A little history

It is important to document a journey that could help others. As a caregiver of a parent with dementia, there are some days that you can imagine can be quite stressful but there are others that give so much joy, laughter and love.  This is Mom's journey and I am documenting it for her.  You will find some of the funniest little stories that make it all worthwhile.

First a little history.  Mom was diagnosed about five plus years ago shortly after she broke her hip from a fall.  After the operation we noticed she seemed to be a little confused and we figured it was because of the operation.  The health team were surprised to learn that she had no recollection of the fall and she was not able to answer some basic questions.  They decided to keep her a little longer to do a geriatric assessment to determine if there were other health issues.

Well, after many tests and a month long stay in the Geriatric Assessment Unit, she failed the kitchen test.  That meant that she was no longer able to cook.  They wanted to put her into a facility.  They called us into a family meeting to break the news,  We decided as a family that she was not going into any facility.  My dad had kidney disease and he went to dialysis three times a week so we needed to find a suitable arrangement to ensure she was not left alone.

We decided that she was coming home with us and we would figure it out.  That meant someone had to take care of her and that meant me.  I was retirement age.  I was eligible for my full pension.  I had a home-based business that I could manage at home.

The Geriatric Assessment Unit at the Ottawa Hospital was very helpful in getting things organized for CCAC, home care and physio therapy.
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