Assisted Living Mobile AL
Gina was having the most difficult time convincing her mother to look into assisted living. She had been supporting her mother for more than a year. They had been close most of Gina’s life and she lived in the same town. When her mother had a major medical emergency and spent more than two weeks in the hospital, Gina never thought twice about being there for her.
Assisted Living
They had heard about other types of elder care, but with Gina’s schedule and availability, it seemed to make sense that she support her. Over time, though, the challenges increased. The burdens on her time also changed. Gina was finding herself running ragged, getting less and less sleep, feeling worn down as she approached 50, and ready for other options.
She knew something had to change. She tried talking to her mother about assisted living, but no matter what she did, and even though her mother was seemingly more open to hearing about assisted living, she never agreed to commit.
Gina got the sense that her mother was simply pacifying her. As her time constraints mounted, so did the stress she felt every day. It reached a point where Gina started snapping at her mother for things she had no business getting upset about. Then her mother was getting angry right back at her.
She Didn’t Know What To Do
The last thing she wanted was to leave her mother alone for too long. But what was she to do? Her mother needed help mostly in the evenings and during the overnight hours. Gina worried that her mother would try to use the bathroom without help and could slip and fall.
She just couldn’t keep going at this pace. Not for much longer. Thankfully, she stumbled across an option and began investigating. Within a couple of weeks, Gina talked to her mother about respite care at assisted living.
“Mom,” Gina said one afternoon while they sat at the kitchen table, having finished all of the chores they needed to take care of together. “You can spend the nights at this local assisted living facility. I could pick you up in the morning. You can come back here and spend the day. It solves both of our problems.”
As soon as Gina said the word “problems” she regretted it, but her mother understood what she was talking about. Her mother knew how much stress her daughter was under just looking after her, but she was also afraid. She was afraid of being alone. She was afraid of change. She was afraid of the unknown.
Respite Care
Gina’s mother agreed to give it a try. They found a local assisted living facility that had availability for those overnight stays. Gina dropped her mother off in the late afternoon or early evening hours, when she had the time after work, and her mother would spend time there, getting to meet some of the residents, enjoying some good movies and other entertainment, taking part in some evening activities, and then sleeping in a room surrounded by experienced staff members able and willing to help if she needed support.
Gina would pick her mother up in the morning, bring her home, and they did this routine for several weeks when Gina’s mother finally said she was ready to make a full-time commitment to this facility.
About Cindy Johnson
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