My Elderly Mother Want to Return Home-- Alone!

[PeachyMJ]

Since she is having some memory problems, you could still get some great advice and ideas dealing with an elderly parent at the alz site. There are many kinds of dementia.

[lenora]

Here's a recent article from the New York Times describing the role of Geriatric Case Managers. Perhaps it will help those facing a similar dilemma.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/26/he...t.html?_r=1&em

[Bette]

Originally Posted by thrillobyte

Picture this: a son is beneficiary to his mother's estate. He's dispensing her meds. She gets into her pill bottles because she insists on having access to them--non-negotiable. She accidentally overdoes herself and dies. Police investigate and find out the son was dosing the meds. What's to stop them from considering me a suspect and having a smart DA "prove" I was after my mom's inheritance and deliberately overdosed her to get it. Watch some Dateline or 20/20 and you'll see this all the time.

I would worry also. My mother, now 88, had 3 bottles of pills. My sister would go over every day and assist her. My sister kept careful track. One day she gets there and one bottle is totally empty. My mom could not remember if she took them or flushed them down the toilet (her words). My mom has no assets but we worry every day, less now b/c she's living with one of my sisters this month, next month goes to another one.

My FIL is 87, stubborn, broke his hip in April, and now that's another story. He is a good hour from us, hates to pick up the phone and lives in an area that is declining. Once his nicer neighbors move, we'll be in big trouble with him. We would like to move him closer to us but we have missed that window of opportunity. My husband is the only child and did not move fast enough.

Good luck. I would opt for the assisted living. BTW, A Place For Mom is a wonderful firm to deal with. (I just wish we had the monthly funds to come up with it - my mom only gets $726 per month in social security).