Juanita was quiet yesterday. Julia and Mary spent the day with her. She perked up some when Carol and I visited in the late afternoon. But she seems to have faded a little more. She asks several times when Easter comes, and we tell her what day it is now and how many more days until Easter. We wonder whether she is waiting until then.
Someone not undergoing curative treatment is not to remain in a hospital like Baptist. And a hospice person is not to remain if there is no crisis, and there is none now. So arrangements would probably have been made today to transport her to Epworth. But a hospice nurse needs to handle the transition and to train the aides that we would engage to care for Juanita. None of those nurses is available this week nor during the weekend. So she stays at Baptist Hospital until Monday, where the nursing care is simply outstanding: a small mercy not so small.
Julia's husband, Greg, is coming in Sunday, with our nephew Gregory Paul. They will stay the day, and then go back to New Port Richey that night with Julia. What a help she has been this week. Mary remains. More mercies.
We are sorry our niece Audrey, who wants desperately to come, has been warned away by her MS physician so far. But maybe he will relent if we get Juanita to Epworth, and Audrey will be able to come and say good-bye.
Today Julia and Mary will work on the issue of whether Juanita will go to the nursing home at Epworth or back to her apartment, and we will make a decision. Meanwhile, I will be contacting a fine Christian woman, a former member of our church, who lives in Naples and is an aide. Perhaps she will be able to move in with Mother or at least assume a substantial burden of her day to day care. Finding the right care-givers would be a great mercy.
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