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Today, my mother and I went to visit my grandpa. He has been living in one of those "retirement communities" for the past couple of years, ever since he had hip surgery and then got really sick with complications from bowel impaction. Old age, you know. He was in pretty poor health for a while as he recovered. A part of the problem was associated with long-term swallowing problems he's also suffered from - they limit the types of things he's able to eat. I can see how, when living by himself, he might not have put too much careful attention into preparing and eating food by himself. In the assisted living facility where he now lives, he's got his own kitchen in his apartment, but my impression is that the majority of the residents gather together for meals, and so that's how he eats, sitting at a table with three other friends. They also have a decent list of regular activities to participate in.
After we visited my grandpa, we stopped by his house. My mother and one of my aunts have devoted a lot of time and energy to going through the house and clearing out the years and years of accumulated stuff. For a while, it was looking like they would have to arrange to sell the place this year. I wouldn't classify my grandfather as a severe hoarder, but he's pretty attached to a lot of the tools and things in his barn, and it makes him unhappy when relatives come through and mess with too much. My mom has been really good about keeping him as involved as possible, while identifying things that are easier to let go of, like the big pile of burned-out fluorescent bulbs that we took with us for proper disposal. Better to do a little bit of clearing-out at a time, instead of having to go through on a marathon cleaning rampage.
The house feels empty, now. Whenever there are any family gatherings, family members will go over to the assisted living facility to pick up my grandfather and bring him back to the house for meals, stories, and card games (his favorite is cribbage). He gets anxious about returning back to the place in time for meals and planned activities there. I can understand why.
After we visited my grandpa, we stopped by his house. My mother and one of my aunts have devoted a lot of time and energy to going through the house and clearing out the years and years of accumulated stuff. For a while, it was looking like they would have to arrange to sell the place this year. I wouldn't classify my grandfather as a severe hoarder, but he's pretty attached to a lot of the tools and things in his barn, and it makes him unhappy when relatives come through and mess with too much. My mom has been really good about keeping him as involved as possible, while identifying things that are easier to let go of, like the big pile of burned-out fluorescent bulbs that we took with us for proper disposal. Better to do a little bit of clearing-out at a time, instead of having to go through on a marathon cleaning rampage.
The house feels empty, now. Whenever there are any family gatherings, family members will go over to the assisted living facility to pick up my grandfather and bring him back to the house for meals, stories, and card games (his favorite is cribbage). He gets anxious about returning back to the place in time for meals and planned activities there. I can understand why.
