The Night Watch Goes On

Mom still wanders around during the night.   She still gets up around 11 pm and wanders out of her room and all over the house, talking and opening/closing doors, until around 4 am.  She is totally unaware of this behavior.

The doors are alarmed, and the alarms make it possible for me to catnap during the night, because if she tries to go out, rather than just troll the hallways, the alarm will wake me.
 

We have security cams operating all the time, so we can easily catch up with her if she actually goes outside.  Mostly, she just opens the front door and looks outside, then goes back to her room.  Leaving the front door wide open.

Although that lets the heat out for a minute, we just get up, shut the door and that's that.  Lately, however, a new concern has arisen.

The Bear.    There is a large bear wandering around and we have found tracks just a couple of feet from the front door.  He/she has been on the porch.  The bear is large enough to reach 8 feet into the air and remove our suet feeders.  Large enough to be a threat to a rather frail old lady.  Curious enough to come into the house through the left-open door if he/she smells food.  Dangerous enough that I don't want to be face-to-face with an annoyed bear at 2 am!

I think my catnaps at night have just ended.  At least, until we can come up with yet another type of lock that she cannot reach or work, and the pressure-sensitive, alarm-sounding floor mat for the hallway arrives and is installed.

The Tooth Fairy Doesn't Come Here

I do wish the Tooth Fairy would visit here and give me a hand.  Mom keeps losing her teeth...well, maybe losing is not the right word...her teeth keep disappearing and she claims to know nothing about it. 

Mind you, she does not brush her teeth.  Or wash her hands.  Or anything else.  The Home Health Aide and I force those actions.  Three times a week, the Aide comes and gives Mom a shower, shampoo, and tends to all those grooming needs.  The other four days, I do everything but the shower and the shampoo.  I do a sponge bath when needed and the hands, face, and oversee the toothbrush exercise.   She doesn't care if nothing is cleaned.  It is too much effort, and she can't see the usefulness of it. 

The dentist says the removable bridge is a perfect fit.  She seems not to be aware of it at all.   So why do I find it in the trash can, all wrapped in a tissue every so often?  She doesn't miss it and is not even aware of it being out of her mouth. 

I can't empty the trash without first checking to see if she has her teeth in. 

I wonder if there is a tooth-worthy super glue somewhere in Tooth Fairy land...it would sure come in handy!