How did you come to the decision to leave your spouse and your family and move in with a needy parent?
I can’t come to the decision to take the leap. So my sister and I jump around and try to create supportive plans to check on my mom frequently, using medical alert, frequent phone calls, and cameras are next on my list. None of these things provide 100% security.
Long ago my mother made it clear that she didn’t want to live with us, she wanted to live alone. But at 95, she is needing so much help and support.
But leaving family and moving in full-time just doesn’t compute into my head.
I just want to know how some of you made the decision and how it worked out with your families and spouses.
Someone with as many doubts as you, as you probably already have 18 kids, 2 husbands and a dog or whatever your situation is, would probably be better served HIRING a live in carer.
Med alerts are for the family to feel safe, for the person expected to use it, its usually useless. (I know.)
Cams are a BIG help, but you cannot be glued to them 24/7 (I know)
Pandemic has made getting a live in carer a real dangerous option though. I personally, though I would like one, no way I would hire one in Maskless Pandemic Land.
I completely understand you wanting to not give up your life to care for you mom for a year or two. Do what you are doing, maybe get a neighbor or friend of your mom's or another sibling closer to check in daily, if only on facetime.
All you can do is do your best for YOUR situation and for YOUR mental health, it is EXHAUSTING. Some just seem to be made to deal with everything, others not so much.
Something will happen; a fall, an illness, that causes mom to be hospitalized. Once she is in the hospital, you tell the discharge planners that she lives alone and refuses help. They will help place her in rehab which can then turn into Long Term Care.
She is making poor choices which will result in her living in a situation that is not to her liking. But that is HER choice.
You shouldn't wreck your life to accomodate her poor choices (not to allow help to come in to her home).
I do not advocate this. You asked how this worked out. It was the most difficult of feats that I've ever undertaken. I was already an elder myself when I had to leave my home, my husband, my family and my life behind. I needed surgery, but that had to wait. My mother was in the hospital on Christmas Day and so was my husband - but I was unable to be with him and he incurred a vicious cat bite - long story short - the cat had to go. I had some stories from that escapade!
Prayers sent.
we installed EZVID, with just 5 cameras we can see and hear everything-and communicate through each camera-loud and clear- if/when necessary.
Just install the free app on your phone, IPad, etc-there are no monthly charges.
Plus, you can record if you install an SD card.
If nothing else, the cameras will at least buy you time..
But it would not have come at the expense of her marriage. They would not have been separated for her to care for FIL. If he had needed care and no one was able to move into help as an intact family unit, he would had to hire home caregivers or move to a facility that could take care of his needs. As it stands his needs are getting to be too much for them and I don't think it will be long before other arrangements have to be made.
I can totally relate to your situation. My mom and I are living together and for now the resolution to where we live is that we live 6 months at my home and 6 months at hers. I realize that this is not the permanent solution and that I will have to settle down somewhere. I cannot and will not live in her home permanently and no matter where she goes she will not be happy to leave her castle where she feels most comfortable. It is very difficult as we want to keep our parents happy. For now this is the best solution but I am trying the best that I can with the resources that I have to offer. I plan on putting both of our homes on the market and plan on taking a few real estate trips with her to find the best place for us both to live. I am fortunate to have her.... here with me and am enjoying her before it will get more limiting as her condition worsens. All I can say is she is lucky to have you and that this struggle of where to live is your decision. I have no regrets in my decision to dedicate myself to being her full time caregiver and friend. Our moms deserve to be treated by those that love her like no one else can. A nursing home is not an option for me. When her condition worsens I will seek in home support services and at the end there will be hospice available. You can only take care of her in the best way if there is no resentment present about your sacrifice to her. Stay positive and do whats best for you so that you can take the best care of her if that is the option you choose. I hope you find the best solution for you..... thinking of you through this difficult transition....
Why would you do that. If your mother stays in her own home, you'll all have to pool resources to hire in-home help.
When it became clear that my father needed to be placed in AL, I "talked it up" about how 3 meals a day would be provided for him, his laundry would be done for him, there was always coffee available 24/7, etc. We visited 3 places so that he would feel that HE made the choice as to which one and not me. The move went smoothly - and I made arrangements to sell his house once he was settled in to AL.
Also, you could say that it would be easier for you, too, in that if she had to go to the doctor, for example, you'd be right there, rather than having to commute between houses. Sometimes my mom would do something if she thought it was helping someone else. Good luck.
I wish I had someone from outside the family assess the situation and give advice before I made a HUGE decision based on guilt. I was with them for 1.5 years...and finally moved out. I’m 10 min away and can help as needed. I cook dinner, do shopping, drive to appointments, do some light cleaning, and help with anything that needs to be done online. 😄
They will need to hire additional help or go to a facility if they get worse.
thank you for your great advice and sharing.
Ask family, friends, neighbors, members of your faith community to fill in a weekly schedule of help. Each volunteer should be able to competently do whatever tasks are required. Some volunteers may only want to take on 1 task: laundry, weekly housecleaning, transportation, or grocery shopping. Others (usually women since it it your mother) may be comfortable with hands on care: toileting, hygiene, transfers from bed to chair to standing...
Usually when a person needs 24/7/365 supervision and assistance, it is time for paid caregivers. This can be supplemental paid help - sitters and home health aides "to fill in gaps" in the weekly schedule when volunteers are not available. Others, like my mother-in-law, opt for just 2-3 caregivers that take turns caring for her in her home. Most often the paid help in these 2 situations require payment from the client or the client's family unless there is long term health care insurance. The last option requires your mother to move into a residential facility - either an assisted living or a full care facility. Call both types of places and talk with the administrative staff about the types of help your mother requires. The staff can let you know which type of placement is more suitable.
One single fall is often the "game changer". Also, living by herself, she is easy pickings for any home invader. Someone wanting meth money will not hesitate to injure or kill an elderly person for a few bucks. That is the world we are living in.
I started out with him wearing alerts but he would take them off tgen forget to put the necklace back on.
I had my son install Nest Cameras and they are awesome and pretty easy to install.. it's great to be able to see how he is doing 24 7 just opening my lap top or cell phone.
Your mom will be much happier staying in her own place that sge is familiar with.
INatalie cameras right away!
Mare sure the bathrooms have hand rails by the toilet and in the shower.
Have easy meals that she can fix in microwave.
Have milk, juice, ect in smaller containers so they won't be so hard to lift.
Most accidents happen in the bathroom.
Mom doesn't need to take a shower or bath every day so you might schedule someone to be there 2 or 3 times a week to help with showers or at leadt make sure there are no rugs to trip on and there are bars installed to hold on to getting in and out and a bench to sit down in the shower.
You might even consider having a Caregiver come over a couple hrs a day.
I wouldn't give up my life to move in with a parent. Not even right to leVe a spouse ect to do that.
If Your mom has a choice to move in with you and decides to stay in her own home, respect that choice even tho you have concerns as she should be able to live out the rest of her life in her own home.
Plenty of accidents happen in Senior Homes too.
They are always understaffed.
Just think about how you would like to move from the place you have lived forever and be placed in an unfamiliar room with unfamiliar people telling you what to do and when to do it and if you're any kind of problem want you to put them on meds.
Especially at this time with covid.
I would rather take my chances at my own house.
Yoy might try to line up a Live In which can help out plus it gives them a place to stay and there are many people available, you don't have to be a nurse to live in, just a nice older single person that needs a place to stay.