Transition from homecare to care facility is still overwhelming at times. Yet periods of family stability are starting to break through as expectations instead of random chance.
For the first weekend in years I’ve been able to pick up additional work after falling to extreme part time to accommodate ever increasing homecare caregiving needs. No scrambling to cover ‘Patti-care’. That simple stability is in a sense unnerving at first. I’ve forgotten what it is like.
Friday Patti’s parents stopped by to visit with her at her care facility and involve her in a game of “Trivial Pursuit”. MS memory related problems handicap Patti’s short term memory but it seems almost to enhance her long term. She can intermittently pull pieces of trivia out of memory almost mystically.
Saturday they are back to visit Patti again with one of their granddaughters they’re babysitting for the day.
Its family time without the angst and stress of worrying about ‘accidents’ or having to leave Patti alone or being some where at a certain time.
Previously I’ve only noted challenges of spousal caregiving. Parents of 70 years of age attempting to act as caregivers for an adult child, even if only as respite help, has its own unique challenges both physically and emotionally.
In the absence of visitors Patti is safe, fed, and has a quality of life. It’s not what anyone envisioned for Patti. It’s more like a “best of possible worlds…”
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