...and another move...

As of yesterday afternoon, Clarke is happily settled at Northwest Place on NW 24th & Marshall. He started off by joining their Hallowe'en festivities the day before the move.

The staff had created the most amazing costumes, and took on the mannerisms of the characters they were playing: the figity White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Minnie Mouse, the Mermaid...the list goes on. Also a bounty of treats, from cheese platters to dips and chips to cupcakes, etc. It was a fun beginning.

Roof garden on 4th floor

Mabsie and Claudette helped with settling in, and I am about to go over there now with sundries previously overlooked. But first I'm going back to Courtyard at Mount Tabor to try to find his hearing aid, which vanished yesterday morning.
He seems pleased as punch to be back on the west side in his old familiar stomping grounds. This place is in a neighbourhood he's know since childhood, and only a little over a mile from the house he grew up in...even the same postal code! He is indeed a West Side boy!
Essential info:
2420 NW Marshall Street
Apartment #310
Portland OR 97210
Cell & text: 503-250-3392
I wish I had a photo of the Mad Hatter, but I do have a quote: “Everyone wants some magical solution for their problem and everyone refuses to believe in magic.”

PS...

Clarke's mobile number is:
503-250-3392
It's a good way to check in :)

Moving from Mill Park Acute Rehab to Courtyard at Mt. Tabor assisted living

Waiting for dinner with Claire and me...

Clarke moved from Mill Park on Friday, and Nina and I followed with his stuff. He is settling into his room, which is quite spacious and has a nice view of greenery. His favourite things (desk + TV cabinet) were set up beforehand. He is still totally dependent upon his wheelchair, but has gotten quite adept and relatively speedy at manoeuvering!








The Courtyard at Mt. Tabor is at:
6323 SE Division.
His apartment is #207.
His Dr. Lowe will be seeing him on Monday, and physical therapy and occupational therapy will be working with him as well. The therapy will be less frequent than at Mill Park, at a schedule yet to be determined.
PS: Yesterday he wheeled in to join a mid-morning group, and the snack was fresh fruit tarts! He was very happy about that :)

Updating Capers by Clarke...

This is the end of the 3rd week in re-hab, and Clarke has been working hard. Just yesterday, he got clearance to transfer himself to and from wheelchair without supervision - one more step accomplished. He reports no pain in his ankle, and is no longer even needing Tylenol.

Reading get-well cards...

I have spent time looking at several different care facilities for him to go to when he is discharged from Mill Park in about 2 weeks, as he will still need a lot of support. They all have different pros and cons, but the Courtyard at Mt. Tabor, all things considered, seems the best fit. It is just minutes from home, on SE 62nd and Division. He's been having frequent visits from our PDXC community, which he has appreciated a lot. And visits from friends and family... a high point was a visit from Bruce bringing fresh crab cocktail! and Jessie and Rachel bringing Vietnamese lunch... Unfortunately, I have no photos, as I have not been there with my camera at the right time.
So the next update will probably be next week, as we'll get an update on  discharge schedule on Wednesday. He appreciates all the visits!

Change of Scene

Clarke has been ensconced in the rehab unit at Marquis Mill Park for...a while....so here's an update.
He has his own room at the end of a hall, and a view to greenery. Nurses and aides are cheerful and helpful, but not hovering - there is lots of encouragement for him to move to more independence.

Nicholas' arrival was a surprise...

Food is OK - I took him some of Nina's marion-berry pie last night - that was a hit! He can order pretty much whatever he wants. Just day before yesterday he gave up eating in bed, and now wheels himself down the hall to "The Bistro" for dinner. He gets PT & OT sessions daily, and is working hard.
Nicholas came down for last weekend and spent time with Clarke - they shared some good laughs.

 And there have been many visits when I am not there with camera in hand, or when I am there and forget to snap a shot. Claire & Jim O, Barbara & Kurt, Collier, Bruce, Nina...these visits cheer him immensely

Moving On....

My apologies for the lapse in time - the transition from hospital to the rehab unit has distracted me! Yesterday Clarke worked with both Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, took off his hospital gown in exchange for T-shirt and sweats, and then sat in his bedside chair to wait for the transport people, who were scheduled to take him away at 3:30 pm. They arrived at 6:30, by which time he was a bit restless, but remained good-natured. The afternoon is not an easy time to navigate from NW to SE!

Tsering Dolmah surprised him be being there when we arrived at Mill Park - seeing her always cheers him up. She helped get him settled into bed, and then rounded up his shaving equipment and cleared the stubble he'd acquired. A nice nurse named Jordan came in to get a health history, and then Luke, another kind and pleasant nurse, was with him thereafter. It's a big change from the hospital environment, but he seems OK - it's peaceful and quiet.
Here's the information about his new locale:

• Marquis Mill Park Acute Rehab
• Room 117
• 1475 SE 100th Avenue
• Portland 97216

It is right behind Mall 205.

His physiotherapy sessions are somewhat unpredictable, so if you are planning to visit, they'll try to work around you. I'll be meeting with his social worker on Thursday, and will get a better sense of how this program will unfold.

Getting Better...la la la

Our Clarke may not be out of the woods, but he's better bit by bit. He still needs substantial pain meds, and the stab/grabs still break through often but they resolve more quickly/ Just now he's getting pain meds after a 10-hour span of not needing anything! That's a huge change. Collier & Sue came for a visit earlier, and yesterday Carolyn came and played some card games with him on the iPad, and Tom B came for a visit later.
Today he's worked with PT & OT, and seems pretty tuckered out now, dozing a lot since I've been here. The plan is for him to go to the rehab palace tomorrow. Claudette and I made a sleuth visit after dinner, and found him alert and cheerful and low on the pain scale. Slowly but surely....