Posted by Rosie on January 18, 2010
Ok, this baby boomer now has a serious goal, live long life and keep going strong. Of course this is rather unusual so yes, I am glad to live what ever life God grants me and live it to the fullest.
I just read this story about a woman who is 107 years old in Newark, NJ. She is from Georgia, just like my mom. So, of course before I posted this I spoke to my 82 year old mom and shared the highlights. We all need encouraging.
I also hope that her senior housing complex has a full time social worker. They have been missing on a full time basis in Newark Housing complexes for a while now. Caregiving families need the advice and support when trying to keep their loved one OUT OF a nursing home for as long as they can.
This woman does have good support with her grandchildren. And it is a good reminder to us all to talk with our families to share in the support needed in caregiving. Of course I read it wishing I had had children to help me in providing support for my mom. But God has been good and when I have strength and a great homemaker life can rock.
Read this encouraging story about a 107 year old woman living in Newark, NJ. Tell me what you think. I was encouraged. Also, encourage families to sacrifice some time to visit when they can. Remember baby boomers our time is coming. Ha!
Posted by Rosie on July 15, 2009
Taking Care of an Aging Parent
My name is Mariah Kissel and I love my mother. She has always been there for me. I was never a sweet little girly girl , and as teenage daughters go, lets just say my parents had there hands full. My mom and dad where constantly fixing my mistakes and covering my butt. When I was in the sixth grade, my class was going to put on a show for the PTA. It was a medley of songs from the Sound of Music. Everyone in our class got to be in the show but only a few were selected to be a Von Trapp child. My teacher was picking the last Von Trap girl and it was between myself and one other student. She told us to bring in a costume on Thursday and she would pick the girl with the best one. Well, of course I waited to tell my mother the costume part until Wednesday night. “If I dont get this part I will die.” Yes I was a mellow dramatic child. I think I cried myself to sleep that night because my mother didn’t rush out to find the perfect dress for me. The next morning I woke up and there it was. The perfect dress hanging on my bedroom door. My mother had stayed up all night sewing together this amazing costume out of scrap fabrics she had laying around her craft room. I got the part in that show because of her talents, not mine.
My mother was always doing things like that for my sister and I. I cannot think of one major event in my life that she wasn’t a part of . When I wanted to move to California she helped me find an apartment and helped pay the bills for said apartment. A year later when I called, begging her to come get me because I couldn’t take LA anymore, she drove four hours in a U-Haul with my dad, packed me up and moved me back to Las Vegas and back into her house. That was just the first of many, many, many times that I would move back in with dear old mom and dad. She was there when I got married and when I got divorced. This amazing woman was even in the delivery room when I had both my children. Katelin in 94 and Jacob in 96. she was the best grandmother. I never had to buy a Halloween costume for my children. Whatever they wanted to be she would make it happen. They were her pride and joy. Even when I told her I was once again getting married, she helped plan the most exquisite wedding. I guess you could say she was as perfect a mom as you can get. She was my best friend.
I Never thought in a million years that all of that care, love, happiness and friendship could be gone in an instant. So when I got that call, that devastating call. The one that said my mother was sick, confused and alone. The call that said she would need 24 hour care for the rest of her life, I can honestly say that there was no hesitation in making my decision. A decision that would change both her life and mine. My mother spent 35 years taking care of me and it was time for me to return the favor. I became my mother’s caregiver right then and there. Caring for a sick aging parent is the hardest thing I will probably ever have to do, but no matter how hard it can get I wouldn’t change my decision to take care of the woman who always took care of me.
In my blog, you will get a glimpse of what it is like to be Judy’s caregiver and daughter. The good, the bad, the funny…The not so funny. I’m not here to give great advice, all though I might try from time to time. I’m just here to let the hundreds of thousands of sons and daughters taking care of their parents know that they are not alone.
Posted by Rosie on January 16, 2009
Our grandchildren can help us with a really simple and technical task that can help any of us doing caregiving. What is it you are wondering? Well, if your grandchildren have an Ipod, Itouch or IPhone ask them to import your written list of medicines into your Ipod, Itouch or IPhone if you don’t know how to do it.
This will enable you to do several things:
- Quickly retrieve the number of the medicines when you need refills and away from the house.
- Share this information with health personal when needed.
- Electronically send the information to whoever you give permission to have it.
Does this make any viable sense?
Can this be a way to involve members of our family in learning about different phrases of responsiblity? I wonder.
Any other suggestions?
I have an IPod and hubby has a ITouch so we plan to do it ourselves or refer to sombody’s grandchild. (Smile)
Posted by Rosie on December 23, 2008
More and more baby boomers are now providing care to their parents or other loved ones. Yet, we often neglect ourselves. As I got my mind into mental preparation for the holiday I am faced including the routine duties of providing care to my mom. As the only child I have resigned myself to just getting the job done.
Yet, today as I included additional tasks like taking stool samples to the testing lab, picking up her medicine, trying to decide when I would bake holiday cookies and locking in a time to pick up my own medicine I turned to humor as a survival mechanism.
When I went to the lab for additional instructions, and hoping she would allow me to unload the two days worth of samples I had already taken, I gave the technician a Hersey chocolate. I told her that this would be a reminder of my sample dropoff scheduled for the next day. I then joked about providing stool collection samples for caregivers. I said, “I only knew about using double gloves from CSI,” We both laughed and I left to complete more errands before I went shopping, return home to pick up my purse with the drivers license I forgot, grap a sandwich and write this quick post before I am off again. (Who said this was a vacation day?)
The laughter and prior prayer for help was part of my survival. If I did not do it I just knew I would be destined to spend time in some facility until my insurance kicked me out. Of course I am not going into all the related details leading up to the stool samples nor the final exciting process of collecting them in tnose vials. Thank goodness I did not have one with the white top that needed refrigeration.
But my point is I am not alone. Many baby boomers are finding ways of coping with caregiving even if they have other folks to help in the process. So please share them as a comment to this post. It not only will help me but I am just sure it will help someone else.
Stories are also welcomed.
Meanwhile, have a blessed Holiday season. I really do hope I can squeeze in a Zumba class after I see my mom this evening. But I did say I was baking tonight or should I clean. I also need to cook meals for mom and home. etc, etc Better to blog, Ha~Who knows got to stay flexible. I guess she had to when raising me.
Don’t forget to leave your survivial tips.
