When I visited my mom yesterday, she was sitting in the wheelchair, waiting for a nurse to help her get back into bed. She'd had a long day, lots of therapy, and was wanting to lie down.
I sat to the side when the nurse came and prepared the bed, got it into the right position and then motivated and physically helped my mom maneuver herself. Her right leg still won't cooperate without some encouragement, so Mom was exhausted when she was back in bed. It's hard work.
Then last night, called my oldest brother about when he could make a family meeting with the hospital for next week. Nailed that down with him and then he expressed his concern about me driving Mom's car. Said he's worried someone will break into her house with no vehicle in the carport. So, to keep him happy, we'll return the car tonight. Honestly, it frees me up a bit, not having the excuse to drop everything and run. Have gotten used to not having regular transportation, but using her car has been handy the past two weeks. A bit peeved at my brother, though, for showing more concern in the chat about her house than her well-being.
Bottom line, he wants her to be in her house when she's released, and true to form, wants our kids to carry the brunt of her after-care. He said, "Well, they'll have to start moving out sometime (2 have already), so they might as well move in with Mom." Keeping a nice tone in my voice (not easy) when I replied to him, said the level of care she'll need after release is more than our kids can provide.
It's so easy for him to decide what's best without changing up his own routine. Doesn't want to be inconvenienced, and went so far as to say Mom needed to toughen up and try harder. Uh, have any of us in the family had a stroke, so understand what she's going through? I thought not.
The many facets of caring for an ill elderly family member. I've always believed that stressful situations bring out a person's true character, and I still stand by that.
