Stories from Caregivers: Shari from CALIFORNIA
CA
Shari
FROM CALIFORNIA
My Mother Sylvia and brother Brian live in the family home together with a 24/7 caretaker. I am the total decision maker for the family. My father Joe passed away June 2012 and my brother Brian had lived independently. When my father Joe passed I told my brother I would take him to dinner at least once a week. Well, I was so pleased I made that decision because one afternoon six months after my father Joe passed my mom was getting off the couch and could not move my brother called me. I live a mile and a half away I told him to call 911. I called my former husband Raphael who meet me at the family home. Well LAFD came to the house and she was rushed to the hospital for a massive stroke. She survived after months of therapy and exercise she recovered. Thankfully my brother lived with her. A serious incident happened again - a serious fall. I got a call from LAFD that my Mom refused to go to the hospital I was out with my brother Brian former husband Raphael and current husband Harold and it was serious. Mom fell off a bench putting on some socks. She slipped and fell and wrenched her back and hit her head. She was hallucinating and had severe back pain. She spent five nights in the hospital I stayed with her and she never recovered after six weeks of rehab. The rehab would not let her go home without a 24/7 caretaker. After interviewing several agencies, my husband Harold and I used to be the caretakers. I work part time and my husband Harold was laid off at the time. A miracle happened two days later. My neighbor was a visiting nurse and referred me to her church friend who had an agency. Well, after an interview I hired the agency to give me two caretakers. My mom returned to the family home and this was three years ago. I feel blessed the ladies take wonderful care of my Mom. One is from the agency the other one is a referral from the caretaker. The agency is necessary because if a caretaker gets ill or needs a vacation the agency gives you a substitute. One day the caretaker got seriously ill and in the middle of the weekend one afternoon I had to take the caretaker to the ER. The agency had the sub at the house immediately. I sell insurance and I tell people to get long term care insurance because care is not cheap. I am blessed to have two wonderful caretakers for my Mom and a brother.
