Where do we go from Here?

So the last time I visited with Grandma it was the day after Christmas... I do talk to her on the phone every week just to check in and see how she's progressing. Most times our conversation is the same, How are you? Are you taking all your pills? Yes, you are supposed to be taking that pill. When was the last time to talked to the Dr.? How was Church? and simple things like that so I can see what she remembers and what she's not telling me.

Well this past Saturday I decided to pay Grandma a visit, I had just bought my new car so I thought it was a great time to go and show her the car and visit for a while. I called her Friday night to let her know I'd be over on Saturday, we agreed on a time and left it at that. Sure enough I arrived the NEXT day and she was totally surprised to see me! She hadn't really forgotten I was coming, so much as she forgot it was Saturday. I had caught her at lunch time (3pm) because she had gotten up late and had lunch late. As soon as I walked into the kitchen the table was covered with papers, Mail, magazines, random junk, bills, etc. it was so full I couldn't even find a place to sit. I moved somethings around and found this box...

She DOESN'T have an iPad! Yes she has an iPod but she doesn't ever use it and she already has a dock for it. When I asked her about it she didn't know where it came from or how she came to have it. All very very odd. I let it go for the moment letting her have her lunch and gather her thoughts. 

Later we took a drive in my new car to Target because I needed to go anyway and where else would we go? We go to Target she had to go to the bathroom, I walked over to the $1 bins browsed around while I waited for her. She came out couldn't see me but I waved her down, as we started into Target I asked her if there was anything she needed from Target since we were here. She said No then stopped as if to turn around and leave, I had to remind her that we were there because I needed to pick up somethings. She said Oh Right and we walked on.  I got what I needed paid and we went to the Starbucks area for a snack. She got a coffee and some popcorn and I had tea and this is when I decided to ask her more questions. 

Thinking of her stories!

I asked about the Phone again, the dock, the unnecessary spending all of which she started to give me made up stories... I could tell she was struggling to remember and she was making things up and since my face didn't move she even asked me, "you're not buying any of this are you?" I laughed and said NO.  I asked her if she had ever heard of a show called Hoarders, she had not but knew what I was talking about and quickly said "That's not Me!" I said "NOT YET"

When we got home I had a conversation with her tenant about what she has noticed going on with Grandma and she clued me into a couple things that were of concern to her. Apparently the floor heater has not worked in well over 20 years but twice now she has tried to turn it on. And she tried to go to a meeting she goes to every month and had gotten lost. As well as she seems to be having trouble maintaining her bank accounts and paying her bills. She also told me my uncle is now using the phone and is paying the monthly payments. 

So my next task: talk to Grandma about her bills and get her reorganized! She's not going to like it...