Stories from Caregivers: Sheila from NORTH CAROLINA
NC
Sheila
FROM NORTH CAROLINA
I am a caregiver for my Mother - we live together and have for most of my life. When my father passed away in 1993 things were okay and we were fine. Several years later Mom started having problems with her vision and through the years she has had numerous eye surgery's. Although now legally blind, she gets around okay, but some days are better than others. We have days when she doesn't want to be present because of the fear of not knowing if it will be too dark to see clearly. There are days when she is unable to see a person's face. There are days when I come in from work and have to clean up behind her because she cannot see clearly. There are days when I have to re-wash the dishes because they are still dirty. After she has eye surgery, I have to administer her eye drops and am usually off work for a few days before I feel she is comfortable enough to be at home alone. There are other ailments that come with age and it shows nearly everyday. I am now my Mother's POA and have taken over paying her bills and talking to her doctors. I, or my sister, take her to most of her doctor appointments - other times it's a trusted family friend or neighbor. This past year we finally gave up her drivers license, as she is no longer able to drive. It was a sad day for all of us - but we made it a great day. My Mother is independent and misses gardening and walking in the neighborhood more often, but she does still garden - well, I do most of it and she reaps the rewards! My sister is a big help as the years have gone on and Mom looks forward to her Saturday ALL DAY shopping trips with my sister - my day off. There are certainly good and bad days and yes, I worry about the future sometimes, but mostly we have each other and we have great times. My Mom just celebrated her 78th birthday - see attached pic!
