Even though dad has been living in Utah for 16 months now, it is not uncommon for him to ask about either when he is going back to California or if someone is coming to pick him up. At first I felt a little guilty about him having to make the move to a colder climate and let him believe he might return to California once the colder weather came. Then few months after he first moved up here, he started remembering the fact that Utah was home now and quit asking about when he was going "home" to California.
We recently spent 10 days in Oceanside for a vacation. We prepared dad in advance so he knew we were going to visit, but that he was also coming back with us. We also kept telling him it was "next month" then "in a few weeks" until the night before we left, so he wouldn't worry and pack his suitcase over and over.
We were a little concerned that if we stayed with my sister Suzy that dad would get confused and go looking for his room, since he had lived with her & her family for four years before moving up to Utah. So instead, we rented a condo at the beach not far from their home.
Dad did pretty good while we were there...well, let's say he wasn't any more confused there then he is at home. He did ask Suzy where she got her dark hair a few times, because he was thinking she was me.
One morning we met Suzy and three of her boys, Spencer, Brandon and Robby, and our niece Claire & her husband Dan at the Oceanside harbor to go jet skiing. Suzy had recently bruised her ribs on a bike ride and was not able to jet ski, so she took dad back to her house while the rest of us played. Later, we met my nephew Evan and his family at the beach for a surfing lesson, so it was kind of late in the afternoon when I went to get dad at Suzy's.
As dad and I were driving back to the condo, dad asked "When is it that we are going to California?" When I told Eli about the conversation his reply was, "Maybe we can tell the boys we live in California," since dad no longer recognizes when he is there.
We have been home about a week and a half now and the weather has been quite pleasant...warm with a breeze, not too hot. Last night as dad and I were taking a walk he asked me, "So are you going back to Utah?" I just told him "Yes."
I think that California has just become a place in dad's memory. He knows he lived there and it was warm and sunny, but the real details of "California" are gone.
We recently spent 10 days in Oceanside for a vacation. We prepared dad in advance so he knew we were going to visit, but that he was also coming back with us. We also kept telling him it was "next month" then "in a few weeks" until the night before we left, so he wouldn't worry and pack his suitcase over and over.
We were a little concerned that if we stayed with my sister Suzy that dad would get confused and go looking for his room, since he had lived with her & her family for four years before moving up to Utah. So instead, we rented a condo at the beach not far from their home.
Dad did pretty good while we were there...well, let's say he wasn't any more confused there then he is at home. He did ask Suzy where she got her dark hair a few times, because he was thinking she was me.
One morning we met Suzy and three of her boys, Spencer, Brandon and Robby, and our niece Claire & her husband Dan at the Oceanside harbor to go jet skiing. Suzy had recently bruised her ribs on a bike ride and was not able to jet ski, so she took dad back to her house while the rest of us played. Later, we met my nephew Evan and his family at the beach for a surfing lesson, so it was kind of late in the afternoon when I went to get dad at Suzy's.
As dad and I were driving back to the condo, dad asked "When is it that we are going to California?" When I told Eli about the conversation his reply was, "Maybe we can tell the boys we live in California," since dad no longer recognizes when he is there.
We have been home about a week and a half now and the weather has been quite pleasant...warm with a breeze, not too hot. Last night as dad and I were taking a walk he asked me, "So are you going back to Utah?" I just told him "Yes."
I think that California has just become a place in dad's memory. He knows he lived there and it was warm and sunny, but the real details of "California" are gone.
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