We are finding out that talking to friends in similar situations helps. Yet depending on where you are living and what kind of "help" is available for seniors, your plans may have to be adjusted accordingly.
Let me back up a little and explain:
We are currently looking after my 92 year young mother. She has just moved into our home as she is no longer able to take care of herself properly.
We have help that comes into the home 3 times a week to bathe her That is a chore that I really didn't want to do as I have mobility issues myself.
So now there is a new wrinkle in the mix. Both my husband and I were planning a trip before Mom came to live with us and we are not getting any younger either, So what do you do?
Mom is not able to live on her own and we are running out of time to go on this trip. The options need to be looked at and plans made for her care before we commit to our own travel ideas.
So we need to make sure there is a place that will take her for a short-term stay. One that is clean and nice. One that cooks meals that she will enjoy, One that has some activities to keep her mind active and off of the fact that we are not there. One that will look after her medications and also her general health while we are gone.
That's not too much to ask, is it?
So where do we start?
- Thank goodness there are places that have "RESPITE CARE". These are rooms that are set up like a bedroom (sometimes private or semi-private) in Registered Nursing Homes. We are in the process of checking out 3 or 4 of these homes and choosing the one that seems to fit all our requirements.
- Making sure that the place of temporary residence has all the required information regarding 1. prescriptions. 2. Family Doctor's phone number. 3. Next of kin in case of a great emergency. 4. All necessary tools to make her stay comfortable (glasses, hearing aids, walkers etc.)
- Labelling all of her clothing.
- Packing her favorite toiletries, creams, lotions and potions.
- Making sure she has shoes as well as her slippers.
Preparedness is key in doing this, Everything needs to be in order and then we can go on our holiday without the panic that might otherwise make a holiday into a nightmare instead.
I am preparing a Mom's Diary, a book with all of her most important information. Lists of Medications, Doctor's phone number, hospital where she has been before, grandchildren's phone numbers, Health Card information, Dentist info (just in case), and any other information that may benefit the caregivers at the home. Allergies and food sensitivities will be noted as well. Favorite foods and least favorites will also be listed.
We are trying to make this a good experience, so that if we travel again, we know exactly what we need to prepare.
Clothing labels for her personal things. We are looking for labels that are easy to attach and yet are not irritating to the person wearing them. As always, Amazon is a great place to find just about anything and they have a whole bunch of "label" possibilities! This is the one that I happen to like:
But there are many other choices as well.
We are hopeful that by taking all these steps, we will make sure that my Mom has the best of care while we are away and that putting all of this into play, we may be able to travel again and have a much easier preparation because some of it has already been done!
I will come back here and let you all know how successful we were and if there were any other things we should have included or not!
Hope this helps anyone who is thinking or living the same journey as we are on!
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This is an excellent, and very helpful, guide for any caretakers, Olivia, even short-term ones who come to your home for a few hours of respite care. And the 'Mom's Diary' or similar notebook or list is perfect for not just a short stay at respite care, but for anyone to leave for their next-of-kin. My son and I had a recent conversation similar to this - a list that would tell him important information (doctors' names, medications, insurance info, etc. etc.) in case I could not verbally tell him when or if needed.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes that all works out perfectly for your mom and that you get to enjoy your trip care-free.
The "diary" would be essential whether you are traveling or not. What a wonderful idea! I didn't realize there were places that would care for an elderly person for a temporary period of time, like the time you need for a vacation. I truly admire you and your husband for taking your mother into your home and giving her the daily care she needs. I am relieved to hear you have someone to come in and give her baths. That has to be a tremendous relief for all of you. I hope you are able to enjoy a lovely vacation and that your mom is well cared for during this short resprite.
ReplyDeleteOlivia, as you know, my husband and I were my parents’ primary caregivers at the ends of their lives and moved into their house to help take care of them. So, I know we’ll how anxious the thought of a much-needed vacation can be in this situation and how much thoughtful , meticulous preparation is needed to reduce that anxiety as much as possible for both the parent and their family caregivers. You have done a wonderful job of preparing as well as possible for your upcoming trip to make the experience as positive as possible for you, your husband and your mother. Blessings on you all and have a marvelous trip!
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize there's temporary "respite care" as an option. Your preparation is to be admired - this part of life is a lot of work - going through my mom's sickness was so hard, and mostly hard on her. Very difficult part of life, so it's nice to know there are places like this so you can take those much needed vacations.
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