Edie's leg and hip have been getting worse and worse. We have been to the orthopedic doctor. He took x-rays and it was all about arthritis. Put her on Aleve and hoped for the best. So did Edie. She said she wouldn't have a hip replacement...if that's what it is. All she talks about is her friend who had one and still can't walk. My grandmother had a hip replacement at the age of 92. The nurses had to hold her down in bed. All my nana wanted to do was walk, walk, and walk. She was out of pain. Edie was scared to death and I didn't know what to do. She told me that she wasn't able to get in the bathtub anymore. She just couldn't lift her leg up high enough over the tub. She had been sponge bathing from the sink for weeks. This is not going to work. She has to be able to take a shower. Kenny and I talked it over and decided to look at some more assisted living housing. We did look at some when we first moved Edie from Philadelphia, but she really wasn't ready. She could still live on her own. Now it was looking like she needed assistance. I offered to come over and help her in the shower. She didn't like that idea. She did let me wash her hair in the kitchen sink. She likes the way i blow dry and curl her hair. Kenny and I went on a Sunday to look at an assisted living facility only a few miles away from where we live. If this is the way we're going, we want to keep it convenient for everyone. The assisted living facility in Culver City looked very well taken care of. The staff was very nice too. We got a grand tour. I told her that our main problem with Edie was getting her in and out of the bathtub. Of course it would be easier here with a stall shower. It is a place for seniors with all kinds of physical problems. She looked at me and said, "Not all of our suites have stall showers." Can you believe this? They only had one room with a stall shower...a tiny room. She did say that maybe they could cut out the tub, so Edie could walk in. Are the people who are designing these places not paying attention to their customer's needs? When we left I told them that I didn't think Edie was quite ready for this type of living. Maybe what I needed was in home care. The assisted living facility said they new a couple of home nurses and would have them call me. Bet you can guess what's next! | 
