Thursday, February 24, 2011

Living with the elderly


As a caregiver for my grandfather it is my obligation to care for him in all aspects of his life. Lately I have been really tested with the work it takes for caring for him. About two weeks ago he began to cough - and I feared the worse. We spent a day in the hospital only to wait over 10 hours be seen for 45 min, and be sent home with yet another prescription and the prognosis of acute bronchitis.
I managed to get the flu on top of caring for him, and needless to say it has been VERY difficult. I'm finally feeling better (thanks mom) and so is he, thank G-d, and now we are again spending most of our time going to doctors appointments, resting, sitting, resting, eating... you get the picture.
When you loose your eyesight, your hearing goes bad, your appetite diminishes, your balance is off, and your always cold - the quality of life becomes a day to day struggle. This is what he is living. I wish I could press a button and make him feel alive again. At 92 I guess it's a blessing to still be breathing, and to still be able live in your own home.
I just wish there was more I could do.

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