Cognitive Decline

Twelve grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren later my mother has celebrated her 80^th birthday with her family gathering to celebrate with her. All her children brought the quilts that she had made throughout the years back to Pennsylvania. My brother created a commemorative book for her that displayed every quilt laid out on her front yard in a patchwork of love as the cover.

Please enjoy a walk through this amazing book here: https://www.prestophoto.com/bookstore/5119-The-Quilts-of-Annette-Pauls-28-Bed-Quilts-Photo-Book

The front cover has this photo on it, but this is just the beginning. A second book would be published adding many more quilts to the collection!




In 2016, for her 90^th birthday, a grand luncheon for family and friends was held at a local country club.  My mother did not know about this so as we all began arriving at her house on the same weekend, she was very confused! Observing her during the luncheon, I tried to determine if her progressively deteriorating hearing was the cause of her continued confusion, or if it was something more. She got through the luncheon and smiled and had fun, but something was different about her and we knew it.

The family began to talk about the noticeable changes in our mother whose memory was playing tricks on her. She began to confuse relationships and question who her grandchildren belonged to. She knew they were her relatives and even knew their names, but couldn’t place who they belong to.

In May we marked the 30^th anniversary of my father’s passing. We noticed my mother’s quilt-making begin to change. As she tried to plan and design the next quilt, she struggled and needed help. For my sister and I, this was so unsettling. After all, it was our mother who taught us how to quilt! More and more we could see our first real glimpse that the life my mother had always lived was beginning to change, and worst of all, she had no idea what was happening.

Having my mother still driving herself to the bank, to church and the grocery store made us nervous although, as she said,“I haven’t had an accident!”

Knowing that she wouldn’t leave her house, we found Gale from Senior Care and Guardian Services of PA, a wonderful nurse who stopped in the check on her once a month. Gale was a wonderful resource for my mother, and she checked that medications were being taken and that she was eating. My mother and Gale began to develop a relationship. We were comforted to know that she had someone close by to watch out for her. This was our first step to finding alternatives for my mother living alone.

Gale jumped into action when my mother got lost almost an hour from home, twice in the same week. Mom didn’t know where she was or how she got there. A kind person noticed her confusion and called 911. Gale was there to pick her up and take her home. She recommended that my mother no longer drive, and we all agreed.


Gale stayed with my mother for the next two days until I could change my work flight to PA. The day that I arrived in Pennsylvania would be the last day that my mother would ever be alone again. Our next steps would be very difficult conversations with Mom.

Reference: http://www.seniorcareofpa.com/services/guardian-services-of-pennsylvania/about-us/