Cindy was venting to her sister about how busy work has been lately. The company was expanding, and they needed her expertise in planning the building and managing the budget. This was a huge responsibility but an honor to be chosen for a very important job. She had agreed to do it and realized it could be difficult to juggle her work and home life. Cindy recently had her mother move in and it is becoming a fulltime job. Her sister was a good listener but not a lot of help because she lived about 8 hours away. Her sister also knew her and how she would often take on more than the average person could handle.
Cindy’s mother had fallen, gone through rehab, and could not return home because of the stairs. It made sense for her to stay with Cindy because she was local, had the room, and a home with no stairs. They have always got along so there weren’t any concerns around their relationship. It should only be for a couple months and then she can return to her home. Hopefully it would be a piece of cake.
Cindy let her boss know she had added responsibilities at home but would do her best. There may be some rearranging of hours to accommodate an appointment here and there for her mother which her boss agreed was not a problem. She said I know you are good for it. That felt encouraging to know she had work support.
Now she just needed to contact Santa, to postpone Christmas. As Cindy began thinking about the care her mother was requiring, her job, the holidays and how in the world she was going to pull this off, she realized this would be a new experience for everyone. She made out a list and realized it was her turn to host Christmas. Really? How can I manage all that goes with the hosting duties. Her husband chimed in and said don’t worry I can help. She knew what that meant. He means well but has his own job and doesn’t always get things done to Cindy’s standards.
When Cindy’s mom was in rehab care, she met a care manager who was there to visit one of her friends in the center. She still had the business card and realized this may be just what she needs to get through the next few months. The care manager can assist with in-home care, housekeeping, short-term solutions, and resources. There was a flyer also and it stated there was support and planning services meant to include the whole family when they were struggling with where to start.
Cindy set the flyer aside and did not call right away. She was working 10 hours a day, and bringing work home. Her mother was improving but was still needing assistance with transfers and bending, sitting and squatting. Cindy’s husband was helping with meals and clean up. What wasn’t getting done was the Christmas planning and shopping preparation for her kids and grandkids who were expected to visit. She had put a few gifts away that she bought earlier in the year but those would need to be wrapped. No one was getting Christmas cards this year. Cindy was reaching a stress point that was disrupting her sleep and her attitude. She was becoming short with people, missed a meeting because she over slept and was enjoying a little more wine then normal.
She called her sister, shared her concerns about her stress level while telling her few of the things that she was experiencing physically and told her about the care manager she had met. Her sister asked what she was waiting for? Call her, she is a professional, you need her. Besides. you may be calling her about mom in the near future. She is not healing like she should be so she may need to make some choices about her living situation.
Cindy called right a way and was relieved that the Aging Life Care Manager® remembered her. She was also happy to know she could arrange a solution for all of this chaos, she was experiencing. Take all the caregiving stress out of her life. The Aging care manager can take care of her mom’s needs in her home. This would free Cindy up to manage work and the holiday as she normally would.
If you or someone in your family are facing aging challenges, please give us a call at 317-300-5454 or email us at Shannon@AgingLifeCareConsultants.com. We’ll be happy to assist!
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