BEFORE CARE... Make The Call
Is It Time For Assisted Living? How Do You Tell?
When Dad had two angioplasty procedures and gall bladder removal surgery in 1998,, I sensed the time was getting closer. When Mom began to call me several times a week saying, "Please talk to your Father. He's got some idea in his head and I can't talk sense into him," I knew it was just around the corner. When they both landed in the hospital in 1999, Dad with his THIRD open heart surgery and Mom with pneumonia and an enlarged heart, I knew the time had come.
Both of their doctors came to me separately saying, "What are you going to do with your parents? They can't live on their own anymore." I answered without hesitation, "They're coming to live with us." Upon hearing the news, Mom was practically euphoric. Even if she recovered, Dad had become a handful. His dementia was worse than ever after the surgery. He spent an additional recovery month in the Honolulu Veterans Administration Center For Aging, which gave us time to get him and Mom setup at our place. MORE>
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