Senior Stories
Mom was doing reasonably well in her home after dad passed away. Sometimes she’d repeat herself but nothing too worrisome. She was managing on her own until recently when she had a stroke and ended up hospitalized. When she was discharged from the hospital, we were told Medicare would cover home health visits for a “short time” but that we should start thinking about long-term options. Having to figure out the next steps with such short notice was overwhelming to say the least.
Every time we try to talk to dad about his driving, he gets angry and walks away. We don’t want to take away his independence, but we worry about his safety and the safety of others.
I’ve been keeping an eye on dad for the past year. His memory has slowly been getting worse and there are days when he is suspicious about me “moving his stuff.” In reality, he is just forgetting where he puts things. My oldest brother, who lives out of town, doesn’t think dad has dementia. He and his wife want to move him into their home now that their kids have moved out. My youngest sister has completely different ideas about what’s best for dad. I’m not sure how to get us all on the same page.
Mom has a funny habit of always finishing dad’s sentences. She fills in the gaps for him but lately the gaps seem to be getting wider. We’ve tried talking about our concerns, but mom quickly dismisses us saying “you kids worry too much.” The last thing they want is to become a “burden.” Recently, mom fell and broke her hip. While she was in the rehab center, it became obvious that dad’s confusion was much worse than we had realized. There was no way he could be at home alone. Suddenly, we were thrown into crisis mode.