Day three for Joe

Monday September 18, 2006
Day three with Joe at group home

I did not sleep but two hours last night, so worked on a scrapbook of Joe and I for Emma Ruth all night, and went to sleep about 6:00 and slept to 8:00 am, then rushed to get to salon for cut and color this morning.

I was very tired all day, of course. When I finished with the salon I knew it was about time for him to have his after lunch nap, so I just went to Sprouts and Walmart and came home. I did get about an hour’s sleep and then rushed out at 5:00 to go back to the group home.

They were just finishing dinner when I got there, and Joe said hi but was not smiling at me. I brought him from table to living room and could see he was in a very depressed mood. He was not angry with me today and had probably forgotten yesterday, but was just depressed. He seemed very sad to me.

I asked him if he wanted to go into back yard and we walked around there for awhile and then sat at a table on patio. He was very quiet, so I said let’s go back in and watch TV. He told me the people there annoyed him as some do not speak at all, and don’t make sense at times, and one man calls for help all the time whether he needs it or not. He said it was not quiet at night and they did tell me he wanted to nap right after breakfast today as well, so he had two naps today.

He told me he did not like it there. It just made me very depressed also and I felt like crying most of the time I was there today. I did cry when I got to my car, as I understood totally what he was saying. All the people are older than him and in worse physical shape. He may be the worst with dementia but he is in pretty good physical shape.

I do not know if I can keep him there. I really don’t. Right now I want to take him out after the one month when I get back from Chicago.