Senior Health & Aging Support Group
Aging is an important part of all human societies reflecting the biological changes that occur, but also reflecting cultural and societal conventions. There is often considerable social pressure in many societies to sustain denial of the aging process. Join this community to discuss general issues with aging and senior health.
Hello,
Here it is after 2:00 a.m., and i'm still up needing someone to talk to. A little background...I am 67, and suffer from Addison's Disease. I was caregiver for my dad, for over a decade, and he recently passed away. It stated in his will, that my sisters and myself were to sell the family home after he died. We have just put it on the market, and I have been living each day and night with dread.
The cleaning out of a lifetime of belongings, letters, photographs, it overwhelming, and I seem to have gotten that task, since I'm the sister who was living here. But the thing is, I am receiving disability, as I have complications due to the Addison's, and I cannot afford even an efficiency apt. on disability. Affordable housing is lacking where I am, and the wait is between 2 - 5 years!
My younger sister, who has been pushing me to get out before I know where I can live, thinks that I can just take my 1/3 of the money from the sale of the house, and rent an apt. First of all, the house is a fixer-upper, and we owe back taxes. That along with other fees, and how long would I be able to live off of that money? My sisters are going to invest theirs, and i don't want to watch mine drizzle away in paying rent. Then I will be in the very same situation that I am now!
They say that the worst thing for a person who has Addison's, is stress. It is an auto-immune disease, that can attack other parts of the body, and i have been living with this severe anxiety....sometimes it's more like dread.
I know that moving is always hard, physically and emotionally, but when you're packing your things, and you have no place to go...wow. I'm too old for this! At my wit's end. I don't know what I expect that anyone can say to me, because it's a pretty impossible situation, I have reached out to friends and family, but no one offered for me to stay with them. I just had to talk to someone....thank you for letting me do that. There must be an answer, but I don't know what it is.
Judith in Connecticut
Here it is after 2:00 a.m., and i'm still up needing someone to talk to. A little background...I am 67, and suffer from Addison's Disease. I was caregiver for my dad, for over a decade, and he recently passed away. It stated in his will, that my sisters and myself were to sell the family home after he died. We have just put it on the market, and I have been living each day and night with dread.
The cleaning out of a lifetime of belongings, letters, photographs, it overwhelming, and I seem to have gotten that task, since I'm the sister who was living here. But the thing is, I am receiving disability, as I have complications due to the Addison's, and I cannot afford even an efficiency apt. on disability. Affordable housing is lacking where I am, and the wait is between 2 - 5 years!
My younger sister, who has been pushing me to get out before I know where I can live, thinks that I can just take my 1/3 of the money from the sale of the house, and rent an apt. First of all, the house is a fixer-upper, and we owe back taxes. That along with other fees, and how long would I be able to live off of that money? My sisters are going to invest theirs, and i don't want to watch mine drizzle away in paying rent. Then I will be in the very same situation that I am now!
They say that the worst thing for a person who has Addison's, is stress. It is an auto-immune disease, that can attack other parts of the body, and i have been living with this severe anxiety....sometimes it's more like dread.
I know that moving is always hard, physically and emotionally, but when you're packing your things, and you have no place to go...wow. I'm too old for this! At my wit's end. I don't know what I expect that anyone can say to me, because it's a pretty impossible situation, I have reached out to friends and family, but no one offered for me to stay with them. I just had to talk to someone....thank you for letting me do that. There must be an answer, but I don't know what it is.
Judith in Connecticut
I have a friend who has severe diabetes and is on Disability. She has more than one amputation. She has a brand new apartment in a building with other disabled people and these folks pay rent according to what they can afford. It is not "Welfare", It is a program for the disabled. I am not sure just what Addisons is and my laptop is being repaired as I speak so I cannot look it up. My apologies! Please do not give up. See a lawyer if you have to. It seems to me that your siblings are being very selfish! Don't let them get by with this. I will be in touch here after I learn more about how my friend wound up as good as she did! There has to be an answer! What state do you live in? We are in Washington State. ~~Blessings~~ KK
An update is, that my ex husband has offered to let me stay with him, temporarily. I think that is so nice of him, and even though it's not an ideal situation, at least I'll have a place to go. Whew!
I should say that, while one of my sisters has been completely uncaring, the other has flip-flopped from being supportive, to rushing me...and yet, they haven't been helping weed out this house! My family is small, and the ones who have offered to have me live with them, are down South, and I cannot take the heat. But at least I do have a few caring family members.
I am doing my best to look ahead, to when this is all over and done with...it's been one of the hardest times of my life!
KK