Are you prepared to be a caregiver? Several years ago, my grandmother moved in with us. She has since passed away and I will always remember her with fond memories, however there were times when I wondered if I had taken on too much. I know now that at the time I was not properly prepared to care for her and my family at the same time. At least not without pulling my hair out! It took months for me to catch on and to figure out what I should have done differently in the beginning.
Her move into our house happened suddenly. One minute she was at her house… the next, she was living with us. I didn’t even have time to sit down and properly explain to my son the reasons for the move. For weeks afterwards, it was a major adjustment for him. Sure, he enjoyed every minute spent with her, however I should have explained in the beginning that Grandmother would be living with us and there would be a lot of changes; Meals would be served earlier, bath time changed, Mom was more tired than usual and the television would be turned up as loud as it would go (my grandmother wore a hearing aid).
I never realized how many medications my grandmother took. The first time I took her to a doctor’s appointment I was appalled at the list! I realized then that I should have taken the time to write these items down and how often they were taken. I also needed a list of each doctor and why she was a patient of theirs. Oh boy – I sure did have a lot of catching up to do! And, then there was the issue regarding health insurance. She had health care coverage with three different companies and each one came with a different card and various coverage issues. This was something else that needed to be documented for future appointments. I can’t tell you how many times I was confused when checking out after a doctor’s appointment.
Was I prepared to wake up several times during the night? Yeah right! I had already been through the baby stages with my own son and had finally gotten used to the idea of sleeping through the night. Not any more. Grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s and I’d find her in different rooms, eating who knew what at different times of the night. I finally got smart and installed a baby monitor in her room, as well as a bell on her bedroom door.
If only I had taken the proper preparations early on, I believe things would have gone much smoother during her stay with us. However, we got through it and will always cherish the good times we had together. I do encourage others to take the time and sit down with a list of what will change. Also, make that list of medications, prescriptions, necessary phone numbers, health insurance coverage, allergies (if any) and regular doctors. Although it is time consuming, be prepared to be a proper caregiver. It will save much time in the long run.
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