My father has congestive heart failure and the lower chamber aortic valve stenosis. He also has dementia and has had pneumonia twice since April. What all is available to help me, I have had cancer and have many physical health issues and am unable to lift him. My bathroom is not handicapped accessible but he house has a ramp.
It's much easier to keep her balanced with her diuretics at home, Care111. I control her salt intake, what she eats and drinks. I notice when her ankles begin swelling, when she starts to wheeze, etc., and can adjust her diuretics to manage her symptoms.
Right now, I have a personal assistant who comes in once a week to bath her: $30 a week. The podiatrist comes to the house to do her toenails. Medicare. Her doctor comes to the house once a month and is available on his cellphone for med changes and prescriptions. Medicare. I use Comfort Keepers when we go out -- $22/hour. Their people out of this particular office are wonderful.
I have an electric hospital bed with rails paid for by Medicare. An oxygen generator paid for by Medicare and her supplement. A transport chair (waiting for a regular wheelchair...doctor will okay it his next visit.)
She gets a $1,000 stipend from the county to help with sitters. It sure comes in handy.
I send her to Adult Day Care once a week. I call it "The Senior Center" for mom's benefit. That costs $63 a week. Gives me a full day to do whatever. It's open from 7:30 AM 'til 5 PM.
Mom saved all her life for a rainy day. As I've said on here many times? It's pouring outside. So I spend it to make her life better.
The other thing I will mention is the great satisfaction I get from being her care giver. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get frustrated, but the benefits? You can't even imagine.
Whatever you decide, good luck to you.
Oh, re the bathroom. I had railings put all OVER the bathroom so she could take a shower. She'll have none of it. She's afraid she'll fall. (It's a walk-in shower.) She can only walk with a walker, a gait belt and me. When the PA comes to bath her, she does it in front of the kitchen sink. Very efficient. Mom loves it.
It sounds like Maggie has got it together. And good news for me: Comfort Keepers is the business I once owned, but not the one she's using. All in-home care companies are individually owned, so one may be good, while the next one may not be. You need to be very thorough in interviewing them, if that's one of the paths you choose.
Combine that with home therapy, home health, and whatever else you can find, and you can probably swing it.
Good luck.
Sharon
Will you be able to keep up with the demand of his physical caring? I know cancer can knock the wind out of you and tire you out rather quickly even in remission. Are you retired or are you still working? Working gives me sanity so I know I would be lost if I had to give that up.
As the baby boomers start aging, and with a future shortage of continuing care facilities, one might find there will be a waiting list if you decide that this is far more work than you had ever imagined, especially with your own health issues.
You need to balance out the pro and cons of having your Dad living with you vs being in a nursing home. There are some really great continuing care facilities out there, keep searching to keep that as an option.