I woke up with my Mom on my mind this morning and I was over whelmed with deep sadness. She is beginning to grieve for the loss of personal control and familiar surroundings, an inevitability that comes with aging and loss of health. My step dad can no longer consider staying at home as he requires more of a full time caring presence and approaching them both with nursing home options has not been received well. As I told my Mom, “we can’t change what is happening to you. You can choose the facility you want to live in, you can choose what to do with your home and possessions, but you can’t choose to live alone.”
I said a prayer of thanks for the contribution my parents have made to my life and I know that thanksgiving moments will ease all of us into another tide of change which continues to honor, love and cherish them.
copyright Es-tee Miller
“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” ..Andy Rooney
My wife and I are in the same phase of life with our parents. Good luck.
Thank you… and to you as well!
I was so blessed that my Mom chose to move into Assisted Living after my dad passed, as she hated eating alone each day. She made friends quickly in her new living arrangements and her last years were filled with friends and activities. It made it so much easier for us, her family, to know that she was surrounded by friends and caregivers each day as well as our regular family visits. I hope that your Mom and Step-dad are able to come to see that there are advantages to looking at various alternatives and making the best decisions for themselves. I hope that I will be able to make choices for myself when the time comes, rather than put my family in a difficult position to have to make choices for me. All the very best to you and your family, Estee!
Thanks Sheila.