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A Custody Issue – Can You Help This Young Woman
This young lady shared her situation through “Share Your Caregiver Story.” If you have any suggestions that could help her, please leave them in the comments section. I think she will appreciate any help she can get.
well… where should I begin!? I have taken care of my grandmother for over 15 years. After her fall last year, she was released from the hospital under hospice. Her son took her home to live with him . . . His wife does not care for me or my grandmother. We have repeatedly had fights! My grandmother has told her son, she wants to come back home and live . . . He has refused her request twice. His wife does not care about my grandmother. I have thought about getting an attorney. He is almost keeping her like a prisoner. He does not let her out of the house except to get a haircut. HELP!! And I am just the grand-daughter who has cared for her. .
An Excerpt from Judy’s Dementia
Mariah Kissel asked to share her story on A Caregiver’s Journal. The complete post can be read at www.judyscaregiver.com
My mother spent 3 months in a hospital in Washington DC. Relearning how to eat, walk, talk, bathe, go to the bathroom. The staff retaught her to fasten her seat belt, open a door and spell her name.
The amazing thing is that she never forgot us. She smiled every time my father came to see her, which by the way was every day for the first 2 months and then 4 days a week or more when he could. My father had to work every day, but he still managed to travel almost 2 hours both ways from Southern Maryland to DC to take care of her. He was so in love with my mother and would do anything for her. It’s sad to say that this might have been a big part of why he is no longer with us. You see, 2 weeks after we brought my mother home from the hospital, my father had a heart attack and did not survive. I believe, that the stress was to much for him and he passed away literally from a broken heart.
As soon as my sister and I heard the news we were on a plane from Nevada to Maryland. We had the funeral, talked to lawyers, packed up my mothers most needed possessions and moved her back to Vegas. That’s when I became my mothers legal guardian.
Judy has her good days and bad but we take it step by step. The process is never easy but we do our best. I am sad sometimes, lonely most of the time and tired all the time. If I stopped to think about how we got here and how my mother used to be, I could not do this every day. So I don’t think about it. I just do it.
The Mind of a Water Pick – A Caregiver Shares Her Story
This post is from Mary Jollett who wanted to share her story with us. This is a reminder that caregiving has moments that are just plain funny. Sometimes you just have to laugh at the little bit of humor that comes from daily routines.
Mom has a lot a difficulty with oral hygiene. Her disabled right hand makes flossing out of the question. She uses a water pick as best she can. One evening, she wanted to clean her teeth thoroughly. She decided to use the water pick with some mouth wash added to the water in the reservoir. She placed the water pick in her mouth and turned it on. That is when all hell broke lose.
Have you ever seen a fire hose dance on the ground like a boa constrictor? The water pick filled her mouth to overflow . . . she was foaming at the mouth when she pulled it out. Before I could get hold of it, there was watered down mouth wash all over the ceiling, mirror, floor, Mom and me. Mom was making her usual muffled sounds of panic, “OH, OH, NOOOO!” I just starting laughing and couldn’t stop. What else was there to do? It reminded me of the old Woody Allen movie in which all the appliances take on minds of their own.
Come to think of it . . . Better keep an eye on those water picks and don’t forget to laugh!
