Kimberly’s mother, Georgia, was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. With the help of long-distance care programs, Kimberly has been able to make big decisions regarding her mother’s diagnosis.

To start, Kimberly decided to become her caregiver for the foreseeable future. To do this, she had to make some major changes to her home to prepare for her mother’s arrival. 

Let’s go through the different steps that Kimberly took to prepare for Georgia’s stay at her home.

Home Safety

Keeping Georgia safe is Kimberly’s main priority. To accomplish this, Kimberly first had to change around her home’s layout. 

By moving her mother onto the first story of her home, Kimberly lowered the possibility of falls on stairs in day-to-day activities. She also rearranged her furniture so pathways could be made from one spot to another without tripping hazards like wires or rugs. Every room was also well-lit, and she ensured chairs had wider armrests to further reduce the risk of falls.

In the kitchen, Kimberly stored knives and other sharp objects in a specific, locked drawer. Under the sink, where she kept cleaning supplies, she also added a lock. Meanwhile, anything that could potentially have harmful chemicals or could start a fire was moved into the garage where her mother didn’t have access.  

Kimberly’s oven dials and outlets had covers while her fridge had a louder door alarm on a shorter timer to prevent it from being left open. If that didn’t work, Kimberly also purchased a fridge lock that she could put on if the need arises.

In the bathroom, she installed new support bars by the toilet and in the shower. Kimberly purchased a shower seat for inside the tub to help with balance. The shower head was also changed to a model with a detachable wand and softer spray, giving Georgia an easier and less startling way to bathe.

Home Caregiving Goals 

After looking over all the changes Kimberly made to her home, some may ask why she would take on this role in the first place. However, to Kimberly, caring for Georgia at home for a time is more beneficial in the long run.

While Georgia is still able to walk, complete simple daily tasks, and doesn’t require excessive hygienic or medical care Kimberly can prepare financially for her mother’s inevitable move into Memory Care. In total, the money Kimberly can save by spending a few years caring for her mother will help later when Georgia needs Assisted Living as well as Memory Care.

Kimberly also wants to be a part of her mother’s medical appointments moving forward. As her mom’s Power of Attorney (POA), Kimberly will be the one managing her mother’s expenses, assets, and medical decisions. By knowing her most recent medical history, Kimberly can better support her mother long-term.

While she knows that there could be unknown expenses, Kimberly feels more comfortable having the ability to create and modify her mother’s environment. This not only includes decisions for bed frames and grab bars but also what Georgia listens to and watches on TV. This can help limit stress that could otherwise occur from shows, movies, news, and radio that could be too violent, loud, or inappropriate.  

Lastly, Kimberly knows that Georgia’s condition is terminal. While Georgia will have years left, Kimberly wants to make sure that much of that time is spent with family and friends who love her. The trust that this will bring between Kimberly and Georgia will help later when she must be moved into Memory Care.

Signs It’s Time for the Next Step

Let’s fast forward a year.  After a year of caring for her mother, Kimberly worries she is beginning to experience caregiver burnout. She finds herself unable to enjoy her past hobbies and social gatherings. She feels an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and helplessness, which is causing her to lose sleep and weight. Overall, Kimberly is exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

While in previous bouts of caregiver burnout, Kimberly was able to find relief by hiring a professional caregiver to take over for a day so she could spend time with her friends. However, after her last vacation with the help of respite care at a local Assisted Living community, Kimberly couldn’t fully recover, leading her to think about her mother and her condition.

Since moving in, Georgia has been having more mobility challenges. She could no longer go up the stairs to take a shower, so Kimberly had to make some renovations to her downstairs bathroom. Georgia is also falling more and occasionally requires a walker which is hard to fit in Kimberly’s already tight home.

However, Kimberly’s worst fear is her mother’s recent eloping. While Georgia cannot walk as well as she could before, Kimberly still finds her trying to leave the house confused. This caused Kimberly to install additional security, but it still wasn’t enough to keep Georgia in the house.

This is when Kimberly knows it’s time for Memory Care and decides to start looking into her options.

In Conclusion

Kimberly had to plan and prepare every room in her house that Georgia would have access to. By doing so, she ensured that her mother had a safe and comfortable place to live. While living together, Kimberly was able to save money and learn more about her mother through caregiving.  

However, when Kimberly started to suffer from caregiver burnout and was no longer able to keep Georgia safely at home, she made the appropriate decision to start looking for Memory Care.

If you are curious about Memory Care, contact 8333-GOT-JOY or fill out our contact form at Inspired-Joy.com. One of our experienced Memory Care experts would be happy to help you navigate the next steps in your own journey.

References:

·      https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/tips-caregivers

·      https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/care-options/in-home-care

·      https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9225-caregiver-burnout