Posted on 11/27/2005 4:18:42 PM PST by Lorianne
My mom would hear voices, and tell me people were in the living room with her .. and they wanted to take her home. I knew that if she went out on the porch in the dark, she could fall down the stairs. She didn't have any concerns about it - which tells you they aren't in touch with reality.
It was so difficult. Now that she's in a lock-down facility (but I'm allowed to visit any time I want), I feel much better about her safety.
You know, the media acts like this is all brand new, but our grandparents did the same thing. It was not unusual to have multi-generational households, because many older folks would not affort to live on their own, so they stayed with one of their kids' families. It was only when we were growing up that our parents had the luxury of owning their own homes, and their parents had progressed financially to the point where they had their homes, each could separate from the other, and where we, the Boomers, could grow up with privacy and more space.
Your cynical view of what seems to be an unselfish act doesn't say much for your perception of your fellow human beings.
Maybe he knows my sister...
My mother has macular degeneration and is nearly blind. She also suffers from dementia and various health problems. She is very weak and frail (72 pounds). She gets frustrated with herself and takes it out on me. I run out of patience and just stay in my room or in my basement workshop.
I have 2 sisters who live close by. One is helpful. The other asks about the will and suggests selling the house now. She wants to know if I pay rent. My brothers live in another state and are genuinely thankful that I'm doing what I do.
I made a promise to my mother many years ago that I wouldn't put her in a nursing home. She said she would prefer death to that and she meant it.
There are a lot of things I would do differently in life but taking care of my mother isn't one of them.
That's not the impression that I had after reading the article. Ms. Geist apparently was quite successful in her career and doesn't need the money, which is one of the reasons that she is able to give up her career to care for her parents.
I hope so too. Our oldest daughter (36 in January) has been a dialysis patient since she was 19. She received a kidney from her daddy then and after it went south in 2000, she was back on dialysis. A week after we moved her back to Texas from here in Missouri, she had a stroke/aneurysm from high blood pressure. She had been acting weird for a few years but we attributed it to meds (hallucinations-she talked to Elvis in the back seat of the truck one year) Well, she was diagnosed with FTD/Picks disease. It is a dementia disease that is terminal within 5-10 years. (google FTD Picks disease) Right now her sister is taking care of doc appointment until we get down there. She is "normal" to most people until you look good. Sometimes it is like being with a two year old. She has a big oral fixation - has to eat constantly and thank goodness she has the sense now to eat only low calorie stuff - she will spend money like she is Howard Hughes and she is on disability and has a small income from that. Taking care of someone with dementia is a big job and no one should ever say it is done with devious intentions. Changing poopy diapers in a child is not bad at all. They should try changing diapers on an adult. It aint purty. LOLL We are no where near that stage but know that we will be at sometime.
Even the ones costing 5 grand a month were just lipstick
on the pig. They are "Escrows to Death"
Very true.
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