Mom is needing more and more support as she ages. She'll be 95 this year and has always been in good health. However, her balance deteriorated a year ago so we added a handhold on the left kitchen doorjamb for the slight step down to put on her slippers.
That worked great for a while.
But now we found she was putting all her weight on the door handle for more support. This could be a bit precarious if she pushed on the swinging door.
Sooo... We had to add another handhold on the right side.
Life is full of modifications and adjustments now in our caregiving.
I wonder what the next change will be.
Clever - watching to see where the potential future hazards may be hiding!
ReplyDeletececi
Kay of Musings: And yet… she’s taken several falls anyway and injured herself. But amazingly, she’s recovered quickly. Just amazes everybody!
DeleteKay, you are a wonderful daughter. I still miss my mom. She passed at 94 from Alzheimer's... but she lived with us for 14 years before that.
ReplyDeleteShe is doing so well
ReplyDeleteGod bless you folks 🙏🏽
ReplyDeleteMy mom is 4 months from 91. Husband in 80's so I can relate. The only choice to my mind is to enjoy everyday and make it as smooth as I possibly can. I refuse to go down any dark alleys in my mind. Just appreciated everything as much as I can. Aloha from townside
That's an excellent adaptation! My mom really needs a shower bar; I'm not sure how to get one installed into tile.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: You could ask John to do it. Or perhaps Home Depot could direct you to a handyman. Art was able to put up our shower safety bars on all our bathrooms.
DeletePlease tell your Mom I said hello! Tell her she is receiving more love from another KAY, this one from Georgia. xx
ReplyDeleteShe is so blessed to have you and Art anticipating and providing for her. I can imagine how it will soon be me that needs this kind of attention and care. Kind of scary.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: It’s scary for me too because both our kids live so far away.
DeleteIt is so good that Art is so talented and able to make the adjustments.
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you are recognizing her needs and that she is using the modifications well to keep herself safe.
ReplyDeleteWe have made a few modifications here as well for my similar issues and I am not quite 80.
She may require more help, but she is quite a marvel.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing well, watching out for her and modifying her surroundings as needed.
ReplyDeleteI know the balance challenge. It's not fun. The risk is falling. I hope your Mom doesn't take a fall.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful adapting for her needs. I know it's against tradition, but can your Mom put her shoes on while inside, instead of trying to put them on as she's stepping down? But I think the handles are good for either direction. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThat would be a great idea but it would be hard to do in that small space in our kitchen. She would also be upset about leaving outside slippers in the house. It goes against her upbringing.
DeleteOh, what a chuckle: not just a Hawaii thing, it's a long-time childhood thing to keep your outdoor slippers outside. Do you have handles on each side of the entry into her shower area? Not just the handles inside the washing area, but the area where she's stepping in and out. You probably already know that the bars used in shower areas should be the type with etching into the metal, because the handle is stll slippery if you need to catch yourself with a soapy hand. I'm betting you are right there helping these days with shower tasks. You two have done wonderful taking care of her! Linda in Kansas
DeleteI think that it is wonderful that you both are so attentive and can see what she needs right away. I remember working with a woman who was so upset with her mother. She refused to go upstairs and the woman needed her to begin using the stairs. She'd had a fall, broken a hip and it was part of her home therapy, to be able to go up and down those stairs. I listened to her getting more and more upset with her mother's 'stubborness'. I said, "Does the stairs have a handrail on both sides?" She said that they did not. I said, "Well, your mom has had a bad fall, broken a hip and is probably terrified that she might fall again. Talk to her about this. She did. Problem solved. I just found it strange that she could not see what her mother needed.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Oh wow! We don’t allow mom to use the stairs at our house at all, even with handrails on both sides… unless we’re right behind her. She hurt her knees on the stairs a long time ago and we don’t want to take the chance of it happening again. Even at just a few months away from 95, she is remarkably mobile. Whenever we take her to the hospital for check-ups, people stop and actually ask us how she does it.
DeleteThe daughter worked full time. The mother was in a nursing home and wanted to come home. She could not come home until they were sure she could manage the stairs. Dementia was not her problem. Mobility issues.
DeleteDementia is just the worst. Sigh...
DeleteI think you are right. I pray my body does not outlive My brain.
DeleteYour mom is amazing. And I'm glad she is still as ambulatory as she is at her age! I wonder if I will be that good. Wait, I'd be blind as a bat if I lived that long, so I don't think I want to. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou both work so hard for your mom. Good for you. What precious times.
ReplyDeleteYes, modifications for elders and children. We put in a wooden block so that our daughters could reach a door handle. I broke my toe on it, absently hurrying.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment I am researching 'Rollators' that we tottery folk can use to get out and about. I will share anything that looks useful. I am looking for as light a weight as possible, but that equates to price.
Oh, Kay, it is commendable that you are both so alert and take care of every need of your Mom. Reminded me of the time my ma-in-law moved around and we had railings everywhere in the house and it sure helped. She is 101 now and not so mobile.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Wow! She’s 101! That’s awesome! My uncle (my mother’s sister's husband) is 104 which is so amazing to me. The problem is the dementia. It’s so hard…. Mom at almost 95 is fast losing her ability to remember things.
DeleteYour Mom is a very special lady, and the way you and Art take care of her is beyond admirable. I can see putting more safety handles around here. It would be better to fix them now than later.
ReplyDeleteI do think you are doing well, watching out for her and modifying her surroundings as required.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
PS You recently asked had I seen/watched the series Mr.Bates vs. the Post Office.
No, I haven't but of course it has been major news and yes, a horrible thing to happen.
Many have said 'worst miscarriages of justice in British history'.