Another Tumble

It's been quite awhile since Dean took a tumble, but this past weekend he chose to live up to his "fall risk" reputation. I thought he was safe to walk to the car by himself when I picked him up for church (no snow or ice yet, right?). He had forgotten to "sign out", so I quickly walked back into his new assisted living home to sign the notebook for that purpose.

Unfortunately, he kept walking on his own and plowed right into the curb by our car (at least that's what I think happened). Fortunately, there were a couple of men nearby to help him get up when I got there and he didn't appear to be injured very much. No blood and he assured me he hadn't hit his head. My, but that man falls gracefully. The hardest part is getting back up though.

Funny thing is, I've found it's always easier to fall than it is to get back up, isn't it? It didn't help that he has lost his eyeglasses somewhere that week, further hampering his already impaired vision. (He only sees with one eye.)

We need to keep our spiritual eyeglasses on and watch out for those curbs in life! Any of us could end up on the pavement, needing assistance from strangers. You'd think we'd learn from past experience, or better yet, from other people's experience.

Dean has fallen a great number of times. But haven't we all?

Choices

Dean seems to be enjoying the bounties of the assisted living home we found for him. As a matter of fact, he's enjoying them a bit too much this first month he's been there, we've been told. His weight has increased, and his blood sugar levels are not very satisfactory either. If they get much higher he'll be going back to the hospital.

Just as I knew it would be hard for me to do at home, getting Dean to take control of his own diet is proving to be a monumental task. And there's just no way it's going to get done without his cooperation and approval. He has to quit asking for seconds and sometimes third helpings, and even turn down some of the desserts.

This all sounds simple enough for us, but for someone with limited cognitive function and will-power, it can be very challenging. I have faith that it can be done though, and after a serious talk from the nurse there, I'm hoping Dean will be on board for the needed dietary changes he's not going to avoid with his new diagnosis of diabetes.

I'm glad they've waited this long to let him get adjusted to the staff and program. Now he can see the evidence of his wrong eating, by the medical record they've been keeping on him.

Dean's assisted living arrangement is a great spiritual illustration for me. Just like with any lifestyle or behavior choice, it belongs to no one but the person making it. God is always available for us though, just like the "call-button" Dean wears around his neck, in case he needs the nurses to come help.

God must be in the assisted living business too. He never bypasses our choices, allowing us to make bad choices just long enough to see the error of our ways. I hope I listen to His Holy Spirit and make any necessary life changes I might need to keep spiritually healthy and alert. We may fail to use it, but God's assistance never fails.