Caregiver Question

DEAR CARALLEL: My father is 86 years old and living his best life. He is social and independent and we consider ourselves lucky that his biggest challenges are diminishing eyesight and hearing. Both have gotten quite a bit worse in the past two years so I was very relieved when he agreed to stop driving a few … I was relieved when Dad stopped driving, but now I’m his driver and it’s a full time job. Help!

DEAR CARALLEL: I’ve been caring for my mother for about six years now. She’s 84 and mentally sharp, but struggles with being overweight and has slowed down quite a bit since last summer. She has also become more isolated in the process. Mom used to go to bingo and volunteer at our church twice a week … Mom is moving to Assisted Living and I’m overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning out her house. 

DEAR CARALLEL: This is the first year that I have to do my mother’s taxes. After wasting hours on them yesterday and accomplishing nothing, I realized that I have no idea what I’m doing.   Because mine are simple, I’m able to use the free version of TurboTax. That doesn’t work for my mother because she has … I spent all morning on my mother’s taxes and got nowhere. I need help but can’t afford it. Help please!

DEAR CARALLEL: Do you have any advice on how to pay for nursing home care? My dad is in a rehab facility and it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to go back to his townhome. He had a stroke two months ago and needs a lot of help even to get from his bed to … The cost of a nursing home is way more money than he has.

DEAR CARALLEL: I care for my husband with cancer. Palliative care has been mentioned recently along with hospice but I don’t understand the difference. They seem like the same thing. Are they? –Faith in Los Gatos, CA DEAR FAITH: It’s a good question and I’m glad you wrote in. The words hospice and palliative care are often used … What’s the difference between palliative care and hospice?

DEAR CARALLEL: I need help! No one in my family understands how much work it is to take care of my mom right now. We live together and I never get to go out on my own. How can I get my family to understand how stressful this is? I want them to step up and … I want them to step up and help too.

DEAR CARALLEL: My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease last year and I recently left my job to care for her full time. At a recent support group someone mentioned advance directives. It seemed like everyone knew what they were, but I did not. What are they and should I have them in place for my … What are advance directives?

DEAR CARALLEL: I’m 68 years old and five years into caring for my husband who is living with Alzheimer’s Disease. He still talks, walks, and has frequent moments of clarity which are beautiful. But caring for him is getting more and more difficult by the week as his disease progresses. I feel like I’m losing myself … Losing myself while I’m caring for my husband.