Sunday, November 2, 2008

A Difficult Transition

Both my cousin and the doctor had told me that they thought Dad was no longer able to live on his own. Dad has Alzheimer's disease, which to this point primarily impacted his memory. On my recent trip back to Iowa to see him, I concluded that my cousin and the doctor were correct. He was making mistakes with his medicines, not eating properly, physically challenged by everyday tasks.

We identified assisted care as the best option, since they oversee his medicines, prepare his meals, and provide basic housekeeping tasks like cleaning and laundry.

Dad disagreed that assisted care was needed, which made the transition more difficult. Fortunately, he did participate in choosing the facility and in selecting the furniture, pictures, and other items for his assisted living apartment. After about six weeks, he seems quite happy, enjoying the company provided by the other residents as well as the meals.

1 comment:

Faye said...

Hi GMWC--glad to see this new post. Have been wondering how life was treating you these past few months. Check your other blog periodically to get your take on the election.

Very sorry to hear that your Dad is fighting such a heartbreaking disease. It must be such a challenge to have to try to support him long distance. Over the past few months I've had to move an older sister to Louisville to be near me because of her health and caregiving needs. Don't need to tell you how rough this is since you're in the middle of it.

Don't forget to take care of yourself in the midst of all this. Good luck.