The preparation to go to the nursing home has involved photos to help Gabriel understand what is going to happen. Every morning at breakfast, I show him the photo of the building first. I am not sure if he understands the word live, so I say this is where you are going to sleep and eat. Those are two verbs he still understands very well, and two things that he most enjoys these days. I tell him you, not me. I am going to eat and sleep here.
Then I added the photo of his room, and said this is yours. I pointed to the window and said this is the same as this, pointing to the window in the photo of the outside of the building. He responds, “So beautiful. Wow.”
I have now added the photos of his bed, his dresser and his bookshelf. I put them on the edge of the photo of his room, and then I put them on top of the photo of the room and tell him he is going to bring them there.
It seems to be working. He seems to be understanding. Today I left out all the photos on the table, with his bed and bookshelf on the edge of the photo of the room. And he picked them up and put them in his room. I said that he is taking them with him. He said “Yes, I know.”
The last few days he asked when. That’s a good sign that he’s understanding. So we count down the days. I point to today on the calendar, and I count 1, 2 as I point to today and tomorrow, then I point to the next day and he says 3, and I point to the next day and he says 4, and so on, until we get to September 2, which is highlighted with lots of red lines. This is just like the way we counted down to when I was leaving to go to work for a month in the United States.
Another good sign happened the other morning. He asked “where.” And the next morning he asked when are we going.
Last night was the clearest sign of understanding. We were at his son’s house and I showed him the photo of the nursing home and he said “That’s where I’m going to stay!” His son asked if he wanted to go there and he said with enthusiasm “Sí!”
We’re going to visit a few times this week before he moves in. And we will bring some of his things there every time and leave them there, to help him understand he will be coming back.
Ah, and of course I mention, there will be 12 other people eating and sleeping there also. To which he says, “wow!”
I think this daily routine is working. I stress every day that “you” are going to sleep and eat there. “Not me.” He seems to get it. Though he likely is not thinking about what it all entails, he’s engaged and looking forward to seeing it.
I sincerely hope that means he will have a quick and easy time adapting.
English 
Español de México