Susan and I are home now, but it has been a long week with little sleep. My dad is still in the hospital. He is doing better, but he's still very weak. He needs a walker, and he isn't eating much. He may be released early next week. We hope to send him directly into a rehab facility.
The day after he was readmitted to the hospital, we really weren't sure if he was going to survive. Since we also still needed to get his taxes filed, we (Susan, myself, my brother, and his wife) decided to review my dad's bank accounts and legal paperwork. My brother is on one of my dad's checking accounts, so he will be able to write checks to cover any bills or tax payments. We also discovered that a 'friend' of his, my dad's 'yard man', has been taking advantage of him. Over $10,000 of checks in February alone. Luckily, this has now stopped. My dad does not have a phone or checkbook in the hospital, and the 'yard man' has no way to contact him. We know who he is, but recovery of any funds is unlikely. For now, we have stopped the bleeding. Luckily, this will not have a long-term financial effect on my dad.
I did a few more repairs and upgrades around the house. There has never been a light fixture in the garage, so I installed a light strip on the garage ceiling. The lock on one of the exterior doors wasn't working properly. Even when locked, some judicious jiggling of the doorknob would unlock the door. I found a new locking doorknob that has a 'smart key' which allows simplified re-keying, so we can use the 'old' key. Unfortunately, the doorknob required a larger mounting hole. Fortunately, I had a few new tools with me -- including a battery-powered dremel tool! It took a few hours to get it installed and properly aligned, but it works perfectly. I also repaired an outdoor light fixture, added a few nightlights in the main hallway, and cleaned a few decades' worth of debris from inside some ceiling light fixtures. We cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed the carpet before we left.
My dad is slowly getting better, but it may be several months before he can be on his own. One of his neighbors volunteered to mow his lawn and check the mail. My brother and his wife will make regular visits to the house, and Susan and I will visit as often as possible.
My thanks to all of you for you comments and caring thoughts.
Love always -- Jessica Rose