: Grandpa
It looks like we’re closer to making a decision about Grandpa. He’s definitely not coming home: there’s just no way. My mom isn’t physically able to care for him there and it’s just too dangerous. If he falls or struggles, all she can do is call 911. He’s also isolated from the family way over on the coast. We think it’s best he be put in a care facility in the Portland area where we can all visit him regularly and be available if he needs us. This means a lot of changes in the near future for everyone, but at least now we have a clear idea of where we’re going. We could try to come up with ways to keep Grandpa at home (i.e. having one of my cousins move in), but such things would be difficult to engineer and only temporary fixes. Unfortunately, the time we’ve dreaded is at hand, and we can’t care for him ourselves any longer. Even if he can regain some of his walking ability, it most likely won’t be for long (he has a bad knee and hip), and he needs 24-hour care in case he falls or has a problem. I mostly worry about his own attitude: he does not want to be in a facility and he could simply give up if he’s put in one, but I hope he doesn’t. His general health is good and if has a positive attitude he could have many years left. It’s just sad to see him fade away. His short-term memory isn’t good and I dread the thought of his mind fading to the point where he can’t recognize family, etc.
Topic: [/grandpa] |
