Marianne didn’t know what to do. She had just received a phone call from her parents’ neighbor, Mrs. Jones, who told her that her mother had fallen again and been taken to the hospital. Mrs. Jones agreed to stay with Marianne’s father, who has Alzheimer’s disease and could not be left alone, until Marianne could arrive. Marianne felt overwhelmed. She knew something had to be done, but with her job, her kids and her husband, she had let things slide with her parents. Now there was a crisis and she didn’t know where to begin.
After confirming that her mom hadn’t broken anything, Marianne called a local in-home care agency. She revealed that her mother had fallen several times but luckily had not broken anything. She also admitted that her mother had become withdrawn and depressed as the care of her father became more taxing. Her dad’s moderate Alzheimer’s disease made him more dependent.
The RN care manager did a thorough home safety assessment and found multiple areas that were hazards. She then did a complete assessment of Marianne’s father and reviewed his medications (more than 15) from six different physicians from several pharmacies. The care manager accompanied Marianne to her father’s next appointment to review all of the medications with the doctor.
Finally, the care manager spoke to her mother’s physician, and it was agreed that some home physical therapy would be beneficial to regain strength; however, it was obvious she was having a hard time dealing with her husband’s declining mental status. The care manager recommended contacting a non-skilled home health company to have someone come daily to help with her dad’s personal care and with housekeeping. They also agreed that it would be a good to see what assisted living facilities were available. The care manager provided contacts for several good facilities and agreed to accompany Marianne and her mother to review them.
Marianne still has a lot of responsibility, but now she had a roadmap to follow to navigate the senior care maze. With guidance from the RN care manager, she was less stressed with a plan in place. She also knew that her care manager would be there to help her every step of the way.
Six months later, Marianne’s parents moved into an assisted living facility. Her mother enjoyed the activities and having new friends. Her father also benefited from the stimulation and participating in special activities. Her parents now see only one primary care physician and her father’s neurologist so the medications had been corrected. Marianne could now breathe a sigh of relief that her parents were being well cared for, and she could become their daughter again instead of a “parent”.