Getting Older with Dementia

Getting Old with Dementia Episode # 83 The longer you take care of someone with a mental disease. The more problems you have. In the past 2 weeks, Mama has developed a few new problems, one of which is not being able to set up from a lying down position, all by herself. The longer I’m taking care mom, the harder it’s becoming to move her around. Now that she not only can’t set up. It’s also causing a problem with her standing up even though she has a hold on me. I’m finding out that I am not that it be able to pick her up, hold her up and do what I need to do after a bathroom trip, all by myself. The longer you take care of someone; it begins to dawn on you that there are just some things that you’re not going to be able to do all by yourself. It’s a lot easier to do some things with 2 or more people than it is with just one person doing it all. I find it much easier to move Mama around when someone else’s in the house. We started looking for someone to come help a few hours a week. We were able to find a lady from our church that was willing to come and sit with mom and help us out with mom. And we’ve had this lady for now, for about 6 months, but now this lady may have the opportunity to make a little more money than we can afford to pay her here. So we believe that were going to lose this lady due to financial needs. Fortunately, Stephanie only has 2 weeks of all of school left, so she’ll be here for 3 months or almost 3, to help me with mom. In the fall however, she’ll go back to work, which will leave me with mom once again, all by myself. I know how much easier it is to care of Mama with 2 people that it is one, so I contacted Medicare to see if I can get this lady’s time paid for. Unfortunately Medicare does not pay for a ny one caring for someone that is not certified in caregiving. However, Medicare did say to talk to mom is Dr. and have Mama’s Dr. set things up for in-home care giving, and then Medicare would take care of it from there. With that said, though, let me make it perfectly clear, I am not now nor will I ever plan to put Mama in a nursing home and if you have listened to this podcast for any length of time you know my feelings on nursing homes. Assisted living places may be a little better; however, that’s not an option either. I will take care Mama until Mama is gone If I have to crawl on my knees to do it. It’s just a lot easier with 2 people that it is one on one.