I along with my mom have been caring for my father since 1997. He survived a cardiac arrest which intern has left him with anoxia. Anyway, my mom is now in stage 4 lung cancer. Treatments are no longer controlling the disease she has statred. At the doctors advice, she has started a home health care program provided by Penn Hospital along with Hospic. 1 aide for about an hour a day, to simple help her bathe. A Hospic nurse 2 x's a week to take vitals and help with pain management. Basically, I am the 24/7 main caretaker. REcently divorced and moved back with my parents. (Everything happens for a a reason, right) else wise they would have no care if I didn't live here. My dad needs constant care, bathing, walking (he needs to be ambulated just to use the toilet). My mom has taking care of this for the last 17 yrs. How she did it, I give her all the credit in the world. Anyway with her stage 4 lunch cancer, she herself is in need of care. Spending most days in bed to the sofa in constant pain. My question, I am the primary caregiver now along with trying to run a service type business. (constantly running at 100mph) I cook, clean, give meds etc. I have no health insurance since my divorce and trying to maintain a business and work has becom an incredible task. They really can't be left alone. I have to leave a job, come home prepare and serve a meal then go back to the job. My customers are getting annoyed and don't really care about my personal situations. I have to work and my income has dropped off drastically due to many factors, economy being primary. I be in this business 25 years so it's pretty much all I have done for the greater par of my life. I am no where near retirement age (47) is their anyone out there they may have some solution's to my problems. Such as first I need insurance. I need to keep up with my health. Caregiving as we know is draining both physical, mental, and psychological. It is well noted that caregivers often times become ill due to the fact they become run down. Second, how or where may I find more help with aides and pretty much a baby sitter. They make too much for COSA, but by no means are they well off. Any government programs out there, my mom's father was a WW11 vet. I know I must do what needs to be done, but it is very early in the game and I can already feel the stress building daily. I have 2 siblings one lives 1000 miles away and the other has shown with actions they are not too keen on taking on this responsibility. Any advice would be grealy appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
It takes enormous effort to care for two ailing parents, so you might want to see if you can bring any one of them to a nursing home or any long-term care facility that would cater to their demands and condition.
WHY ARE WE YELLING? :-)