Dad moved in 8 months ago after mom died mainly due to finance and loneliness (OK mainly finance). He wanted to get knee replacement surgery. My sister the RN (who lives many hours away) said he should. I wanted him to lose weight first. Anyhow, be pushed and found a doc to do it (I let him set this up on his own hoping they would not do it) Fast forward to this week. He had surgery Monday, my sister came in for 2 days, then went home. All the time giving me orders. While at the hospital tells the nurses she is one and telling them what he should be doing..... Yeah that went over well. Hence to say they were happy to see her go too. I'm an EMT, it means I can put a band aid on you and help keep you alive to get to the hospital, after that the pros are in change of their own place, so I know what and when to keep my mouth shut and just ask the right questions. Now dad is in rehab. So i have got no work done all week, (lots of snow to move) and run back and forth to the hospital, now rehab, get him his breakfast and dinner (didn't like the hospital food) manage my business and take care of my house! Now it is the phone calls "can you bring me this?" He did not do the 2 pre-op meetings on what to expect, he did not pack any belongings for rehab. He just showed up for surgery and expected everything to be done for him....... Typical, mom did everything for him, pack make plans etc..... So now I have to pack his clothes, walker, prep my house (already did with a previous senior living w me). But there was no pre-planning on his part. He got his shave kit and some underwear out on his bed pre-hospital so I guess that constitutes packing? I told him I would not be making meals for him, the place has good food. He wanted special coffee which I got for him on the way to rehab to make him comfortable when he got there. Oh did i mention I had to arrange his transportation (wheel chair van showed up and we needed an ambulance) and visit and pick the rehab sites for him that he should have done previously? This is a man who a year ago was running his remodeling company with subs and customers and billings...... He has no medical or mental issues, he only moved due to money and being lonely. So my day is getting my wife off to school, run my business, do the shopping, cooking (lots of eating out this week) and tend to him and trying to earn a living. He did not do any physical prep so he is way behind in getting up and about. I am taking the hard approach that "this was your choice, you have to get the motivation to get out of rehab, you have to want this , it is up to you to get out of bed and walk". Yeah I know I am being tough love but I have to. My sister arrived and he just melted, all of a sudden he couldn't walk. When she is around he cant do anything. Different when its me and him because I don't do everything, I will assist when it is absolutely necessary but he can do it. So she left me with everything "I have to go back to work, if you need anything I can come in and be there" Like I need another person in my house to treat like a hotel guest.... or "Dad can stay with me for a few months"..... It will last 3 days as he and my BIL do not really like each other... so she knows it will not happen. I had no clue when I offered to house my dad, don't get me wrong I am not unhappy he is here as it is my duty but even with him ambulatory it is still a lot of work. Day 3 he says, once this heals I will get the other knee done........ He was not happy when I said, lets wait a year and see how things go...... I have to have a life here or we wont have a place to live! SO to all the care givers I feel your pain! My siblings get a fee ride..... I do daily emails to the family to keep them aware of his status. I got one phone call from my brother (the oldest) after surgery then promptly hung up as dad called him at the same time, My sister called because she left something at my house I had to ship home to her and that she was going to call the nurses to tell her how much meds to give my father because "she does this for a living", since then nothing.... To all the care givers I reach out and give you hugs...... because on this end there is nothing.......
My concern is that he is melding into this everyone will do it for me and getting used to the wheel chair and bed.
I figured the sugars had something to do with it over the weekend. Should I be concerned to have a mental health pro talk with him to see why he is avoiding working this out?
I have motioned to family to call him and friends. I am just afraid that he will not take this seriously and I will be the one who will be doing all of this in the future. Is this normal after knee replacement? The 94 yo that had his done the same day is itching to get out and going. I see him sliding backwards....... I see him once a day, I call him once a day or he calls me. Not sure what to do here.
If surgery was just on Monday, your Dad will have brain fog for awhile. For every hour under, it will take a month to clear. If surgery was 3 hours, 3 months for the fog to lift. If your Dad is concerned about how his mind is reacting, tell him that is normal after surgery.
I wouldn't be concerned about your sister trying to tell the nurses what to do - they know how to handle people like that.
And I agree with babalou's suggestion - it's easiest (by no means easy) to transition from rehab than home.
Your dad sounds like a determined man. I hope you can get him to wait a while on the other knee.