7 Lessons Learned In The World Of Eldercare

I was ill prepared for my mother’s decline. She lived alone until she was 96 and refused to let me get her home health care help. My husband and I did everything we could so she could live comfortably at home. And then she fell. It wasn’t the first time, or the last time, but it was the fall that changed everything. Statistics show one fourth of Americans over 65 fall each year and the results can be devastating and life changing. Women, often with kids and lives of their own, become the primary caregivers and decision-makers when a parent has an accident. My mom―so strong-minded, stubborn and commanding―could no longer walk on her own or care for herself. After 6 weeks in rehab I brought her back to her home and had to face a new reality: She could no longer live alone. Ambulettes to doctor appointments, a stair lift to get her up to her bedroom, and 24 hour live-in care were her new life. I promised her long ago that I would never put her in a nursing home, and I nearly quite ran myself into the ground that first year trying to keep my word. But over time, once I got the right caregiving team in place, I was able to deal with the day-to-day running of her life as the aids in her home cared for her needs and kept her safe. We made it through the first two-plus years and she turned 99 years old in March. I survived the role reversal and trauma of the crisis her fall created in our family system. Here are some of the things I learned and discovered trying to na...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news