My husband had a stroke in 2009 and recently fell and broke his hip. I am 70 years old and I have health issues that make it difficult for me to care for him at home. Before the broken hip, he was living at home with me (helped by 4 hours per week from home health aides). He is wheel-chair bound and he is 74 years old.
WARNING! The SW may try to pressure you into bring him back home. They may try to make you feel guilty for not complying with their request. Do not fall for it, you will need to stand firm. Call Adult Protective Services and the Area Agency on Aging for additional help!
Once you've made that clear, then the next step is how to get him into a situation (whether with home care or an assisted living or skilled nursing facility) where he can get the care he needs. Your financial resources will determine the first step. If you can afford (and he is appropriate for) assisted living, then start shopping. Problem solved. If finances are not sufficient for him to be in AL and you to continue to have enough money to live on, then it becomes more complicated and a lot depends upon which state you're in.
Get with the social worker quickly and hash all of this out.
Do not take on more care than you should try to handle! Sorry to be blunt, but it will kill you and your husband will keep on chugging along. I've seen it happen many, many times. The caregiver dies before the patient.
If retirement funds aren't available, then hubby can apply for Medicaid and move into a continuing care facility, and if there is a senior apartment complex in the same area where the rent charged depends on your income. That way you can go and visit hubby, have meals with him, etc.
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Virtual Library
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