Stories from Caregivers: Ann from ARKANSAS
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Ann
FROM ARKANSAS
I have been taking care of my mom for about 10 years or more. She is now 74. I have 1 brother who is disabled in Mississippi and does what he can to help. And I have a brother here when refuses to help. I have some assistance with a wonderful adult daycare where mom goes so I can keep my full time job and working on getting some part time assistance to help with mom's adl.Befor mom started progressing she lived alone with her 3 dogs and cat. She got to where she was not eating and I discovered she was feeding all her food to her dogs and cat. My brother and his wife lived next door so I paid them 200 a month to buy food and to make sure she ate I went by her house twice a day to give med and check on her. On weekends I would bring her to our house. For some reason she kept loosing weight. I then discovered my brother and his wife were fixing the food but the just took a plate over saying mom did not want to come over and she was still feeding her pets and they were taking some of the money for them to go out to eat on weekends and to play poker with their friends. I came over one evening and they passed me leaving. I walked in mom's and saw her limping I asked what had happened she stated she fell. Turned out she had broke her foot. That is when she moved in with us. It's hard at times due to personality changes and not able to take a break every so often but we are managing. Sometimes words are said from both of us but it's been that way all my life. She is slowly progressing and has even fallen resulting in a broke pelvis. Caregivers need more support and a break every now and then. It's a thankless job but placed in a nursing home is the begging of the end in most places. Even being a nurse it's hard at times.
