It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and a good excuse to give a gift to someone you care about. Holidays are especially important in nursing homes because they keep the days from being too routine, and act as a touchstone to lifelong events.
Month: January 2007
No-Slip Fleece Socks are just the right thing when warmth is the major consideration, but sometimes a true slipper is what’s needed. For feet that can change size during the course of a day or a week, a slipper that wraps gently, expanding and contracting accordingly, is an excellent solution.
The men’s version of this slipper is available in both terry cloth and berber fleece from The Vermont Country Store. The women’s comes only in terry, but in a wider range of colors than those for the guys.
I bought a pair of these for my dad when he couldn’t wear his sheepskin slippers any longer. At first I worried that the open toe wouldn’t be warm enough, but that wasn’t a problem; the air circulation was great for his toenails, and the bit of extra room good for his toes.
Related: Soothing Adjustable Slippers
Noisy Shoes for Toddlers
Back in the middle of the 20th century, it was very common to attach little white plastic barrels to toddler’s shoes. The barrels unscrewed at one end so they could be slipped over a tied shoelace — locking it in place, neatly tied. On top of the barrel was a single jingle bell, presumably for said child’s amusement, but also so that anyone could track the little rascal’s movements by ear alone.
Call buttons and bed controls are a critical part of nursing home life. For someone like my dad, who is able to manage these on his own, using them is one manifestation of independence. He can request that someone come to his room, rather than passively waiting, and he can adjust his bed without any help.
We’ve covered dogs thoroughly on Blondie’s post, so it seems only fair to mention cats, too. Douglas Toy Company does a great job with their cats, too, as Puzzle (photo) amply demonstrates.
Douglas also has a large offering of the curly ‘kohair’ pets. I admit I’m not crazy about them (I like my animals to look very much like the real thing), but even I realize that the kohair fabric is extra soft.
Writing has become difficult for my dad, and he does very little of it these days. After Christmas, though, he wanted to write short replies to a number of Christmas cards. It was difficult for him to hold on to the paper, so I rigged up a fat rubber band to hold it on his writing table.
Shoelaces — Tie and Wrap
Shoelaces, those clever fasteners, have bedeviled us since their invention, untying at will and leaving us disheveled, or worse, splayed all over the floor. Mousetraps aside, the Nobel awarded by the daily-living gods may one day be offered for the perfect shoelace solution. Accordingly, here’s another nominee: a velcro wrap invented by a coach in Texas.
It’s winter, and the house is cold, especially at night — and nothing is colder than my feet. What I long for, on these cold evenings, is the perfect pair of socks. I want the lovely woolly ones that are soft and dreamy. Sadly, fuzzy socks threaten to kill me with every step I take.
Coloring Books For Adults
Adults who enjoy coloring books don’t have to settle for the horrid pap that’s often handed out to children. Dover Publicatons offer an amazing line of truly thrilling coloring books.
Much to everyone’s surprise, my dad not only survived his transfer from the west coast to a nursing home on the east coast, but he thrived. It wasn’t long before I began looking for ways to get him out and about — not just to doctors, but so that he could get to know the area around the home and have at least a bit of the sense of freedom that he had had when living at home.