Nov. 18--A difficult decision

This week Dad's children made the difficult decision to put him in a care center. We won't move him till after Thanksgiving, but the plan is to move him by the end of the month.

Such a decision may come as a surprise to many, but it's been a decision that we've been discussing for some time. We've all been getting near the end of our endurance. It's been like we've all been waiting to see which family member would cry "Uncle" first.

Well, one of us did cry "Uncle," and we all knew that meant it was time for the rest of us to cry "Uncle" too.

I've cried a lot about this decision because I wanted to be able to give Dad the gift of dying at home, but when I've prayed about it--and I've prayed about it a lot--I've felt that he wasn't going to die at home.

We've chosen the Hobble Creek Care Center on Main Street in Springville--assuming they still have a free bed at the end of the month. Martha has visited this care center, and we've had recommendations about it from others.

John, Martha and I told Dad on Monday night about his having to go into a care facility. He had so little reaction it was hard to tell if he even understood what we were saying.

On Tuesday, Dad didn't remember what we'd talked about, so I told him again, more simply, and he said, "I'll try to force myself to remember." But still he didn't have any clear emotional reaction.

Since Monday night, he's been hallucinating more at night. I don't know if there's a connection or not.

In happier news, Ruth Seppi Hamilton, Christie's oldest daughter had a baby girl on Nov. 12. I showed Dad the pictures of Eliana Sophie Hamilton this evening, and he chuckled as he looked at the pictures of his 21st great-grandchild. When I told him that Ruth said that she and her husband Alan were "head-over-heels in love" with their daughter, he said, "I can imagine!"

As always, thanks for your love and concern for Dad.