Amen! Family, if all can work together..is the best solution. Having the burden placed on one caregiver is so so hard. It would be nice to hire someone to come in to give the caregivers time off..and I pray I can afford that so my children won’t have to be overwhelmed. My biggest prayer is they won’t have to worry about it at all..that my hubby and I won’t need that level of care.
There is one nursing home I trusted in this area, until they went for profit. I saw their performance all hrs day and night. I checked in on a regular basis, never the same time. They were outstanding. Now, they are about costs over care... They didn’t have a high staff turn over, now they do.
My grandmother (85) got along fine until her stroke last year. Now she needs supervision.
My mother, who is a retired nurse, moved in with her.
Yep, family is the best option. No way I could let my mother waste away in a nursing home away from the family that she took care of for 40 years.
tioga
“There is a better way. For 2 1/2 years I took care of my mother in my home. The last year she was incontinent. I didn’t waiver, my family supported me and she died here at our home. I have no regrets. None. If I can do it anyone can.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2363955/posts?page=56#56
brytlea
“...If ever faced with that, I will do my darnedest to care for my husband at home. I realize sometimes it’s simply not possible.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2363955/posts?page=61#61
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
bttt to what you three wrote.
If health insurance would make it easier for a family to pay for caregivers without the battery of Activities of Daily Living there’d be fewer sent to the nursing homes, meaning that nursing homes would have to compete for ‘residents’. Ergo, conditions should improve.
To any others reading this post or the posts of ~Kim4VRWC’s~ brytlea or tioga:
If you have NOT visited a nursing home in your area, I recommend it highly.
If you have a close friend who has family member in a nursing home; offer to relieve them for a while and visit their family member. They may have to sign you up as a ‘close friend the family’ in order for you to gain access.
Do that for a few days or weeks.
First of all, you will be amazed at how quickly the staff will tune you out - even if you are observing - and taking mental notes.
Look around with an attentive eye as you blend in.
There will be four outcomes of your doing this:
1. your friend will really appreciate being spelled for a while;
2. the resident will appreciate the attention and care;
3. there will be a high probability that you will be stunned by the general lack of attention, attitude, the mechanical atmosphere, and general sanitary conditions;
4. and you will instruct your spouse or family to never ever put you in a nursing home if it can be avoided.