She's 92. Her doctor says she needs someone within call 24 hours a day, mainly because of the chance of falls, so she's in an assisted living facility. She's depressed, because she's pretty alert and with it, and most of the other residents are vegetative. She still puts on makeup and jewelry in the mornings, gets dressed and goes to the bathroom without help, gets around with a rolling walker or cane, converses normally, likes to go out with an escort to see her doctor and get her hair done. On the other hand, she needs someone to supervise her medications, can't learn to put in her own hearing aids, needs someone to help her in and out of the tub or shower, eats only if food is put in front of her (and often refuses food), experiences occasional confusion and blurred speech, has a lot of memory loss, and obsesses about minor aches and pains to the point of occasional panic. Her doctor says that if she were to move in with me, she would need a companion/caregiver during the 9 or 10 hours a day that I'm at work. Do you think she really needs that? I could take care of her meds and two of her daily meals. Wouldn't it be enough to have someone come in for a couple of hours each day while I'm gone to prepare and serve the other meal, check on her, give her some company, help her bathe?
Take advantage of giving her your loving quality time when you can -- it won't be that way if you have to take over physically and emotionally draining caregiver duties.
If you already have her in a good place; help her and you by leaving it to the professionals -- your job is the emotional support and love.
Visit her more often/longer. Take her on outings more. Hire a companion for her. Do what you can to improve her situation, but if you are out of the house 9 to 10 hours a day it would be irresponsible to bring her into your home without hired care there the full time you are gone.
My mom is 94 and lived alone until last Friday. She did have a couple of falls, but wore a Life Alert pendant.
I am certain that you could work something out, so that you could care for her at home, but things change quickly when they are our Mothers ages and then, you will have to miss work and try to get her in a facility.
Could you hire her a companion for a few hours a day, to converse with her?