Taking the Next Step with my Father
The last couple weeks have been very exciting for me. By exciting, I should specify I mean tiring, terrifying, crazy-making, difficult, arduous, but infinitely worthwhile! I've posted a few times about my situation with my father. Basically, he's been in poor health for some time, and is gradually declining. His conditions aren't the sort that can be "cured". At best they can be maintained and controlled, for a time. He's losing functionality and quality of health and will continue to do so until... It's been a real struggle to provide enough medical support to keep him safe and comfortable within the red-tape of the system. I've been his primary care-giver which has involved a lot of time and stress, and even with nurses helping me it's been like running from an avalanche. But the last couple weeks have seen a major turn for us! As of now, my dad is living in really nice care facility.
It took a ton of work and waiting to get him into this place. But it's done. The place is amazing! It's very much like living in a nice hotel. He has is own private apartment but at the same time is getting all the food, entertainment, and medical care he needs. This place is great! The other patients there all seem happy and reasonably comfortable. There's lots of activities and events to stimulate a healthy social environment. Despite handling some serious needs, they manage to keep the place from feeling serious or oppressive. He's much more comfortable and safe now, and I'm happy for him!
This also means, that I get more of my time back. It was okay when the nurses were doing daily house-calls to help him, but it was still a struggle. It was taking too much to keep things stable, and even then I couldn't provide everything that was needed. Now, all that is taken care of by the staff at this new facility. I'm happy, relieved, and thrilled that places like this exist! Now I can really focus on work and living my own life again. I want to thank WhiteFox and my other friends for being so supportive throughout this!! To have my dad safe and my freedom relatively back - it's awesome beyond words! Now I sleep and get back to work!
My next post will be full of pictures of new suits and a few updates. I want to finish this one off with a lesson I learned in moving my dad. All I'll say is this - remember whatever you acquire will one day have to be moved. And it may not be how or when you plan. Don't packrat! A lifetime's collecting can be damn heavy to move! Oww!! ;)
It took a ton of work and waiting to get him into this place. But it's done. The place is amazing! It's very much like living in a nice hotel. He has is own private apartment but at the same time is getting all the food, entertainment, and medical care he needs. This place is great! The other patients there all seem happy and reasonably comfortable. There's lots of activities and events to stimulate a healthy social environment. Despite handling some serious needs, they manage to keep the place from feeling serious or oppressive. He's much more comfortable and safe now, and I'm happy for him!
This also means, that I get more of my time back. It was okay when the nurses were doing daily house-calls to help him, but it was still a struggle. It was taking too much to keep things stable, and even then I couldn't provide everything that was needed. Now, all that is taken care of by the staff at this new facility. I'm happy, relieved, and thrilled that places like this exist! Now I can really focus on work and living my own life again. I want to thank WhiteFox and my other friends for being so supportive throughout this!! To have my dad safe and my freedom relatively back - it's awesome beyond words! Now I sleep and get back to work!
My next post will be full of pictures of new suits and a few updates. I want to finish this one off with a lesson I learned in moving my dad. All I'll say is this - remember whatever you acquire will one day have to be moved. And it may not be how or when you plan. Don't packrat! A lifetime's collecting can be damn heavy to move! Oww!! ;)