It's been a few days since I posted anything. My mother's early morning walk ended up affecting me more than I thought. Everything seemed to have a snowball affect on me until I had a total melt down, ending with driving my Mom to my brother's house and leaving her in their care until the next day. It is very difficult to keep in mind that all her behaviors have nothing to do with the person she used to be, but with all the disconnects and misfires of her brain.
All the said, it is hard to keep a good perspective.
As a caregiver you need to ask for some help, and have folks around you that can and will give that needed assistance. No one can do this alone. Baby boomers have challenges never faced before. Our parents are living longer than their parents did; therefore there is little experience to draw from.
As a family, we have not made plans for my mother's future, other than sharing the responsibility of caring for her. I hope to be able to take some time on Thanksgiving to discuss what may have to happen in the future. Everyone seems to be burning out because caring for my mother 24/7 is a task that cannot be done by one person alone. There are many options, elderly day care, assisted living, part-time assistance to name a few. All of the choices involve much research, decisions, financial considerations and a certain degree of guilt. I hope to share some of the info I have gathered, thus far, with my siblings and then begin to map out a plan we can all live with.
All the said, it is hard to keep a good perspective.
As a caregiver you need to ask for some help, and have folks around you that can and will give that needed assistance. No one can do this alone. Baby boomers have challenges never faced before. Our parents are living longer than their parents did; therefore there is little experience to draw from.
As a family, we have not made plans for my mother's future, other than sharing the responsibility of caring for her. I hope to be able to take some time on Thanksgiving to discuss what may have to happen in the future. Everyone seems to be burning out because caring for my mother 24/7 is a task that cannot be done by one person alone. There are many options, elderly day care, assisted living, part-time assistance to name a few. All of the choices involve much research, decisions, financial considerations and a certain degree of guilt. I hope to share some of the info I have gathered, thus far, with my siblings and then begin to map out a plan we can all live with.
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