watched my mom die last June, she was 92 and lived a good life. But it really made look back on my life and appreciate the life that we do have/had and how fragile it is. Mortality is a funny thing.
yes it certainly changes the way you look at life. My father had a 24/7 caregiver living with him and 3 others that worked with him before he needed 24/7 care. we were incredibly lucky in how well they took care of him. I used to talk with them also about how watching him decline made us all look at life differently. His last few years, he didn't know who we were anymore and most of his sentences when he spoke ended in gibberish. He needed a special lift to get out of bed and then dropped into his recliner. It was horrible, but again he had just the nicest most caring women taking care of him. thank God.
My Mom had partial care at home. she wouldn't except 24/7 care. She couldn't get along with anyone and people kept quitting. I would get calls just about every day with some issue with my mother. this went on for 2 -3 years. then , when she was alone, she would call the ambulance to come take her to the hospital for no reason. she didn't want to be alone but wouldn't except a live in, plus no one could stand just the few hours a day with her. she has anxiety, depression, personality disorder... so when she would go off the wall, it was really really bad.
the last time she called the ambulance, the ER doctor told be to put her in a nursing home cause he had had enough of her wasting his time. he sent her to rehab at one and I ended up keeping her there after she admitted that she wanted to stay. of course once I committed to leaving her and started all the title 19 stuff in motion and selling her condo, she then wanted to go home and would yell at me for locking her in a bed where she would just wait to die. this went on for a couple months. then she made friends with another old lady and ever since she has been happy. Bad thing is mom is 79 and the other women is 92 and mom keeps telling me that her friend probably won't outlive her and then what will she do? for now shes happy. I just about never hear from her and the only time I can call her is 9am or 9pm because she always hangs out in the common room.
anyway, yes, mortality is a funny thing
