Changes In Plans

2010-06-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

We went to visit my mother-in-law over the weekend. She was happily surprised. We were happy to be able to do it. We spoke with her about her living situation as well as other issues. She informed us that she has a plan in place for staying in Oklahoma. I left relieved but also concerned. The relief was that she was feeling better and happy to be where she was. The concern was that her plans may not be realistic.

As I sit here previewing my last post, I contemplated closing the blog. Then I realized that the need is still there. Whether it is next week or a couple of months or years from now. We cannot move to Oklahoma. And perhaps we should know what the steps are in the event she does come to Missouri. And I know that there is not an all-in-one resource bank for me to go to find out what we need to know.

Thus, I will continue with my research. I will continue compiling and writing out what we need to know. And perhaps, if you have found my articles, it will help you on your journey to assisting your aging loved ones discover Liberty wherever you are.

How To Proceed - Understanding Where We Are Today

2010-06-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

I got a call the other day from my mother-in-law. She was distraught over current circumstances. She is living alone in an apartment and she is disabled. She is also elderly. She has few visits. She is house-bound. And life is very stark in comparison to even a year ago.

We have invited her to come live with us. We live in Missouri, she lives in Oklahoma. She is used to having a large place to call her own. She stated that as long as she is able she will not be living with any of her children.

I know I am now joining the more than 30% of Americans providing support to an aging loved one. The very thought is daunting to me. Especially because of the roads we have traversed as a family in the last 10 years.

But, I know that I am not alone. Just a simple google search shows me that there are more than 614,000 sites that can assist me. That is even more daunting to me. Thankfully, I work as a marketing contractor for a Homecare Supply company. Through that relationship, I've seen the positive impact they've had on the lives of family caregivers. I am beginning this journey with a basic understanding of products, the aging industry and a general idea of where to start my research. However, I am realizing how much more overwhelming this must be for a person who has no idea where to start. So, I've decided to pay it forward and chronicle the journey on this blog. If it helps one person on their own journey - including my family - then it is worth it. Plus, I often think best when I am writing.

I began yesterday by jumping in with both feet. First, I contacted Senior Services in the county we live. We live in Clay County Missouri. Almost every county across the United States has a Senior Services or Aging Services Division. Here is Missouri's Directory: http://moaging.com/Public/Directory.aspx.

Then I contacted MARC - Mid-America Regional Counsel Aging Services. They were very helpful and will be sending me a packet of information for Clay County. Included will be apartment options for her.

On another note, my mother has been really struggling with staying connected to everyone. So, I have set her up with a Facebook account. She already has a limited understanding of email. This enabled me to walk her through how to use the Facebook account. I logged in to help her with requesting friendships for her sisters and family members. She is really excited to have another way to keep in contact. And her mind is off her infirmities and pain.

One step forward. And I found a couple of resources that I bookmarked for later. I'll post all the relevant ones that I find.

Liberty - For Our Aging Parents

Changes In Plans

How To Proceed - Understanding Where We Are Today