I find books to read at my local dollar store to build my personal library. I found Jonathan Kozal’s book, “The Theft of Memory.” I’ve been wanting to know what to expect in the future. My own father passed away several years ago and I lived in another state, so my mother and brother had to deal with the situation. My father had to spend his time in a nursing home from the time of his stroke until his death.
I want to learn to plan when it’s time to take care of my mother or one day if my husband needs it before me.
Jonathan’s parents lived to be 102 years old and he was 72 years old. His mother was able to live in an apartment, and ultimately she brought his father back home because he felt so bad every time his father said, “Can we go home now?” . He made a list of caregivers that he observed really cared. They were able to share the observations they had seen behind the scenes at his previous jobs and give him the attention he deserved.
I can attest to this personally. I worked for a year at a direct care company as a supervisor and struggled to find competent employees. I would recommend anyone with financial ability to hire a private sitter that they can trust in the home rather than in a facility.
The biggest difference in Jonathan’s case is that his parents had the money saved up until their deaths. His lawyer said they only had three years of finances left, so the timing worked. The elderly poor are at the mercy of public assistance. It is essential to have relatives nearby to monitor them regularly.
Jonathan’s story was fascinating because his father was a doctor who had been a medical expert on two high-profile criminal cases and had a celebrity patient who moved across the street from his father’s office so he could receive care. forever. The doctor had traveled the world to do research and had written many opinions.
Jonathan and his parents loved each other very much, so he was able to handle his father’s decline because he remembered the man he once was. He gave very good examples of what to expect and plan for.
I want to treat my adult children well so that they will be kind to me in my golden years.