Anyone every done this ? My mother in law fell about 6 weeks ago and hit her head and spent the past 6 weeks in the hospital and rehab center. The rehab center recommend she live with us or we live with her or she was going to have to remain in the nursing facility. Her house is twice as big so my wife told her mother if she wanted we would move in to help her. She is in her mid 70's and just barely can walk and we are working to try to eliminate her falls. My wife has done everything the rehab folks suggested to make life easier for her mother. She has Diabetes also so my wife is trying to learn how to cook to keep her blood sugar as level as possible. Any suggestions ? Thanks.
Moving in with elderly parent to help
- Thread starter ElizabethtownHeel
- Start date
My wife did this, though her 80-something mother did not have diabetes. We tried to get her to come stay with us, but 60 or so years in one house had her pretty set to live her life out there. I am not sure what sort of suggestions you are looking for, but I'll offer a couple things we tried to do.
1) Let your mother-in-law retain control over some things. This is partly for continuity for her but also for her dignity. I think it will keep her morale up.
2) Be careful if you start rearranging things. She's probably spent years getting used to things the way they are. But then there are reasons you might want to put an extra chair between her bedroom and the living room--if she has trouble walking, she might need a resting point.
3) You said she has trouble walking, but try to keep her active in some capacity--a ride in the country, take her to a park where there are lots of kids playing, or find some sort of mental stimulation. My M-I-L was a retired elementary school teacher and loved to talk. Visitors and phone calls from friends/family were easy ways to keep her spirits up.
I think the biggest thing (aside from cooking for Diabetes) is to not let her fall into a rut and get discouraged. If she's mentally active, that goes a long way.
Sorry I am just throwing ideas off the top of my head. I might be more help with specific questions. Good luck!
1) Let your mother-in-law retain control over some things. This is partly for continuity for her but also for her dignity. I think it will keep her morale up.
2) Be careful if you start rearranging things. She's probably spent years getting used to things the way they are. But then there are reasons you might want to put an extra chair between her bedroom and the living room--if she has trouble walking, she might need a resting point.
3) You said she has trouble walking, but try to keep her active in some capacity--a ride in the country, take her to a park where there are lots of kids playing, or find some sort of mental stimulation. My M-I-L was a retired elementary school teacher and loved to talk. Visitors and phone calls from friends/family were easy ways to keep her spirits up.
I think the biggest thing (aside from cooking for Diabetes) is to not let her fall into a rut and get discouraged. If she's mentally active, that goes a long way.
Sorry I am just throwing ideas off the top of my head. I might be more help with specific questions. Good luck!
It might be worth seeing whether she qualifies for Home Health care. She would have to get her doctor to refer her to Home Health, but they can send in a physical therapist to continue her rehabilitation and an occupational therapist to help her manage Activities for Daily Living (ADLs) like walking, bathing, toileting, dressing, etc. They can also send a nurse to help her learn how to manage her diabetes better.
Based on her age, I'm assuming she has Medicare. Medicare will pay full freight for a 60-day episode of care. You can't beat free care provided in your own home! She would just have to meet the criteria for homebound status:
----------------------
Criteria One
The patient must either:
Criteria-Two:
There must exist a normal inability to leave home and leaving home must require a considerable and taxing effort.
----------------------
She sounds like a good candidate if she's unable to live alone without support. Home Health isn't a long-term solution, but they can help everyone get settled into new routines and provide you and your wife with a break as caregivers, even if it's only for an hour or two a few times a week.
Here's a link for Home Health Compare, a ratings website provided by Medicare: https://www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
You can use it to compare Home Health agencies in your area based on the services they provide, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. Good luck!
Based on her age, I'm assuming she has Medicare. Medicare will pay full freight for a 60-day episode of care. You can't beat free care provided in your own home! She would just have to meet the criteria for homebound status:
----------------------
Criteria One
The patient must either:
- Because of illness or injury, need the aid of supportive devices such as crutches, canes, wheelchairs, and walkers; the use of special transportation; or the assistance of another person in order to leave their place of residence or
- Have a condition such that leaving his or her home is medically contraindicated.
Criteria-Two:
There must exist a normal inability to leave home and leaving home must require a considerable and taxing effort.
----------------------
She sounds like a good candidate if she's unable to live alone without support. Home Health isn't a long-term solution, but they can help everyone get settled into new routines and provide you and your wife with a break as caregivers, even if it's only for an hour or two a few times a week.
Here's a link for Home Health Compare, a ratings website provided by Medicare: https://www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
You can use it to compare Home Health agencies in your area based on the services they provide, quality of care, and patient satisfaction. Good luck!
Thanks for the replies , I will show them to my wife , the cook , the nurse , the mother , the maid , as she calls her self now. I have told her that she has to allow myself and our 3 teenage kids to help out. Thanks once again.
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