I need some advice! My mom has lived with my husband and myself for the last 2 1/2 years. We both agreed to have her come live with us since she was so unhappy in the nursing home. How to I tell her I don't want her to live with us anymore? It would mean a nursing home for her and that would probably just about kill her. She DID NOT adjust well the last time she was in a nursing home. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Try to leave the guilt behind knowing that you have done your best. You are only human. In any relationship we occasionally become annoyed or angry with each other. As I see it, caregiving is no different than any other relationship where we are not perfect. Don't judge yourself harshly for having made the decision to place your Mom in a nursing home. Hope you find a good nursing home for your Mom and one that will allow you to take a deep breath once you place her there.
*** myvoice2.....happy holidays, I was wondering if you have spoken with your canadian rel's and evaluated your options on sending your m-in-law across the border. According to a canadian relative I spoke with today, the waitlist is pretty long and she would need to re-establish residency if she has been out of the country a while. Does she rec'v a canadian pension - or american SS? It was also mentioned that if she has dementia and is unable to navigate the system herself you would need to obtain an affidavit of responsibility signed by the relatives she would be staying with until there was an opening available for her. You are probably better off applying for medi-medi here in the states.
All I can do is say "ditto" to what you wrote.
Carol
You don't sound cold you sound human. and you are right, alot of people made poor choices and sometimes we are chosen to make it better. I think I realized the other day that one of the main problems we face is parenting parents. They resent it and so do we. My dad was mean, abusive, unhappy and full of resentment. I did my part the last years of his life. The things I learned about myself were priceless. Lessons I may not have learned otherwise. But maybe your"father" should be in assisted living or a nursing home. I don't know how our lives get so messed up while caregiving, but it happens to all of us.
I am grateful you found this sight also. There are many who feel the way you do. And all of us are here for you. Others will agree that you are simply one tired, overwhelmed human. Find ways to take care of yourself and breathe, don't forget to breathe.
Let us know how you are doing and this is the place to rant. One big cyber-hug for you and you will be in my prayers.
I hear you! I am feeling so guilty right now. I have Hospice and they are going to do a respite for me. A weekend. I am so looking forward to this. Last week they came and stayed for us to go out to eat and I felt so guilty, we went to Taco Bell so it would be quick. I enjoyed it sooo much!!! Who would have thought Taco Bell would be sooo fun?!?! It's the first time in months that I went anywhere without my mom. The last time we took her out to a restaraunt, she gave the waitress an dog turd!! She had it hidden in her coat pocket!! She is now housebound. I have been taking care of my mom, who has Alzhiemers, for about 10 years. She has lived with us for about 4 years now and I have been a 24/7 caregiver for about a year.
I have Rhumatoid Arthritis and suffer from Vertigo. The stress has made the RA so severe some days its' all I can do to get out of bed. My husband,(God bless him), helps me sooo much. Our daughter (mentally challenged) is getting the worst end of it. We never get to go out with her anymore. Her and her grandma were so close but now grandma is sooo mean to her. She hits her and cusses her and accuses her of stealing. She doesn't even call her grandma any more. It's that woman. She doesn't understand. We have gone thru all of our savings trying to keep things going. My husband was diagnosed with Hep C and was off work so long for treatment, we lost our house. I applied for SS disability last year and was notified that I was finally excepted!!! Yeah!!!! It will help so much!! Not like a pay check but much better than nothing!! One thing I have learned is, you have to laugh, hon!! My husband has a great sense of humor, thank God. He says mom could hide her own Easter eggs!! She is so unhappy and I think that was the hardest thing to realize. I can't make her happy!! She took care of me when I was little and when I was sick, she gave up so much and I feel like I should do the same but I've finally learned that I can't. I keep her fed and clean and that is all I can do! No body can make her happy!! I have a Gerri chair and sometimes I have to put the tray on just so she can't get up. That is the only way I can get anything done because she follows me evrywhere in the house. Bathroom, kitchen, etc. She has fell several time so now we have the Gerri chair!! I have a half sister and an adpoted sister and several nieces and nephews but haven't seen or talked to them since last year at Christmas when Grandma was still social. They all live within a couple of miles. Heard from no one this year. Quiet holiday at home with my kids and grandkids. Oh well, when its all over, I'll know I did all I could and won't wish I had done more. Wow!!! I have really gone on!! When you start, it seems like it all comes pouring out!! Keep smilin lostsoul............I read here every day. It is my lifeline!! I don't always get on because when I do, ya see what happens.............but reading is great!! We are all here for ya....we may not be "family" but we are here for you!!...........Phyllis
Please, please do not feel guilty when you get help from someone else. It strikes me that the caregiving role always seems to fall on the shoulders of one person, which is so unfair. Remember that everything you do, whether she remembers it or not, comes from the goodness of your heart. You're right you cannot make her happy. But don't punish yourself because of that. You are doing so much for her, your husband and your daughter. Now go out on that weekend and do something for yourself! The world will not end I promise! Let me know how it goes ok? Love and blessings to you dear. Hope to hear from you soon.
I'm not criticizing, but if you feel your mom needs to be admitted & tested, get on the phone and have the doc or whoever is covering for her/him paged. Waiting till next friday might not be the best for her.
Did you speak to the doc & they told you to wait, or are you waiting because you know they aren't available? I know from personal experience that being the squeeky wheel is not always convenient, or easy it is important if you feel she needs to be checked out to have her just go NOW.....if any doc says wait - tell them you want it in writing and watch how quickly they change their tune.
please take care & let us know how it turns out.
have a peaceful day, but please don't be pushed into waiting if you believe she needs to be in the hospital.
after getting to know my client the parent will tell me that they chose that particular
child because they felt that they were more together. or in some cases more trustworthy and responsible. Just wanted to add some consulation and insight to a desperate situation.
Take care,
Carol
I just want some peace before I die.I know the Bible says to honor your parents but where do you draw the line?My health is suffering,my marriage is showing the strain and my kids say they hate her and God forgive me,I'm starting to feel the same.I just don't know where to turn or what to do.
Thank you for sharing your story. It helps me to see I don't have it bad at all. I am so sorry that you had cancer and had to undergo such pain and fear.My heart breaks for you. Your mom sounds as tho she has had her way most of her life and your brother just doesn't know he has choices. But you do have choices. The worst that will happen is things will remain the same in that household, and there is nothing you can do to change any of it. Guilt seems to be the main "killer" of caregivers. It is only a feeling.That is not to say it isn't a powerful feeling, but a feeling, none the less. I have had to work " to the other side" of that feeling and believe when I say there is a feeling of knowing in your heart and soul you did all you could.That sacrificing ourselves for insanity makes us as crazy as the ones making us crazy!And you apparently have courage and fortitude , and do not need anyones permission to save yourself and your husband and children.Do what you need to do and know that we are supporting you and your health. Life hands us a lot of things that we can do nothing about, and then there are the things we have choices about. Save yourself!!!! Get some peace,Take the time to look at the past and see if anything you tried to do changed anything. If not, again, save yourself. You will be in my prayers. Let us know how things progress. You have already faced the most fearful thing in your life, getting out of there is nothing compared to that.We understand how you feel and support you. God help you in this part of your journey.
I would have social services do a welfare check on your mother and your brother. Your mother sounds mentally ill and your brother has been made to feel useless and needs a lot of psychological help.
The only way out is to detach yourself from this mess and have social services take over. You are helping them by getting help. You can't do more than you are and what you are are doing is ruining your life. Please get help so you can take care of yourself, save your marriage and family, and move on. You can monitor what happens with social services and help in any way you can, but this is something your can't do alone.
Carol
yes, that's a joke I don't even have a $1.00. LOl
The hardest thing when taking care of my mother in law 11 years ago with alzheimers was not taking it personally, she never liked me cuz I was never good enough for her baby but here we are next week 38 years later and still good enough for baby boy but thats a whole nother topic. Its hard not to take it personal but its not personal. Its just their frustration will try to find some websites and post when I have a few extra min. neon
I cannot believe it I just got back from 13 days of vacation. Most of the time I worried about my dad because as usual right before I went he fell and broke 2 ribs. He was taking pain meds that made him crazy acting and he was picked up by the cops for walking around his apartnment building with no shoes and shorts on in the snow acting like he was out of his mind. This all happened 3 days before I went, it seems like everytime I go someplace something happens to him and he is sick or something major goes on. I think he stopped taking his meds to get sick before I went in hopes I would cancel my vacation.
Well it took everything I had but I sent my cousin and uncle to go to the hospital and managed to stay away before I went even though I got calls non stop how bad off he was. I am the only daughter here and the other 3 take no responsibility in his health or life at all. He has 2 brothers and I put it on them and went on vacation anyway, Even though I worried the whole time I think dad has got it in his head that I cannot do it alone.
I just got home and I spoke to him several times the past few days and we have discussed that we need help and he realizes that we are going to ask for it because I cannot take care of him 24/7. His options are basically go into the nursing home or we get some help at home. He called to get his scooter because his balance is so off he keeps falling. He did this alone all by himself. He is coming around on the idea I have a husband and my own life and I do not owe him my entire life till he is gone.
I still feel horrible, don't ask me why but I do. I know that he is lonely and I know that its not my fault but I am a compassionate person and I feel sorry for him--but I am about to get a divorce if I do not lower my efforts and time with him. I am working on this now that I am home.
My plan is to give him all the help he needs. I am going to check out every service in Michigan and we will have help. I already found 3 places that will take him to his appointments for free. I am looking up all the advice I have gotten here and going to make a plan for him. He needs social activities and if that's a day care then so be it--he needs friends and I want him to have some happiness for the remainder of his time. But I know its not my total responsibility and it is so hard not to do everything but I am doing it. I am thinking of myself first from now on I have to.
Your stories are so heartbreaking--neonwacky--I pray for you and hope that you move for your own sake--we had dad in our home and it did not work out but please for yourself get some help in that home and be good to yourself--love yourself and your family first and then realize no matter how much help you give or how much of yourself you give the other person will always be the same--we always expect a different outcome from the same situation and it does not never work. It hurts like hell not to be recognized for all we are doing and all we have sacrificed but we are doing most of it to our own selves. You are sick yourself you need to be taken care of and your needs need to be tended to, if your sick you cannot take care of anyone else. The situation is toxic for you and your family--please find it in your heart to forgive yourself of guilt and love yourself.
Take care and thank you for all the information I have found here.......Alice
You owe your mom only thanks for giving you life