Our mother is 86, lives alone, has numerous health issues. The big issues r diabetes, she takes five insulin shots a day, won't eat properly, she has severe back and shoulder pain, so she sits all day, she has neuropathy causing her right hand to go completely numb at times, her memory is slipping, she has low blood sugars more frequently, when her hand gets numb she can't draw up her insulin. This am she put the needle in the vial, held the vial in her left hand and used her teeth to pull the plunger back. These r just some issues. She goes to FL. With me Dec through March but refuses to move in with me or my sister full-time. I live an hour away, my sister lives five minutes from her and provides meals three time a week and takes her to store and appointments but my sister now has a medical issue she needs to address, I get physical therapy twice a week and I can't just drive to moms often. Now mom needs IV iron every other week x 5, there is no transport in her town and the hospital is 30 minutes away. It would be easier for her to live between us but she refuses and doesn't have money to hire help.
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These things might be best, but she doesn't want them.
Are there things that would make her safer where she is, at least until the dementia gets worse? For my mother those things were arranging a cleaning service, laundry, meals on wheels, a visiting nurse, and working on pain management. For your mother the obvious first thing is to switch from syringes to insulin pens. A needs assessment may uncover several things that could be put in place to help Mom where she is.
Managing medications was the hurdle we couldn't get over, and as our mother's dementia increased, she moved in with one of my sisters who had just retired. This was her "assisted living" experience, and it lasted a little over a year. Then as her needs increased she moved to SNF. This graduated path to increased care may be more acceptable to people who resist care.
But here is another perspective altogether: Life expectancy the year your mother was born was 63 years for women. Now for women in the US who have reached the age of 65 their live expectancy is 20 more years. Type 2 diabetes reduces (on average) life spans by 8.5 to 10 years.
In other words, you mother has already surpassed her statistical life expectancy. Good for her! She sure must have been doing a lot of things right in managing diabetes for 55 years, and her health in general. Congratulations are in order.
At this point, maybe her goal for herself is comfort. (That is what mine will be if I make it that far.) Living a lot longer may not have the same appeal to her that it would for a younger, healthier person. That could be especially true if dementia is starting to show. As you say, she knows what to do for her diabetes -- and she just doesn't want to do it anymore. Shouldn't that be her choice? This isn't just a rhetorical question; it is serious. How much self-determination should we allow/encourage/support for our elderly loved ones? How much should we try to force them to do what we feel is good for them?
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It also sounds to me like she probably doesn't cook either, another possible reason why she won't eat right. Something people will only eat easy prep stuff or if someone brings it in and makes it available, so some people will only eat what's available as it's available.
Another thing to consider is your mom may actually be in the dying stage as her body slowly shuts down. During this stage, less food is needed because the body no longer needs much energy as the change progresses, winding the body down toward the grave until the person eventually takes their last breath and dies. Some people die suddenly whereas others will just go to sleep as they usually do but for the last time. These deaths are usually peaceful and have been known to be painless. I don't know if your mom is in the dying stage, but it sounds like she very well may be. Definitely have her evaluated by a doctor to know for sure.
If she's not in the dying stage and her body it's just conserving energy due to malnutrition, then she'll probably need some emergency feeding, because somethings can actually mimic the dying stage and can actually become it if we're not careful. I would definitely get her medically evaluated and see what the doctor says but go into the appointment with her and even into the exam room so you can hear everything the doctor says
If she is found to have capacity, it will be hard to make her move. People have the right to make decisions that put them at risk or that others might not agree with. However, they should be able to explain pros/cons of the various options before them, they should be able to explain why they are choosing a certain option, and they should show insight into the risk of their choice.
A fair number of people in your mother's situation may not have capacity to make the decision to remain home. Unfortunately those are the ones who often resist having their capacity assessed, so it can be a lot of work to get this all sorted out.
Your options for getting help include calling Adult Protective Services and also notifying her physician to see if that person can help get her assessed.
Moving a person also depends on whether you have a durable power of attorney (and can show she's incapacitated). If not, you may need to seek guardianship.
This is all assuming she lacks capacity, but she might not. Some older adults would rather take substantial risks living at home, and some do have the capacity to make that decision, when we carefully assess them. If this is your situation, you will have to figure out how to set limits regarding how much help and effort you can offer her.
Good luck!
Not to mention, having mom in your home (or sis') will damage the host's physical health, mental health and family life. Might not be obvious at first -- like that old chestnut about the frog in a pot of water and the heat is slowly increased. Then surprise-not-surprise: boiling point.
There is a (sick) cultural imperative that adult daughters (and D-I-Ls) should annihilate themselves caring for an elderly parent. People who don't give two sh*ts about your sanity will drop smug hints about how "great" it is that Mom is not in a nursing home.
Well, where does that leave the caregiver? What's "great" about you or sis not getting a full night's sleep for the rest of Mom's life? What's "great" about spending hours each day cleaning adult poo with the same hands you use to cook dinner? What's "great" about being too preoccupied to have a relationship with your grandchildren?
And p.s., Mom won't live forever, no matter who is minding her myriad medical needs. Mom needs -- and deserves -- specialized care for the time she has left. Is there a M.D. and a staff of RNs, LPNs and CNAs in your (or sis') home 24-7? Nope.
If $ is an issue, explore Medicaid. Tons of advice about it on this forum.
Work toward a solution where you and sis can do what you do best: be daughters. You and sis are human beings, not life support machines. Your visits can enrich mom's experience and brighten her day.....while you maintain a close relationship with the professionals and advocate for Mom. THAT is caregiving, too. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
And definitely don't listen to anyone who's championing Mom's "independence." That ship sailed. A realistic decision can also be a loving decision. It's not one or the other.
Skim around this forum for ideas and support. Good luck to you. And big hugs. This stuff is rough. Make a serious effort not to get lost in it. You matter, too.
I asked him what he ate and he said he couldn't decide so he just didn't eat. I asked what he ate the night before and he had no recollection. I told him that it was time.
He cried but realized something had to be done. We have 7 acres and went out together and found him a mobile home to put in our front yard so he still had his independence but was no longer alone. He thrived for several more years this way. His small pension paid the mortgage and it was cheaper than a nursing home. Afterwards, we just sold the mobile home.
Based on your description I'd have to agree that she needs help in her daily living. She just wants to hang onto her independence but by clinging to her independence it sounds like she's causing a lot of stress. And if you think it's stressful now just move her in with you.
Moving her somewhere in between you and your sister sounds like it would be very temporary. She probably has her place all set up the way she needs it, to accommodate her disabilities. And a move at her age is very difficult. She'll hate it, she'll hate wherever she lives, and she'll ask to move back everyday. Her health will likely decline a bit. And she'll still be living alone and more dependent upon help because a move will discombobulate her and she may not bounce all the way back.
If you and your sister want to get your mom into a better situation I agree with the suggestion of looking for an assisted living facility. Maybe an independent living facility. But if your mom doesn't want to move to another location between you and your sister I don't think she'll want to move to a facility. So what do you do? Wait for an emergency. Many people have found themselves in your situation, myself included. Eventually your mom is going to need to go to the ER and that's when you begin making necessary changes. This sounds horrible but at the ER or in the hospital our loved ones are vulnerable. As adult children we can find support in the hospital (nurses, social workers, Dr.'s) that can talk to our parent about their living situation. If they're sick and in the hospital or ER we can form a supportive team to convince the parent that changes have to be made.
And you don't have to wait until your mom is deathly ill or seriously injured to get her to the ER. If you want to facilitate this process just begin looking for an opportunity to get her to the ER. With my mom it was falling. She was so weak and she needed to be in the hospital (in my opinion). She would crumple to the ground occasionally and my dad would call me to come over and scoop her up off the floor. I tried to convince them both that she needed to go to the ER but they both refused. The next time she crumpled to the ground my dad called me and I went over there. I feigned illness, said I was too sick to pick her up so we had to call 911. Competent adults can refuse to go to the ER and my mom was right on the line of being incompetent so they took her. And that's how I got my mom into the hospital. Manipulation.
If your mom is fairly competent and refuses to budge you may need an emergency to lay the groundwork for a change.
Can u visit a local senior center and make appt with director and they can listen to your story and concerns and then provide some insights and options for you to consider.
Have you talked to her doctor? Maybe document your observations and concerns and mail to her dr to have him aware of what's going on ahead of moms next visit. He and his office social worker might be able to have a non biased conversation with mom and plant the seed about her continuing to live independently.
Think hard before you have mom move in. What seems doable and easier for u now might not be so easy a year from now.
Maybe there are support systems or visiting nurse that can come in a few hrs a week or aid a few hrs a week to help mom with everyday living and errands. Or church volunteers that come by and visit elders, meals on wheels to supplement your meals.
Good luck.
You might get help from area on aging. Call and ask if they will do a home visit to evaluate her condition and let you know of any local assistance. If she is competent, ask her what she plans to do as you and sister are limited with what you are able to do. Realistically living between you probably wouldn't last too long. Since she had lived with you for several months you realize what that entails but for how long would you be able to manage it? If you put her and yourself through a big move, maybe it would be better long term to try to get her in ALF that has connecting MC or NH? If you think she won't qualify for Medicaid in your state, seek the advice of a qualified elder attorney.