Cody Updates by Mom

Apologies for the delay in the written follow up.  We had an opportunity to spend the evening playing yard ball, eating burgers, dog therapy time and laughing.  It was good medicine for my soul.  By the way, the girls won at yard ball!  🙂 Thank you so much Greg and Kat for the evening.

I talked with Dr. Simon that is the Psychiatrist at Meeker.  He had a video session with mom Friday and will see her in person on Monday.  He has a new care plan for meds for my mom.

• Stopping
  • Lexapro (could be causing the aggression)
  • Trazadone (wasn’t effective for sleep)
• Starting
  • Depakote
    • Anti-seizure med to stabilize the aggression
    • Same med the ER doc with Cambridge was going to start
  • Minipress
    • Alpha blocker – relaxes and widens the blood vessels
    • Should help to calm her as well
  • Gabapentin
    • Anticonvulsant, used to treat seizures as well
    • Treats nerve pain and RLS which my mother has both
  • Melatonin – for sleep
  • Vitamin D – Mom’s levels are low

I have a call with mom’s care staff on Monday morning at 9:20.  This will include the Psychiatrist, nurses, doctors and social worker.  I am again so relieved that the people I am working with and are working with mom are so caring and understanding.  You hear the horror stories and I was so afraid.  I am so very happy with each and every person that I am dealing with.

They would like mom to start having visitors.  They want to see how she reacts both with the visitors and also after the visitors leave.  They said that it is a needed next step.

They also asked that I bring some clothes.  Not many, as they do laundry, but she has one sock, one pair of pajama bottoms, shoes, five t-shirts and a bathrobe.  I am going to bring her a few things today and visit her.  I will let people know how it goes.

Address:
Meeker Memorial Hospital
Senior Behavioral Health Unit
612 S. Sibley Ave
Litchfield, MN 55355
Phone 320-693-4500

• Visiting Hours & Rules:
  • Daily 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (every day including weekends)
  • Saturday & Sunday 1:00PM – 3:00PM
  • Due to the drive we have they will make special circumstance visits outside of these hours if needed.  Just call.  It does have to be after lunch as they have planned activities during the morning hours.
• Rules
  • No kids under 12
  • 2 visitors max at a time
  • No purses or bags
  • No outside food or drinks
  • Nothing sharp

The social worker at Meeker is looking for permanent placement for mom.  In the greater twin cities area most of the places that have beds open are private pay and we cannot afford that.  The ones that take Medicare or MA are full.  The social workers said that there is a great place in Cokato that she has had really good luck with.  It is a female only center and is small.  It is Christian based so mom would be able to go to church right in the facility.  They do activities and create structure for their patients.

A co-worker had his grandmother at this same place and said that they were extremely happy with the staff and care she received.

I have given them the approval to try to place mom in this unit.  It is called Cokato Heritage Place.  Please say a prayer that we are able to have her in a place in the next week.