Groups > Caring for Aging Parents

This part of life stinks.

My Ma had a routine of putting her bills in a drawer then taking them out on "bill day" and paying them. At some point the process broke down and she would put the bills in the drawer but the link broke to take them out and pay them. I started getting calls that they were about to turn her electricity off and stuff like that. Since she didn't pay her newspaper bill it stopped coming so she started accusing her neighbor of stealing it. When I finally travelled the 2,000 miles to check her situation out I found the drawer with the bills full to the point they were falling out the back and down under the dresser ! That was the most shocking visit I had ever had. I found many other things I just won't go into. The good part is that I was able to become guardian rather quickly and was able to convince her to come with me to visit doctors here. That was just my ploy to get her here and was able to get her into a residential care program. She's passed away now but I can look back at some of the situations and laugh now but it was one of the hardest things I had ever been though. Without the loving support of the nurses and aides at the care center I don't know how I would have coped with it. We get done taking care of the kids and then have to take care of the parents. It helped me to be thankfull for how she took care of me and be able to return the favor......

Bless you Robert, But so many children forget the above statement! I am very lucky to have children like you!

Has your father had a physical examination lately? I say that because my husband's symptoms get worse whenever he gets a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Also, what medications is he on? Some of them have unexpected effects. My husband couldn't take Detrol.

Just some thoughts that might help you. Good luck.

Thx, Arlene. Sorry I haven't checked back for so long. He's a lot better now and appears to have his household stuff under control, though he still forgets a word here and there and repeats stories a hundred times. There's a new "problem" though -- one for me, not him. I'll do a new post.