Nancy
Well-Known Member
We all know that the Long Term Care system in Canada has been crumbling. Let me tell you our experience with our Mom. When I brought her to the Geriatric Clinic last November, the doctor was quite adamant that she be put on the waiting list for Long Term Care. My sisters weren't ready to do that, so we had a tense few weeks until I just decided to go with the flow. This spring, they decided it was time. But, of course, there is a process. The process involves getting home care 6 days a week. Mom needs various aspects of care from 7:00 a.m. in the morning until 10:00 p.m. at night...eye drops, meals, bath, laundry, meds, exercise, severe hemorrhoid care, doctor/specialist/eye doctor visits. She is legally blind and has no memory or recognition of who she should know or not know. Which is dangerous when she is alone in the house and someone knocks on the door. Home care decided that they will come 6 days a week for anywhere between half an hour to almost two hours. It is never the same time, and rarely the same person. They call my sister at work to find out what to do although she has told them not to call her at work. She has left ample instruction. They once came at 8:00 to give Mom a bath, and they said they were scheduled for half an hour. Mom gets up at 9:00. A friend, who is a retired PSW, comes two days a week to do lunches with mom; otherwise it is my sisters or me. When the sister Mom lives with goes away (three times so far this summer), my other sister moves in with Mom...leaving her family of 6 to their own devices, and going home to a lot of catch-up work. I am dealing with health concerns. The 'people I live with' (which is how Mom refers to her youngest daughter and her husband) both work full-time. My brother-in-law has cancer too. As does my husband.
The powers that be have decided a few times that Mom is not in immediate need of long term placement. We have been doing a good job, and are trying to be pre-emptive as we foresee a time we might not be able to do such a good job. Her name has been put on a list just recently, but .... maybe a year long wait. She can afford a private room so that might speed things up a bit. (Yay for selling the farm!)
I listened to the news last night where the state of long term care was being discussed...especially how those who would have more easily got in a few years ago, are now on long wait-lists.
So...just thought I'd let everyone know what some of us are facing when we are trying to do the best for our loved ones, while also taking care of ourselves.
The powers that be have decided a few times that Mom is not in immediate need of long term placement. We have been doing a good job, and are trying to be pre-emptive as we foresee a time we might not be able to do such a good job. Her name has been put on a list just recently, but .... maybe a year long wait. She can afford a private room so that might speed things up a bit. (Yay for selling the farm!)
I listened to the news last night where the state of long term care was being discussed...especially how those who would have more easily got in a few years ago, are now on long wait-lists.
So...just thought I'd let everyone know what some of us are facing when we are trying to do the best for our loved ones, while also taking care of ourselves.
