HOSPITALIZATION
Besides the initial hospital stay that precipitated my parents moving in with us, Dad had several other short hospital stays. Some of them were to adjust his medications while under observation. Some were when his blood count dropped dangerously low or when he had an angina attack.
We were loath to put him in the hospital unless it was really needed because he would become very disoriented and fearful. Daily visits helped. I would shave him and make sure he was bathed and changed. We would sing hymns with him and pray with him, too. It also helped to have his dominoes handy. He was usually placed in a ward that had a nurse or orderly present at all times. They gladly played dominoes with him to pass the time.
 I learned to be proactive with the ward doctors and nurses to make sure they were attentive to Dad's needs. Some of their "experiments" with his medication were less than helpful. I kept a close tab on things and asked a lot of questions. MORE>
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