Home

Dad came home briefly yesterday for his home assessment. It was the first time this year he had been back to Bucksport, the first time since the ambulance took him away he had been back to his house. Although it's been unusually cool this spring, it was still a great sunny day for the drive down. Dad just stared out the window. He commented that all the snow had melted. When he got out of the car at the house, he took a moment to survey his front yard. Then we all headed inside. Hearing Dad's physical therapist Ray remind Dad of the different little things he's supposed to remember when up and moving around, made it think how much we take for granted just walking around. For Dad, he has to be conscious of the different surfaces he's walking  on, whether it's grass, tile, wood, carpet or rugs. He has to be conscious of different doorway thresholds, stable things around him he can use for support, how to properly get into a car. He can't get his AFO (Ankle Foot Orthosis) brace until a minimum of 48 hours before discharge from Stillwater. It's a Medicare rule, where the thought process is since Dad is under the umbrella care of a Skilled Nursing Facility, everything should be provided by them. And they don't do ankle braces. So he has to wait. That's ok though, because it gives him more time and opportunities to continue building on the strength in his right leg.
Dad did really well in the house. There were only a few small recommended modifications made and with the exception of slight difficulty maneuvering a wheelchair into the bathroom (they tested the house for hemi-cane and wheelchair mobility), the house is good to go and Dad is good to return. So it looks like, if all the ducks keep lining up they way they have been, I will pick Dad up Tuesday after work and bring him home for good. The rest of next week will be making sure everyone begins and settles into the new routine and I feel safe knowing Dad is Ok at the house, because while Dad is returning to the familiar, it will all be brand new.