Ziggy also brought up bathing and the like. We found we had to make engineering changes to the premises to accommodate a disabled person such as shower benches, grab bars, etc. Ramps and turning a downstairs room into a bedroom may be next.
I live in Dad's 3 bedroom mobile home. Of which only the master bedroom is used. The other two are still filled with STUFF that needs to be either taken out to the garage in which there is no room there either, sold in a yard sale, or thrown away. It's not my STUFF, it's Dad;s girlfriends.
Anywhooo.
Dad lives in the livingroom.
I have a full sized bed against the wall. And I just recently got a grab bar that would help him raise himself from a flat position, but his hand can hardly grasp it his arthritis is so bad.
Beside the bed is an upright recliner to give him a boost getting out of it.
At the foot of the bed is a portable potty. So he don't have to walk up and down the hall and possibly trip in the middle of the night.
The tv is adjusted so he can watch from the recliner or the bed.
I use folding tables for meals. And I sit in the recliner next to his and we eat our meals together.
Kind of like a studio apartment, everything squished in one room.
This is kind of similar except I have 2 recliners instead of a sofa, and a table lamp between the recliners, instead of a sofa table. and this one is more modern. I need to do somthing with the walls, paint or wallpaper. It's so out of date lol.
When you walk in the front door, you are walking into the foot of the bed.
I didn't have any warning he was coming to stay with me last April. He just said as we were leaving the hospital, "I'm coming home with you" . But he had been coming over through the six years I been living here. So I did some of the changes over time.
It wasn't a complete shock of where to set him up. So that everything was in reach.
The kitchen and livingroom are open concept, no wall between them, so I can still talk and watch tv while I'm cooking.
One night not long ago, he slid off the bed and landed on his fanny. I couldn't get him up. He couldn't get his legs under him.
He weighs about 200 pounds. So I had to call the EMS to come out and help me pick him up. 3 am.
It's a challenge. And it can frustrate you. There are things I would like to do like install a walk in shower or tub.
The problem is getting him to go from room to room. I would have to install it in the livingroom, and it's tight enough as it is LOL
Definately need a sense of humor, because it can get pretty tense.
There are accidents and having to get up in the middle of the night and change the linen, give a bath, redress, sometimes more than once in a night.
The planning of meals. What would you like for dinner dad? Whatever you put on the plate.
Except shepherd's pie. He don't like the combo. Seperate ok, but not together.
So I thought about making a menu for the week. With choices of breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. He never looked at it.
So I picked for both of us.
You learn their likes and dislikes by trial and error.
It's a commitment and once it's yours, you do the best you can with what you got.
My cold is about gone and this stomach bug is still giving me a hard time. But if it's nice enough today I may go and see dad at the rehab.
I haven't seen him for 2 weeks. I call daily, my daughter calls. But I need to get over there and see him.
It's a 2 hour round trip. And on the days I feel ok there's been snow. And on the days I feel crappy the sun shines.
Timing, everything is timing.
Hopefully he'll be home in a couple weeks. I been taking a break and resting and now it's time to get back into gear.
Hugs
