My mother turned 88 10/25/07. Until very recently she was living alone in her home and still driving. The DVM graced her with a renewed license in the spring so she thought she was good to go. Unfortunately she had a number of small accidents doing minor damage to the car. She seemed to be doing OK. I flew to NC the first part of Oct. to check on her. ... Her forgetfulness had increased and her appearance had declined along with her weight. I finally convinced her to get the First Alert pendent so if she fell she would have a way of summoning help.... I flew home thinking I had damned up the hole in the dyke so to speak. The next weekend my uncle stopped by for a visit. On Sunday I got a call from him telling me my mother had fallen in the night. I directed him to take her to the emergency room after questioning him about her responses. ..... It was this small but significant crisis that led to my brother driving from Atlanta and for me to fly to NC again. In a week we secured an assisted living apartment and on 11/1, I moved my mother in. ... Without the help of Aging Outreach Agency, the gifted people at the residence, the doctors, lawyers and others, I would not have been able to do this. ... This was the single most gut wrenching, stress filled experience of my life. Placing my once tall, vibrant, classy mother in a facility where she is a frail, little older lady who is totally dependent now. .... I know I am not unique, but no one or nothing could have prepared me for this. .... Once into it, there is no guide to tell you what to do. I just ran in my little rented car back and forth and did whatever that had to be done. Never eating and hardly sleeping and not thinking about anything but my mother.....Guess what. She seems to like it there. She's gained some weight back and has some people to talk with and share a meal. .... Am flying back this Wed. to return a cell phone I foolishly thought she could use. Way too complicated. I also have to return the alert pendent and have the locks changed. I found one door that would not lock so I had to barricade the door from the inside and let the police know that house was unoccupied. .... Unknown to my brother and me, our mother was saving magazines and printed stuff she thought was important, like annual reports. I also have to deal with bags of trash from having gone through papers and drawers of stuff. .... selling the car and then the house will follow in due time. But the most important part has been dealt with. Securing a safe place for my mother and peace of mind for me.
