To Be Responsible or Not To Be...

When my dad was last in the hospital he was assessed by the Occupational Therapists and they told us that he had lost a lot of his abilities to do everyday activities. They also recommended intense Occupational Therapy everyday, 3 hours a day, for 3-5 weeks. He however did not pass the test that told the therapists whether he could withstand therapy for that long everyday. So, he was sent home without any therapy and we were told to enter him into therapy at his day center. However, this is not enough. So my mom and I have been actively engaging him in things such as helping with the cleaning and sweeping of the floor, helping with the laundry, vacuuming, folding towels, loading the dishwasher, and cooking more complicated meals for himself...all the things that he had stopped doing as they got more difficult and we stopped having him do because it got more complicated and frustrating for everyone. This last visit to the doctor was a wake up call however, and we realized that we all have to work so that he maintains his occupational skills. It will take some additional time and patience but he is in a use it or lose it position with his skills, mind and memory.