;-)
Posted on 07/22/2013 11:13:30 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
I need help from fellow FReepers. My mother is living in assisted living 2500 miles from me. She will turn 100 in August, and I need ideas on how to help her celebrate.
She is mentally sharp, but she is declining physically. She is confined to a wheel chair, or a walker, now and her hearing is quite impaired. Consequently, she does not like more than one, or two people in the room with her at the same time; and she just gets furious if people talk to each other in her presence.I think the sounds get all jumbled and she can't make sense of them.
I have tickets to travel to be with her for her birthday. What kind of party and what kind of recognitions should I plan? I don't think that any of her 4 grandchildren, or 12 great grandchildren, can travel to be with her for the occasion. They live even farther away than I do and have been beset with all of the problems young adults have -- college, unemployment, etc. They are all working again, but I'm sure that they have no vacation hours due. I'm asking them to send nice pictures and cards.
She does have nieces and nephews who live in her vicinity who probably could make it to a party, although I know she wouldn't want anything large. She also has a few friends.
Does anybody here in FReeperland have any experience in planning a party for an elderly person? If I ask her, she'll say that she doesn't want anything, yet I know that she'll be insulted if I don't plan something.
Thanks in advance for any ideas you can share.
The elders are far more alert for an early lunch party. The assisted living facility should have a shuttle that can accommodate her fellow residents with advance planning. On site or at a local restaurant, include her closest/favorite caregivers in the head count. They will sincerely appreciate the thoughtfulness.
A champagne toast to your Mom with lunch and your mother's favorite birthday cake are very appropriate.
We shall use the assisted living private party room. Mom refuses to leave the building, so an off site location is out of the question.
I do.
We ate by a fire. She picked out the food ahead of time. The girls spruced her up, too. Did her hair, makeup, and gave her a manicure (ourselves).
No fire in Fresno, CA in August. It’s 110 there at this time! LOL. And I’ll see to it that she has hr hair and nails done the day before. It’s her regular appointment, anyway.
I don’t know your Mother but you do. If it were me, I’d prefer to have a small intimate group of people I truly love and look forward to seeing. I would enjoy being taken out for a nice dinner and flowers. Perhaps have a hairdresser come in early to do her hair so that she feels pretty. Perhaps a nice new dress to wear to dinner.
I like the photo tribute albums of yesterday.
Remember that the elderly tire easily, so a big party , might be overwhelming. Perhaps a cake and ice cream social in the diningroom afterwards for those at the facility.
A suggestion....for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday, we gave her 80 small presents (that one can buy at a local dollar store). Wrapped all the presents and it looked like a lot! :-) People always like to open presents...now....a 100 presents (at a dollar each) might seem to be a lot, but if several people got several (dollar) presents (about 10 per person if 10 people attended) it would be very doable....FReegards, FRiend.....
Clever. And the first present would be a small pair of scissors!
Well, the elders have trouble opening packages. I wasn’t trying to be funny — just practical. ;^)
Yeah, his very own signature written by an Autopen machine.
Understood, friend. :-)
Call your Congressman or Senator and have a flag flown over the Capital on the day of her birthday.
Present her a certificate for it on her birthday, only takes a few weeks after to get the flag.
I will also be a great memory of the day for you later.
Nice idea. I ordered an August 21, 1913 newspaper in a presentation folder for her today. On the certificate I had them write: “An historic newspaper for an historic newswoman”. I was careful to avoid the word “old”. She taught Journalism for about 30 years and is still a member of the California Presswomen.
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