My poor Dad.

[Meg the Mog]

Hello everyone. I haven't been on here for a long while, I've been suffering with depression but thanks to anti depressants, for 6 months, I'm feeling much better. Just as well, because my poor Dad has started to deteriorate this past few weeks. He used to self medicate from the blister packs, made up by the chemist from the Gp's prescriptions but one day, took ALL the tablets for the day, in one go. Fortunately, he didn't take the warfarin too. Briefly,Dad's GP was on the ball and organised carers to come in twice daily to give him his meds from a locked box. Until that came into effect, I was going down three times a day to give them to him.

Dad has gone downhill. He is losing track of time and getting confused with am and pm now. I went this afternoon, found all the curtains closed and my Dad in bed...he thought it was 2am. He struggles to remember anything which has happened... forgot to have his lunch today too. My poor Dad is like a child and it breaks my heart. My brother and I feel it will only be a matter of time before we won't be able to cope, as we can't be there 24 hours a day. We already do everything for him and now I have had to start "helping" him to get washed, as he forgets that too...he even isn't bothered about me seeing him in his underwear, which, having always been a very modest man, was unheard of previously.
I know, my lovely Dad will have to go into a care home at some point...not yet..and I am heartsore cos I love him to bits.
Thank you for listening and I know you will understand.

 

[Gigglemore]

So glad that you were able to get help to lift your depression. Sorry to hear that your Dad is declining. Please don't forget how important it is that you and your brother start looking at care homes now. Hopefully your Dad won't need one for a while but it is better to be prepared with your choice of a nice place just in case his health suddenly deteriorates, which as you know can happen quickly to the elderly if we have a bad winter. Take care.

 

[Meg the Mog]

Thank you Gigglesmore. You are quite right about that.
We do have some experience of care homes as our late Mam had been in one for the last 12 years of her life. We will know what to look for this time around, whereas it was a minefield when Mam needed one. And we don't want Dad to go into the one Mam was in either.

 

[Exhausted Lawye]

Hi Meg

You're story appears to be very similar to mine. I am also in the process of looking for a care home for my lovely Dad. It's heartbreaking but my head tells me I'm doing the right thing for him. To keep him safe & to also help keep my own sanity. At least that's how I feel today. Tomorrow may be a different story!

Big hugs x


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