Elder Care

Let me be honest, as a nation we don't take care of our elderly very well.  As a caregiver it sucks.

Next Monday is my moms recertification day.  She has been receiving OT, PT, nursing, speech and help with baths for the last 14 weeks.  Today they told me that they don't feel that she is progressing well enough to recertify for another 14 weeks.  They think that she needs residential therapy.  However, to receive residential therapy she has to be hospitalized for 3 days.  My other option is to put her in a nursing home.

My moms current level of care is very high.  She has gotten to the point where she can get out of bed by herself using a walker and she can get to her wheelchair a few feet away.  I have been working on increasing the distance to the wheelchair but she just doesn't have the muscle tone due to 18 months spent vegetating in a nursing home.  She needs someone to be at home with her all the time.  I am the only one who can change her depend which means I have to watch my time away from home.  She has to have her medications given to her and all her meals prepared for her.  She has to have help to dress and bathe.  Yep, the level of care that she needs is very high.

Some days I wonder how much longer I can keep it up. Without the extra help coming in it will be even more difficult.  I was able to time longer periods of time away with the bathing person coming.  That little luxury will be gone next week.

I will see how the next few weeks go and see if I can find other resources.  I feel as though I need to look into nursing homes and that makes me sad.  At least if my mom is in a nursing home here I can o and visit her regularly.  Sometimes being a daughter is hard.