Hello. My mother is 85 and has dementia, uses a walker and wheelchair and is incontinent. She currently lives with my younger sister and brother in California. I live in Georgia. My Mom adores my brother and does not like my sister. My brother is moving across the state at the end of the year. Although my Mom wants to stay at her house, I know she will not be happy once he moves. I feel I would be the next best place for her and can give her the care she needs. This obviously would be a huge change. Has anyone out there moved their loved one across country? Any input would be welcomed!
In GA, there are 3 levels of care. There are personal care homes, which are not quite Assisted Living, and take in a lot of people who previously would have been institutionalized: adults who can't take care of themselves because of developmental disabilities. They also take elders. There are Memory Care homes, which can be Assisted Living or of Personal Care and they can also house the developmentally disabled. Once you reach the need for Skilled Nursing Homes, the person is not wandering and is less likely to need a memory care lockdown.
We have been delighted with the care mthr has had in a small, modern memory care unit in an Assisted Living type residence. When she moved here, she went straight to them for her home, and it was seamless for us. We were able to take her to all her medical appointments easily, and they always had her ready for us on time, a feat she could never accomplish herself.
Poor person will be thrown into a tizzy.
Anyway, kudos to you! Who cares what they say or think? At the end of the day YOU are the one you must sleep with! :-D
Two person lifts are allowed in ALFs in Minnesota. A resident doesn't have to go to a nursing home for that assistance. Just be prepared for more $$$ per month. Each state is different as I'm learning.
I spoke with my brother this weekend and we both agree that she would be better and happier in a home with memory care. Also close to me. Unfortunately, my sister is currently the caregiver her motivations are mostly financial. Although she gets a very nice monthly payment to take care of mom. But she needs to have fresh square meals, frequent bath's, socializing and cognitive therapy and that is not happening. She basically just lays in bed and I know she is unhappy. She is in a very dysfunctional environment. She deserves so much more. So, I am looking at the facilities near me. At this current moment she probably could take the airplane of course with one of us with her. Our plan would be this coming Spring.
I moved my Dad from Virginia to Kansas to be in a long term care community near me, and he has benefitted from having me nearby as his advocate.
As you note yourself, 1 mile or 1000 miles, it does not matter - change in place/routine is disruptive for someone even young and healthy, but more so for someone with dementia. My younger brother was stubborn about insisting mom move to AL first when she *really* needed the memory care AL, and those showing us around and discussing this agreed and went on to say that just moving from AL to the downstairs memory care will be disruptive and confusing! One move vs two. Safer vs not safe. He just could not see it and did not bother to listen to my advice/informative links or research it himself.
HOWEVER , leaving someone in place who is a danger to themselves or others is WORSE. If the situation with mom and sis is volitile, then some action needs to be taken. If mom is in danger physically or medically, a move is in order. It would be *ideal* if we could all leave our parents, or whoever, in their own home, providing continuity as long as care and safety can be provided, but this is not always the case. After seeing the cost of AL, my brothers were saying for that price I will take her in... I tried my best to make them see sense - this is NOT like our grandmother who just needed to be cared for safely - she did NOT have dementia. One brother still works, the other is not local. Do you research bros - WHAT are you going to do with her all day? She *really* needs social interaction and activities. One was getting annoyed with the repetition even when visiting, so just what will you do about this when it is all day every day? Are you up to changing/cleaning up with adult diapers, etc? It is NOT just about taking someone into your home.
To OP Colberry:
The advice given by others is sensible. Get a better feel for why mom and sis do not get along. Is it just a personality issue or is it the caregiver backlash? I could see this kind of "behavior" with my younger brother (by 10 years). He was "the baby" and at this point somewhat favored. If the issue with your mom is backlash, then YOU will potentially become the focus after the move, perhaps even more so because mom will be disoriented and possibly unhappy at not being in her own home. Example: when we had to take the car keys, bro did all the talking and taking of the key. I suggested when leaving that he disable the car because I knew she had another key. The very next day who gets the NASTY phone call about the key? ME! I never touched the key and said nothing while there. The second day, another NASTY call for me to get down there and fix whatever I did to the car!! So, she DID have another key, but the backlash was all at ME, not the person who said the car has to go and took the key.
Assess mom's current condition, physically and mentally - this is where that visit suggested would be helpful. A few days won't do it, as many with dementia can perform better for a while to prove they are okay. She may NEED to be in a safe place. Consider other factors, like is your home amenable to mom's needs. Are you up to caring 24/7? Mom may not need 24/7 care NOW, however as dementia progresses it will get harder and take a toll on a caregiver. Our mom *can* be sweet to people to their face, but beware if you mention anything that she does not like, and behavior with family members was not always so sweet. I read up a lot on dementia and tried to inform brothers of what I learned, even before finding this site. I made my decision - no way could I physically care for her even now, much less when the condition progresses, but emotionally/mentally no way Jose! She was difficult enough before this developed, and can *really* get nasty when she feels that anyone is wrong (flipped out when doctor told her it is not safe for her to remain alone).
The Medicaid issue mentioned by others is also a real concern. From what others said, you would have to cancel MediCal if she is on it and reapply for Medicaid in your state, not knowing if it would be approved. If you feel that you can do it, have a proper home setup and hopefully some assistance to give yourself a breather, then I see no problem with the move. A move is a move - whether it is to your place, a local AL or one near you, it will not be easy, but again if she has the NEED for more skilled care then it will have to be done. Another option I think someone mentioned is YOU make the move. If you are still working, well that presents a problem for you, but also for taking on mom as you would not be there for many hours all week long. If you are not working, perhaps you could lease out your place and move in with or closer to mom to help out with her care.
Again to Dontask:
As for authorities watching for elder abuse because you move someone? WHAT??? WHERE do you get your information from? We moved our mom across state line roughly 40 miles or so to a place closer to two of us. It has been almost 9 months now. No authorities have been knocking at my door, or calling, or mailing me. HOW would they even know? Yes, if she's on Medicaid and there is a move it would be known, but do you think these people are sitting around just waiting for you to move someone? They are overwhelmed as it is with many issues, and often times the bigger problem is that they DO NOT see abuse, whether it is elders, children or domestic abuse victims!!!
Final thought - if I made all my decisions in life based on whether people are watching me or disapproving, I would get nowhere. Base decisions on doing what is RIGHT for everyone involved!!!
would your sister feel about ending living arrangements
with her mother?
Dad didn't have that. I think moving your mom might be OK. She will probably need professional care at some point and closer might be better. On the other hand, a family I know put their mother into a Nursing home in their home town when she got so bad with alzheimer's and they would take turns traveling long distances to see her there. This is a painful fact but somtimes she knew them, sometimes she didn't. It tears your heart out - you want to help but sometimes it is just so hard. I don't think most people can go on too long taking care of alzheimers sufferers 24/7 by themselves.
The move itself is the challenge - how to do it? Maybe contact airlines? Wish I could help. It was too complicated and just too much risk for us.
I went to live with him. One sister occasionally gave me a break - hard for her as she has Fibromyalgia. But we thought it was best. I feared many problems moving him. An airline trip? A car with many hotels on the way? What about all his stuff? Pretend it was temporary? I didn't think he had the fortitude to make the trip and also the health issues would have been a real challenge - Catheter off and on, arthritis, prostate cancer maintained with injections, meds - would need new Drs to get them....liked his own.
No. It all worked out with a lot of work and yes our health did suffer in the process but I think it is better not to move them. He hated the heat in AZ where we are. He loved the north country where he grew up and lived.
We were there 3 1/2 years until he passed on and then another year to deal with stuff and estate. Not over yet but no regrets about not moving him. He was 87 when it all started going down. Too late in my opinion.
MJ1955, sorry to hear of the situation you're in, but caregivers have every right to come here TO complain, as you call it! Where else can we go to vent our frustrations and find *supposedly* empathy and compassion? It's fantastic to have this forum so we know we're not alone.