Kindergarten for Dad

After almost two weeks, I am almost finished with the re-painting of Dad's room and a second room (which was mine when I was a teenager). In its most recent incarnation it was used as a guest room that looked straight out of the 1970's.

My thought after the painting and clearing out of accumulated "stuff" was that I was going to use the second room as either a newer, finer looking guest room or as a small family room (but come on, it is just pop (Jesus) and me (for the most part). So last night (3AM to be exact), I had what can only be defined as a DIVINE INTERVENTION! Why not face this debilitating disease HEAD-ON, yes folks, why not convert the extra bedroom into what will amount as a one-room classroom for Dad, a kindergarten for a senior citizen! I mean actually set it up as a modern classroom.
Homeschooling for seniors!

Why not? The medications that his doctors have been prescribing to him (within what can only be described as an assembly line attitude) have apparently not been working as well as anticipated.

Add to that, that we receive no additional support from our local, state or federal governments; even though my father is a veteran of the Korean War. Most recently, our California governor, stopped most assistance to California seniors. I mean, the paperwork, the red-tape puts me in a mindset that outside of placing him in a nursing home (no way!)I have no other options but to take things into my own hands and be more proactive in fighting the onslaught of this terrible disease HEAD-ON.

My father is in the fickle position that his retirement pension is too high to qualify for any minor assistance programs, but really too low to solicit other options. Adult day care is beyond our capabilities; moreover, even the medical insurance companies do not see us as a family unit (as a household - go figure), because I am the son living with his father, therefore they would charge us two fees as if we were two families living under on roof.

For as much as we pride ourselves about our country, after living this experience first-hand, I say that we do not care about our seniors the way most civilized nations tend to.

Therefore, hopefully I shall be finished with my little home-schooling project later this week, and I am going to read my dad more children's' stories, the alphabet, play games with him that remind him of his name, of family members, remind him of the day of the week (or the current year for that matter), but I do not intend to give up on my father - until I have tried everything humanly possible.

He deserves that in the very least.