One Daughter's Elder Care Dilemma in Kentwood, MI: Mom Shouldn’t be Living Alone – Now What?
Three months ago, my father passed away after a long illness. My mother was there for him the entire time and I know that he appreciated all that she did for him, just as he appreciated all of the things that she sacrificed through the years for me and my sister. I went to visit her last weekend to make sure that she was doing okay and I discovered that she is having trouble with some things at home.
I know that she needs some sort of elder care, but I didn’t know the first thing about it. I guess what I’ve learned at this point is that few people actually know a lot about elderly home care because they never really think that they’re going to require it, or that their loved one is going to need it.
So there I was trying to figure out what I could possibly do to help my mother and I was lost. I called my sister and told her what I had seen, that our mother wasn’t cleaning the house like she used to, she wasn’t eating well (you should have seen all of the microwaveable meals and canned foods) and it seemed like she hadn’t done any laundry in a while.
In short, I believed that my mother shouldn’t be living alone any longer. My sister told me to call a couple of home care agencies in the area that specialize in elderly home care and find out what options are available and how much they would cost.
I did what she suggested and I was actually surprised that this type of care was flexible and a lot more affordable than I would have expected. I guess I was thinking that home care was not much different than having my mother move into an assisted living community, but it is. It’s a lot more affordable.
After I gathered all of this information, my sister suggested that we sit down with our mother, together, and talk about the concerns that I had and what we felt would be best for her. I know she’s not going to be too keen on the idea and it could be partly depression that is keeping her from taking care of herself, but I can’t watch her fall apart when there is something that I can do about it.
She might not like the idea of elder care, but I know she cares about her health; she always did. I guess it’s not so much a dilemma once you know where to start looking. If you have a loved one whom you feel might benefit from elderly home care, call an agency or two in their area and find out all of the services and options that are available to help them remain comfortable and safe within their own home.
If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Kentwood, MI, contact the caregivers at Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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