older brother had to give it to me. He didn't do too bad a job, either! Just one drop of blood escaped and that was it!

My Dad:
My father developed a major-case of Parkinson's Disease some time back and quickly shook his weight/fat off (as long as I had known him, he had been rather large).
At one point late in 2003/early 2004, he fell while walking with his walker and opened a small wound on his lower back near the tailbone. He went to two doctors. The first took one look and said he wouldn't operate on such a small wound. The second doctor did the operation, but, because my dad contracted a staph infection at the wound site, the previously small wound (no larger than the tip of your pinky finger) had grown into one larger than the whole pinky. It had also eaten its way close to his tailbone. Since he couldn't sit down without it hurting, he became bedridden and was taken care of not only by my Mom and me, but by home healthcare as well as friends near us.
He lost so much weight in that last year, he looked like a walking skeleton (sort of like a German concentration camp survivor) (the social worker that came in talked about filing charges against us for elder abuse because he was so thin there was little on his body besides skin, muscle and bone. She didn't understand that PD patients' actually shake the fat off - until we explained it to her). He eventually developed a touch of Alzheimer's Disease and experienced lots of hallucinations (which we took to calling “figs” (figments of his imagination)). These hallucinations may have been caused by his medications. When calling for me, he started calling his brother Cleo's name (even though Dad had been at Cleo's funeral and therefore knew he was dead), but I knew he was really calling for me and I went to see what he needed.
When speaking, his voice was so low and indistinct, most of what he said was just so much mumbling and was virtually unintelligible.
Near the end, we traded standard home healthcare for Hospice. Sometime before he died, I went into his room and held his left hand in mine in a "soul shake" type manner. I said "You know something Daddy? We're tight!" When he heard that, I saw a huge, toothless open-mouthed grin come across his face. I still don't know if he knew it was me, his youngest son, or not, but it made me so happy to be able to give him a small amount of joy.
He died December 5, 2005 about thirty-minutes after the Hospice nurse gave him a small amount of liquid morphine under the tongue (to aid in breathing, as he was struggling to breathe). I understand the giving of a small-amount of liquid morphine to patients who are near death and are struggling to breathe is S.O.P (Standard Operating Procedure) for Hospice.
Our friend Barbara was in his room when he died. She came running out of his room into the family-room (where my mother and I were) and told us that he had stopped breathing. We rushed into his room, to see him looking out of the window (or it seemed so). When I got close to him, it looked like one eyelid was fully-open and the other was half-closed, making it look like he was winking at me. Barbara said that when she had originally come into his room, he was looking off into the distance, smiling and nodding his head as if someone else had asked him a question. My personal belief is that it was his guardian angel or whoever comes to accompany the soul to Heaven and that Dad's guardian angel asked him if he was ready to leave the Earth and go to Heaven. To this, Dad must have been telling him/her that yes, he was ready to go "home." Since Dad had a DNR, all we needed to do was to call Hospice, and they would call 911 and the funeral home to send someone to retrieve his body. My Dad was 84 years old when he died. We still miss him so much.

My Mom:
My Mom is the number-one reason I joined ElderCare community. She is 83 years old now and still beautiful to me. My grandmother was the same way.
For some time my mother has had osteoporosis and rheumatiod arthritis. She has extreme pain in her neck due to a degenerating disc. Because of this it is hard for her to turn her head without feeling a lot of pain. She often wears a foam-rubber neck brace to provide some support, but after a few minutes she has to take it off because she says she has a hard-time breathing.
Medications/doctors: For her knees, she has gotten injections of Cortisone and Synvisc, neither of which last very long. For her neck, she has had injections of some sort (probably Cortisone), and currently takes Percoset, Advil, Alleve and aspirin. Because she has had trouble doing #2, she has had to take laxatives all her life. Currently she takes Dulcolax. In the rehab facility, they give her either a small-amount of Milk of Magnesia or a brown liquid (don't know what it is). She also takes Toprol for her blood-pressure and Xanax for her depression. She has had angina and in the past as well. For her doctors, she currently sees a cardiologist, a psychologist and goes to a pain clinic.
She recently took two falls: one in the house next to her chair (and landed on her walker). The second fall occurred at a gas station. She lost her balance somehow and fell on the hard-concrete (as opposed to soft-concrete, hehe) of the island. She broke the small-bone in her left-wrist (it was displaced as well) and fractured her left-hip. Fortunately that same day my brother and his family arrived (they live in South Carolina). We took her to the ER where she was admitted to the hospital. Her surgeon reset the bone in her wrist and placed two pins in it, covering it all with a fiberglas cast. He also put two screws/pins in the hip where it had fractured, then closed up the two-inch incision with staples. She took her fall on Dec. 14, went into the ER on the 15th, had her surgeries on the 20th, then went into a rehab facility that shares space with a nursing home (the rehab area is on a separate wing from the nursing home areas). She is not in rehab for her wrist, but for her hip.
I only noticed the differences in her behavior after my Dad died. At first I thought it was because she was grieving for him (which we all still are), but now I've realized that her behavioral differences began sometime before his death.
Her behavioral differences (I'm going by the listing on familydoctor.org):
Recent memory loss (tells stories about her life over-and-over (-and-over-and-over); remembers things differently than others (in her mind, she was in my Dad's room before he died, and he looked at her and smiled. I was there. He stopped breathing before we got into the room. He was smiling, though.))
Misplacing things (usually her eyeglasses)
Changes in mood (goes from calm to angry that we won't get her out of rehab until she achieves the goals set for her by the rehab doctor)
Personality changes (claims that we don't love her because we won't just get her out of the rehab facility)
Loss of initiative (scared to go anywhere alone; doesn't want to interact with others)

My brother has been here since December 14, 2007. We've been cleaning-up and cleaning-out the house: deep housecleaning team came in; shredding old papers; new carpet in Mom's room; throwing-out of old medications; tossing-out of old/unwanted/unread magazines and books (books go to the library); donation of old clothes to Hospice . . . . That is just the start. My bedroom is a mess as well. Yes, I admit it! I'm a 45-year-old packrat! My mother went through the Depression and now is a packrat. I had to learn how from someone; better it be her (a professional packrat)!

My dog Cissy (a Toy Manchester Terrier) died in 1978 from diabetes. We had no idea until the autopsy that the diabetes had shut-down almost all her internal organs. I haven't had the courage until now to give my heart to a new dog. I'm looking for a Chihuahua (probably from a rescue service).

Thanks for listening to me pour out my heart.
Much love to all of you!
~Tim =^.^=

Hello all!

Well, Mom came home this morning and was "introduced" to our house. Actually, it's the same old house, but we've been cleaning, replacing carpet, steam-cleaning carpet, had the exterior pressure-washed, painted her room, shredded old papers, paid bills . . ..
Lemme tell ya, one topic of conversation in rehab was how much she missed her BeautyRest mattress/bed. Well, she's home and is sleeping quite well in her own bed.
The home healthcare rep was here this afternoon. This healthcare group is virtually new to Lake City. They only have a nurse and a physical therapist here. Anyone else has to commute. She's decided to have the physical therapist come in. They're also going to provide a toilet seat-riser with armrests/assists.
She's been sitting in Daddy's electric recliner
(raises-up and lowers-down with the touch of a control). She must feel more at ease here because she fell asleep in the chair (or it could be that she had just taken her nightly Ambien)
Well, both she (and my brother) have been running me ragged. My brother is never satisfied with things and gets angry very easily. He even threatened to get in his truck and go back to SC! I say "Give that man some Zoloft!" Until I started taking Zoloft, I guess I had an argument with Mom every day over some piddling thing. It was only when Dad gently cleared his throat that we would shut-up, haha! Dad gets the last "word" for once! Once I started on Zoloft, my anger and depression decreased to almost nothing. If I wouldn't get in trouble, I'd talk to his wife (who's a hospital nurse) and see if he might need some Zoloft, and whether he exhibits this anger and destructiveness at his home.
-------------
Brussels Griffon eh? What about Papillon's? There is a breed comparision table on the Iams site where you can compare two breeds. I input Brussels Griffon into one side and Papillon into the other. You can see the table here. After going through the site and others, I have decided on either the Chihuahua or the Papillon. Yes, both are quite small, but I've decided to wait until my mom passes and I move up to live with my brother. Don't know if he'll let me get a dog of my own (it's his house, after all). If he does, I'll choose either Chihuahua or Papillon. The table can be seen here.

Y'all have a great weekend!
~Tim =^.^=

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AceHarddrive,

Momsbuddy:

Sorry, I didn't want to turn this into a discussion about dog training. I only posted that blurb to extol the virtues of the breed. Thought someone out there would find it funny. You are of course so right about the importance of dog training. I should not have made light of it.

quote:

Moms_Buddy: Could you recommend a few dogs breeds that fit your requirements?

Yes. There are a bunch at your local shelter who are waiting for homes.

Anna, better training means less need for rescue groups. They should have chosen a different message for their card. Their message harkens to a time when dogs were tolerated as companions better, there was a LOT more space, people were more considerate of one another's rights, etc.

Training a dog does not mean turning them into a machine with no personality, cowed into submission. It means teaching them the rules, the same as we do with children. A well-trained dog has no lack of individual personality - it simply behaves in a socially acceptable manner no matter WHAT breed it is.

quote:

Originally posted by Moms_Buddy:
[QUOTE] but NO EXCUSES - TRAIN your dog.

Couldn't agree with you more MomsBuddy... However, I am a long time Wiener Dog Owner and this past Christmas, I received a holiday card from my local resure group inside it read: Droll and lovealbe as they are, dachshunds have a mind of their own. "I would rather train a striped zebra to balance an Indian club than induce a dachshund to heed my slightest command", wrote E.B. White, who in spite of this foible was "agreeably encumbered" by several through his lifetime. About the one named Fred he had this to offer: "Of all the dogs whom I have served I've never known one who understood so much of what I say or held it in such deep contempt. When I address Fred I never have to raise either my voice or my hopes. He even disobeys me when I instruct him in something that he wants to do." E.B. White, (1899-1985) Author: Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

@Moms_Buddy: Could you recommend a few dogs breeds that fit your requirements? Cissy was/is a small dog, but that's what I like! What can I say, she ruined me for bigger dogs/other breeds, hehe! She was my first and I'll always consider her to be the best (I may be biased, however). Everyone's first dog is like their first kid in that the dog teaches them how to be proper/good mommies and daddies (ooohhh, so profound!)

I don't know what to say about the acorn issue. I let my brother know what I found in my "research," and he let his wife and daughter's know. From what I understand, it's only the one dog that eats the acorns, but John told me that she'll eat the acorns, but when she comes back into the house, she eats her dinner and drinks her water like normal. Apparently the only difference they see in her is that she seems "hyperactive" and can't sit still (which might be from the acorns, unless she's getting into something else), but she eventually calms down. They have two poodles. When their daughters were still living at home, they each got a poodle (Sophie and Cookie), but when they each moved into different apartment buildings (which didn't allow pets), they had to leave the dogs at home, to be cared for by John and his wife. My brother and his family live in upstate SC and yes, there are Live Oak trees in their backyard. Perhaps the dog is eating/getting into something else that would account for the hyperactivity. They do know the dog is eating the acorns, but as of yet, it hasn't seemed to have any effect on the dog. I still strongly suggested to John that they do something to either get to the acorns before the dogs do, or give the dog something more desirable or otherwise get her focused on something else. I'd like to know why some dogs like eating acorns (and pecans . . .), since the tannic acid in the acorn makes it very bitter. How could anyone enjoy eating that?

Well, the rehab facility's doc and his P.A. were both out on vacation, so they had to call in the backup doc (who just happens to be my primary doc). He tested my mom and pronounced her ready to go home. So she comes home tomorrow morning! The social worker has already set it up with home healthcare to come in after mom gets home to see what she needs (bedside commode, walker, toilet riser, toilet bars, shower chair . . . ) and will probably be coming in for one month, if my mom doesn't run them off before that time, hehe!

Have a great night, everyone!
~Tim =^.^=

quote:

Any dog, not just a poodle would have problems resulting from eating many acorns. Most difficulties would be seen as digestive disturbances, but with the pain, restlessness would surely follow.

Yeah, well don't tell my dogs about that. THey not only eat acorns every chance they get, they eat pecans - shells and all. Of course it causes irritation and they happily barf up the last one they ate and immediately go to find more.

While acorns and pecans, etc. are not toxic to dogs per sae, they ARE irritating to their systems. However, dogs, being omnivores and scavengers, are pretty well constructed to handle eating all kinds of things that wouldn't sit well with thee and me (rotten garbage, chewing wood, uncooked, unseasoned road kill). The key is common sense. Watch your dog. Don't freak out if he eats something you may consider unsavory, but keep your eye on them and get them to the vet if they show signs of listlessness, have blood in the stool, vomit (as opposed to regurgitate) repeatedly, or show signs of abdominal tenderness or swelling.

Breed preference is just that: a preference. My 115 pound mixed lab-sharpei was so tender with Mom when she was ambulatory, I was training him to be a "Help I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up" dog but Mom wouldn't cooperate with the training. He steadied her, never jumped on her (my dogs are trained NOT to jump up on ANYONE unless enthusiastically invited to do so - we call it 4 on the floor training), never beat her with his tail, etc. He knew he was supposed to protect and defend her and that's exactly what he did. The big shepherd and little terrier mix also understood that Mom was frail and different and they were to watch over her.

There is no one "right" breed. Pick the one YOU like the best and TRAIN YOUR DOG! Dogs are never born monsters - they are allowed to become that way by their owners. If you cannot get out to training classes, have someone come to you, but NO EXCUSES - TRAIN your dog. If you cannot afford the time or money for 6-10 weeks of training with a professional trainer, you cannot afford a dog. Sending your dog "out" for training is about the lamest thing in the world. You pay a LOT of money, the dog is trained and it is obedient to the trainer. Simply knowing the "magic words" won't get it. Dogs have no spoken language - they rely on body language and observation. They quickly observe you don't know what you are doing and will not work reliably for an owner who hasn't put in the time. Even service dogs must train WITH their owners.

ANY dog can be a good pet so long as it is trained. For elderly folks, I typically recommend a small to medium breed, preferably purchased as a 3-6 month old pup from the shelter (they are the ones who need homes. Registration and a pedigree with championship bloodlines is NO GUARANTEE of quality. Every litter has lesser quality dogs even if born to the #1 bitch and sire in the country). A dog between 15 - 50 pounds is about right. Tiny dogs dance under our feet and are more easily problematic than are slightly larger dogs that cannot crowd in-between our legs, etc. A dog purchased from the shelter has had its shots, been spayed/neutered and has been wormed. They also seem to recognize that they have been "saved" - often creating a gratitude which lasts for a lifetime.

Thank you BC Im gonna show your post to hunny boy when he gets home maybe he'll think twice before this ends up being my dog......again!
Aaah their so cute Torp! I saw this one for the first time in that movie "As good as it gets" wadda character and cuter than sin!

Look into the brussels griffon. We have one, and he's got the personality of a cat in a little dog body. Our "baby boy" looks just like the one in this photograph, except we chose to leave his ears uncut. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Bruxellois

The article pretty much nails their personalities as well. Our boy loves nothing more than to sit on the sofa on someone's lap all day, but tends to be shy of strangers and will hide when we have guests. They don't jump on people, as some breeds are inclined to do. He's very playful and loving toward the entire family, but when my husband is at home, he is definitely "daddy's dog." He was demon to housebreak, though. Some of that can probably be attributed to the fact that we didn't have him neutered in order that he could be bred at some future point. But the housebreaking issue is fairly common to any toy breed. Our boy is small, around six lbs. He's playful, but it's a more gentle type of playfulness than we see with our other dogs (a yorkie and an english bulldog). He's pretty tolerant of our other dogs, but seems to prefer not to socialize and play with them much; he likes humans better and it seems to be a breed characteristic. He's easy to keep groomed as well, which is a benefit, but sheds very little if at all. I will say that he's a bit neurotic, but in such a way that it's not really annoying. His neurosis seem to be more oriented toward hiding and pouting when he gets his feelings hurts; grifs are sensitive little souls.

I don't recommend a yorkie for a dementia patient. We've owned several, and have one now. We ADORE the breed, but they are terriers and so rowdy, noisy and mischievous. Very entertaining, but could be a little much for a dementia patient. They also have fairly intensive grooming needs.

Have to agree with BG about the little guys being fragile and often high strung, especially if abused in the past. Many don't fit the stereo type, and can be very secure and know when to get out of reach by a 6th sense, but you can't count on that. Some breeds seem to blend in to the care pet role better than others, but many are mixed breeds that come from shelters as adult dogs. Often the shelter people have a really good idea of which one will work. If for your own needs, it must be a small dog, seperate that from the notion of a therapy dog for an AD patient.

A nieghbor of my mother's adopted a greyhound recently. They take her to visit nursing homes and have brought her to see Mom. She is extremely gentle and kind. She does need walks daily, lots of excercise. Also her head is at the same level as the table. She has been known to snatch a whole stick of butter in the time it take to sneeze.

BG, I raised Corgis for several years. Mine were an oldfashioned herding type and required a lot of activity. If they weren't eating, they were running. Where sheep herding dogs must be gentle, corgis were bred for cattle and can be rough. There is even a local livestock market that uses a corgi to herd hogs into the shoots. They are smart and funny, very hardheaded. Think they are they boss unless you stay ontop of them.

Mine were Pembrokes. Maybe the Cardigans are more laid back. Loved them dearly, but they were a challange and need a lot of excercise.

AHD a chihuahua would not be my first choice with a Dementia patient the reason being they are far more delicate than lets say a lab. I have small pets that I tried with my mil and lemme tell you sometimes an AD patient forgets their strength maybe a little bigger like a Corgi or ???? I cant think I got Corgis on the brain (*thanks hunny* he wants a Corgi now, between a chow/lab and a german shepard/lab that are both spoiled fur children as you call them their not gonna take too kindly to an interloper that cute! talk about a complex) something with a leeedle more meat on it lol

Ace, hello again. The membership has been addressing your issues, but I just returned home and no one mentioned the acorn/poodle delema.. Your are correct that most research hits would address the very high levels of tannic acid, and difficult fiber involved in acorns. Any dog, not just a poodle would have problems resulting from eating many acorns. Most difficulties would be seen as digestive disturbances, but with the pain, restlessness would surely follow.

Tannic acid is a phenol which in large concentrated amounts, can be toxic. I would limit access of dogs to acorns. Horses as well. The owner of the poodle should talk talk to a vet if you think this dog swallowed large quantities of acorns.

Hyperactivity would not be a long lasting result of chewing up a few, but restlessness can result from serious discomfort following the ingestion of a few. More serious consequences can result from a higher dose. Good luck.

Good Morning, friends!

I am very interested (and need?) to get a new furkid(s). After going through the Eukanuba breed selector test, and after reading about the breed on various forums, I have decided that I want (at least one) Chihuahua. Do y'all think a dog (particularly a small-one like the Chihuahua) would be "appropriate" for a home with an elderly person, particularly one that has been injured?

Thanks very much!
~Tim =^.^=

AHD in Rehab Doctors rarely come in the patient is usually taken to them, if there is something going on with your mom the CNA's will bring it to the attention of the LVN's on the floor. If the LVN can not handle the problem its then taken to the RN on the floor and at their discretion if its something serious they will contact the PCP of your mom. I know it sounds like alot of hoops but they have to go with the chain of command first it does no good yelling at them they have no control over procedure.

Welcome AHD, I'm new here too and it is a good place for support. Sometimes you just need to know that there a people who have been through the same thing you are now entering.

Hello all!

I thank you for your kind and informative replies. As to the gun issue, my mother may talk a good game, but I don't believe she would actually shoot herself even if she did somehow manage to acquire a handgun. Also, the friend, even if asked by my mother, would not give her access to a handgun. I'm not worried about this.
In her 22-days (so far) of rehab-care, not one doctor has come in to see her. My brother, John had it out with the staff about this. Tonight, my primary doctor, who is the backup when the rehab facility's doctor (or his P.A.) are not available, was called in to see my mother. It looks like she's coming home on Friday, after the home healthcare people have had a chance to go through the house and find out what is needed to care for my mother. Sometime after she comes home, John plans to leave for South Carolina (his home), leaving me "in charge" of her care.

Bytheway, I have an off-topic question: does anyone know if eating oak-tree acorns could cause poodles to become hyperactive? I found out that the acorns can cause gastrointestinal trouble, diarrhea with flatulence, kidney trouble . . . However, in all my "research," I have not found it mentioned that it can cause hyperactivity in dogs.

Thanks again!
~Tim =^.^=

AHD welcome in and Ditto to MB No Guns PERIOD I wont go into a home with a gun in it.
I dont trust people let alone an altered patient to be in possession of one, being raised around them most of my life there was always a very healthy respect of them but nowadays HAH! People shoot first an ask questions later no sense risking some innocent persons life with that knowaddimean.
If this "friend" even considers this favor your mom is asking and I was standing in your shoes I can tell you straight out that person would be BANNED from further contact with mom simple as that, unless they recognize mom is altered and speaks to me first before doing any "favors" then and ONLY then would they be allowed contact
And on the law side of things depending on your states laws this person could be held liable if something should happen heaven forbid.

quote:

One thing I am worried about is her telling us that if she isn't released soon, she's going to call our friend and have her bring Mom a gun so Mom could shoot herself. Before she fell, she would occasionally mention her desire that we get a gun for protection. Usually this is either because we either see a violent crime reported in the news or because we live in a bad area. At one time, long ago, I also had the desire to buy a gun (don't want a pistol, want a revolver). That has changed, however, and I no longer want a gun. I tried to explain to Mom why we don't need/want a gun, but I think she was already developing dementia. I would fear the time she pulled that gun and fired at hallucinations, possibly accidentally shooting me!

Ace, as you wisely recognize, guns and dementia don't mix. If you know this friend your Mom wants to call to get a gun, please have a conversation with her and advise her that no guns are allowed and that if she DOES provide one to your mom, that the authorities will be contacted. With all caregivers have to worry about, guns are one worry we should NEVER have to consider because they should not be present. At all. For any reason.

Thanks for the replies everyone!
Yes, I am seriously considering getting a new companion. While Cissy was a wonderful and loving friend, it has been close to thirty-years that we have been separated. I know when my time comes, I'll find her on the Rainbow Bridge and we'll have quite a reunion, I'm sure! Then we'll walk into Paradise together to find the rest of our family. If anyone is interested, I have begun posting pics of Cissy to my Flickr page, which can be found here. They are in a set called "Cissy - my first furkid."

My brother has been having trouble handling all of this. He is quick to anger. 99% of the time it is either when we are in Mom's room visiting with her and he (and I) try to get her to understand that 1)her fractured hip is the reason why she is in rehab; 2)the only way to get released is to follow the instructions given to her by the doctor, nurses, CNAs and therapists; 3)that she has to build-up her strength and endurance in order to fulfill her goals; 4)that she must demonstrate - to the satisfaction of the doctor, nurses and therapists - that she can perform each and every task required of her; 5)that no matter what is asked of her, she must do it cheerfully and willingly.
I'm not sure about the requirements for release, but I believe she has to at least: get-up out of bed, walk to the bathroom (with the aid of a walker), sit-down on the toilet, get-up from the toilet, walk-back to the bed and get-in. I think she must be able to (using the walker) navigate around a simple "obstacle course."

My brother had an meeting today with the administrator, the doctor, director-of-nursing and therapists to determine what she has to do and when she can come home. Before today, she was walking with a walker (and a therapist assisting her with a wide belt) and with a ball att