Well before you ask the obvious questions. No, I don't have strong men in the family close by to help. :/ SHe's in a nursing home in Illinois, the people that work there would get her in the car for me...but then I have to drive to Indiana. My husband would be able to help me get her out of the car but then what? And he's leaving for work before she would want to go back. Are there medical agencies that could help with transporting her from the car to the house? Or some type of ramp service? My mom died at years ago. I have no siblings or aunts uncles on this side of the family. Cousins live too far. Her medical affairs stress me out enough...now this.. she will He me forever if she has to spend Thanksgiving in the nursing home. .help? P's I'm in the process of moving her from Illinois to Indiana
I would be very wary of taking her out of the state. What if there was an accident? If she fell or there was a car accident, what would happen to her? It's too risky, IMO.
Plus, those portable ramps are quite heavy. They also don't work that well for a steep incline. We have one at my office and it's tough getting them to work on 3 steps. I would never attempt them on 6 steps. If both of you fell and broke bones, I can't imagine how horrible that would be.
As suggested above, I would visit with her and perhaps take her to a restaurant near her facility that has handicap access. You could even go a day in advance. It's the love that matters, not the exact time of the meal or visit.
Are you familiar with getting someone in and out of a car and into a wheelchair? There is a way to do it. I would ask for advice. They place the chair behind the person with the wheels locked so that if they fall, the chair catches the fall. They also have the person place their arms around their neck for lifting. If don't know how to do this, you both could get hurt.
The height of the vehicle is also very important. Too high or too low can make it very difficult for them to get out of.
And will the wheelchair fit in your trunk? Can you lift it?
I transported my cousin many times to and from her doctor's office. It's a huge deal and each entry and exit is quite exhausting for the patient. I had to stop doing it. I'd be very hesitant to do it, unless you have plenty of help.
Another idea is to check to see if there is a Cracker Barrel in the area where gma lives. You can make reservations to have Thanksgiving dinner there. No cooking, no cleaning. You wouldn't have to worry about a ramp. You could just enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together without all the trauma. Holidays can be way too hard on us!
Are you having other people at your home for that day? If it is just you and your husband, how about going instead to her location, taking her to a nice restaurant (which will have a handicap entrance) and enjoying the holiday that way?
Could you convince her to be satisfied with having a "thanksgiving" dinner to celebrate moving closer to you? Even then it might need to be held at an accessible venue.
I don't blame Grandmother for hating her limitations. I'd sympathize with her on that. But she has no cause for hating you, and you have no cause for feeling guilty. It is what it is and we can only do our best to cope.