Caring For Aging Parents Support Group
Caring for aging parents can be a difficul time as we become the caretakers for our parents. This broad responsibility can encompass such services as assisted living, adult day care, long term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and in-home care. Whether you have just started caring for your parents or just need a place to talk, we're here.
Here's a cautionary tale of what happens when the stress of caring for our parents becomes too much. Saturday at work I suddenly experienced vertigo and ended up in ER. At the time, I thought it was a stroke. I remember what went through my mind the moment it happend. I have nursing school training so I did have an idea of what to expect during a stroke.
I remember telling my coworkers that I was dizzy and that I could see out of only one eye. The room was spinning at the time. I told them to call 911 and then I had them to check to see if I were smiling normally and stuck out my hands to see if they were straight. All the time that this was going on I thought of how stupid I'd been. I know the risks of being overweight under the stress I've been under. I knew my blood pressure needed to be lowered. And I knew that my blood pressure was high because of all the arguing I'd gone through with my father who could care less whether I live or die.
By the time the ambulance arrived the dizzyness was lessening. At the hospital they checked me for stroke and heart attack and found I was okay. But my blood pressure had spiraled to 180/104. Now that's high.
And it was high because just the night before my father had picked yet another argument with me.
Anyhow my coworkers called to tell him what happened. Of course at the time they had no idea if I'd had a stroke. What he said to them shocked them. "She'll be okay." He was calm while he said this.
He did call the hospital to see if I were still breathing. He did invite me to get a cab to come out to his house. But of course I didn't. I went home. Now I'm on a diet(no more stress eating) and I'm practising yoga. And no, I'm not visiting him. Because if I'd died Saturday night, who would visit him?
Please, everybody, take care of yourself. Don't let the curelty of our parents take our lives away. Let's turn them over to God or a nursing home and move on. Let's be there to listen to them, but when they become cruel, walk away. Walk away while you still can.
Tru
I remember telling my coworkers that I was dizzy and that I could see out of only one eye. The room was spinning at the time. I told them to call 911 and then I had them to check to see if I were smiling normally and stuck out my hands to see if they were straight. All the time that this was going on I thought of how stupid I'd been. I know the risks of being overweight under the stress I've been under. I knew my blood pressure needed to be lowered. And I knew that my blood pressure was high because of all the arguing I'd gone through with my father who could care less whether I live or die.
By the time the ambulance arrived the dizzyness was lessening. At the hospital they checked me for stroke and heart attack and found I was okay. But my blood pressure had spiraled to 180/104. Now that's high.
And it was high because just the night before my father had picked yet another argument with me.
Anyhow my coworkers called to tell him what happened. Of course at the time they had no idea if I'd had a stroke. What he said to them shocked them. "She'll be okay." He was calm while he said this.
He did call the hospital to see if I were still breathing. He did invite me to get a cab to come out to his house. But of course I didn't. I went home. Now I'm on a diet(no more stress eating) and I'm practising yoga. And no, I'm not visiting him. Because if I'd died Saturday night, who would visit him?
Please, everybody, take care of yourself. Don't let the curelty of our parents take our lives away. Let's turn them over to God or a nursing home and move on. Let's be there to listen to them, but when they become cruel, walk away. Walk away while you still can.
Tru
there is a great book by a guy named Jim Comer( he has a web site and you can get the book there called "when roles reverse") about care giving to your parents. he had to do it alone too and care for both of them at the same time. it was life changing of course. ( as we are finding out) no one prepares us for this phase of life and it is time we took that action. It is a hard journey and when we take on thier ills and the stress of not being in control we have to learn to "let it go" and just do the nod and smile... it is a hard action to practice, i can assure you. hang in there and know you can count on those like me to listen.
REmember to
Healing hugs, Marci