I have been extremely busy for the entire winter helping Grandma Dolly as she becomes more frail. Her health has become very compromised and she can no longer live on her own without help. We tried to get help to come in during the day but that was not sufficient for her needs. With her permission and to her entire extended family's relief, she has agreed to remain in a home where she can can be well cared for twenty-four hours per day. She truly does seem to have accepted it with grace and I hope that she realizes how blessed she has been to live in her own apartment for over nine and a half decades.
I have been in charge of managing her care for many years but up until the last few years, she has needed very little help- just companionship, transportation, bill-paying and help with phone call communication to the pharmacy and doctors. Recently, it has been a lot more than that. With her and her family's permission and encouragement, and in order to facilitate taking care of her business, I visited a lawyer who happens to be a friend from church. For a very small fee, I obtained her power of attorney, medical power and other pertinent legal written permissions.This has come in very handy already when turning off the phone and cable TV to her apartment. We were able to close down her small apartment and shared all of her furniture with her family members. This is a job that needed to be done and she was not able to do it for herself. It has been our pleasure to help her and we have asked her to direct us as things are dispersed.
I have been made aware that this is something I may try to do for myself as I age, if I am able to.It might be smart for Larry and I to downsize big time at some point and to get some of this large task done sooner than later. We will have to see. For now, I will try to remain faithful to caring for Grandma Dolly in the Home by visiting often, doing her laundry and protecting her interests by being a good advocate.
