I’m 24 and I take care of both my elderly parents. Between both of them, their doctor appointments & physical therapy appointments fill up my calendar. They have appointments five days out of the week.
This has been going on for two years already. The elderly services in my state only provide transportation if the individual can transfer from vehicles on their own.
How do other caregivers manage multiple appointments every week?
Kathryn, at age 24 if you are organising appointments 5 days of the week, you have no time for a life of your own. No time to work, study, date, have fun … in fact do anything worthwhile to set up your own life. If this is the level of care that your parents genuinely need (and it probably isn’t) they need to pay for some sort of care that doesn’t involve ruining you. Be a bit more hard-nosed about this. An old expression says 'the life you need to save may be your own'.
Your parents certainly have some health issues. However the way it reads is that these are not overwhelmingly heavy. In fact if they did require an around-the-clock carer, you would not be able to do it for two people. You wouldn’t be able to take them out three times a week for serious physiotherapy, even if it was 'yes, a help'. You are doing what they ask. It would be a very very good idea if you could get an independent assessment of their care needs, in order to see if what you are doing is the best for them and for you. This level of care time commitment is not something that anyone should just drift into, at the cost of writing off their own needs at the age of 24.
Why not get an independent assessment? Not just from one health professional, because of course they will say that what you are doing is a good idea for the part of the problem that they deal with. What you really need is an assessment of the total situation.
There are PT services that can come to the home. Do that ASAP. I have used Genesis' Vitality to You. The patient does not need to be homebound as Home Health Services requires.
At your very young age, you need to start living your own life. You are not their slave. Your brother is right to say no. Your parents would be much better off, especially for you, if they were in AL.
Also can try to get appointments on the same day when you really have to go to one. Really, time to get working on your own life. Do you have a job? If not, that's a good place to start. Or with taking some college courses to build a path to a nice career.
Best of luck.
What other people come to help them during the week? What services to they have to help out?eg Meals delivery, housecleaning, personal care help?
Mom & Dad can 'age in place' if they can arrange enough support for themselves. But doesn't sound like they can. Sounds more like they are very dependant & in denial.
Make plans for a weekend away. Go visit a friend or something. Sometimes the physical space can help with mental clarity. To see the bigger picture.
I advised my LO needed other solutions. A new plan for transport. Maybe Assisted Living where the Doctor came to them.
Then I quit.
PS Then my LO did find other solutions.
Being in a wheelchair does not in itself mean that either parent needs care. I have worked with ‘wheelies’ long enough to be quite clear about that! Don’t believe that you don’t need a career because you will inherit the house. It’s one more step along the path to insanity.
I am ‘in my late 70s’ and have some quite difficult physical conditions. I cannot imagine expecting either of my daughters (in their late 40s with school age children of their own) to be a live in maid/carer! They are not ‘responsible for me’. That is ridiculous, as it is for you. I think you need to see a counselor to get your head around this bizarre situation.
both of my parents are heavily disabled, and can only walk a short distance hence the need for physical therapy multiple times a week.
Schedule other appointments remote--over the cell phone by video.