Notes for assessment

 I made some notes for the assessment folks, basic changes in the way he is.  I should note, this is rather depressing. 

He gets fixated on something, and that is the only thing for a week or more.  At some point it changes to a new thing.  Examples include 

    • Using the phone, calling anyone in his phone book no matter that time of day (or day for that matter.  He calls people when they are at work). 

    • Trying to get a job.  

        ◦ Numerous times he’s gone to Fresh co, thinking he picked up an application, only to be sent home with a scene card membership form.  

    • Trying to sell his car.  (he doesn’t remember doing.  He believes the government took his license and car away).  

He doesn’t know our names.  He thinks I am his brother.  He believes my wife is my sister somedays.  Other days just a relative.  He calls me “buddy” and her “dear”. 

A few months ago, he woke up crying.  He told me that he didn’t have any idea who we were.  

He is continually confused as to what day it is.  On occasion he has made plans with people, went out and came home upset because they were not there.  In some cases it was because they planned on getting together a day later.  Ex went out thursday, when he was supposed to meet on friday. 

Often goes to bed very early.  This is exacerbated by coming home drunk sometimes. 

He is much more aware in the mornings than in the evenings.  Sundowning? 

Part of the issue I believe is that fact that he stopped wearing his hearing aids.  He doesn’t always understand us, because he doesn’t hear us.  

I believe that he is depressed.  He has good days and bad days. 

He had his wallet stolen at the bar, or on the way home from the bar.  He could not tell us a straight story as to what happened.

    • He was robbed at bar

    • on the way home

    • he believes that his drink was spiked and he got sick, and taken advantage of.

        ◦ Speaking with the bar owners he was belligerent at the time. 

When we attempted to find out where his wallet was, we went back to the bar and retraced his steps.  We asked him numerous times whereabouts he was, but he couldn’t tell us.  There are multiple parks near our place, and our indication was that the robbery either happened at the bar or at a nearby park. 

When he gets upset, he just walks away and leaves the house.  When we sold his car, he gave the license plate to the buyer even though we needed it.  I asked him where it was and he said that he gave it to the buyer.  I got mildly upset and he just walked off.  I found him down the street trying to help someone with a ladder.  Even though I told him we would be having supper after the sale. 

We took him to a few outdoor house concerts, and he was not paying attention and playing with kids.  I believe he thought they were his grandkids and he kissed and hugged strangers. 

He has only once left the stove on that I know of.  I was here, and he caught himself doing it. 

We have to remind him to shower and change his underwear daily.  He tends to shower once or twice a week and not for very long. 

    • He gets upset when we have to remind him. 

Most of his days he spends starring out the window, watching tv, his tablet (true crime or oldies music on youtube).  Alternating days he will go out to the bar in the afternoon and have a few drinks.  

    • When he goes out I believe it is because he is bored, and a people person.  Quite often he tells me that he is “meeting someone for a possible job”.   I tend to wonder if people at the bar are leading him on perhaps.  Or he may not be hearing them. 

We have had a few doctors appointments and bank meetings.  When asked questions by professionals he quite often either doesn’t hear, or doesn’t understand what they are saying and laughs it off.  

Daily we tell him that the dog does not need to go outside, yet he let’s her out continually.  When I’m home she is quite often outside.  This worries us with the winter coming. 

For the most part, I believe that he is quite bored, and is in need of things to do.  I’ve attempted to get him to volunteer at places, but it has been met with criticism, non willingness, the need to get a paying job.  In one case he went to the local seniors centre and believed that they would in fact be paying him. 

Dad moved from Alberta to Manitoba in March of 2023.  He often refers to Alberta as “out west” or “saskatchewan”.  He quite often forgets the word alberta.

He is quite often talking to himself. 

We tried to teach him how to use the house alarm when he first moved in, but he became scared of it and couldn’t quite comprehend how to use it. 

Dad was a lifetime cook and enjoyed it very much.  Nowadays the best he does is hotdogs or toast. 

Received mail that was addressed to myself or my wife and will ask “who these people are?” 

Dad received what he believed was a bill (when in fact it was a credit from a company).  He went and paid it at the bank somehow.  He said he would take care of it, and then got mad when he did it incorrectly.   He has difficulty understanding the point of what mail he receives.  More often than not he just rips it up and throws it away. 

After we have visits with people sometimes he doesn’t remembering doing it.  Typically the next day.