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Hi HG,
My Mother has got herself stuck in the living room as the carpet has creased up behind it on her side. I can't get in and she can't sort it because of her legs.
I am trying to find a key for the other door and will try that. Just spent the morning completing forms for a carers survey to try to make things better for us over here.

Hope all is well with you.

I hope you get some good help. I had a door thing happen where I got locked outside in the garden when the peg dropped down on the slider...it is a hassle. I bet you never let that happen again...LOL!

Gary continues to defy every scientific/medical prognosis. He continues to sit in his chair, which no longer works (lift chair), watches TV and insists that we are forgetting things he tells us and that we don't share much of anything with him. The doctor's office repeatedly sent requests to Health Net, our Medicare HMO for the chair to be fixed and the HMO insists the clinic never sent the request. So we struggle along with a broken chair which doesn't allow him to keep his legs up. I have a pillow on a milk carton for his legs. Doesn't get them very high. I do not know what to do to get the HMO and the clinic to work with each other. Plus, the supply company Health Net insists we use charges $200 just to come out and 'evaluate' the situation to see if he really needs the chair! Medicare says that's not legal and the HMO doesn't believe that they told me that. I don't know if I can change plans because he is supposedly in renal failure. At least last winter he was almost stage 5. Now his labs say he's stage 2. If I try and change plans I'm afraid they will drop him just when we need the help the most. It's frustrating.
And yes, HG, the caregiver's group is helpful.

Glad it is helpful...I was asked last night what i am doing for Christmas by friends. I honestly just want to stay home - I am not depressed. It is just not worth the hassle.

Mom has been sick better now, my oldest came to visit and attend an adoption seminar. I am trying to get Christmas shopping done because I have to have them wrapped and ready to go when the kids are here for Thanksgiving. I can only leave mom for short periods. 2 weeks ago I was gone 2 hours about 1/2 hour longer than normal. When I left, mom was sorting her papers in her desk. When I got back she was ill and in bed. It hits so hard and quick at 96. She had a bad UTI. The holidays are coming too quickly. We are having 16, maybe 18 for Thanksgiving dinner-no stress?

Hi group,

Even though I'm not a caregiver at the moment, I still have tremendous compassion for what caregivers go through, so I just kind of hang around and try to learn tips from you guys and be a shoulder to cry on if you need one. :-)

Hi Deb you are always welcome. I wish you lived closer. I have a friend who needs an overnight cregiver for her Dad - just keep him company for $10 an hour. He has dementia and she is trying to keep him and her mother at home with her. I feel for her but I amnot able to go help. She has a lot of other friends and family to help.

Some caregivers get out of one situation and into another. I have to say that I am not up to it.

We are going to my Stepson's house for Thanksgiving. We do each year. This year is different because of my husband's cancer, but we are all trying to act like everything is normal.

I wanted to suggest for SpiritSeeker that if the local newspaper in her town has a SOS section. Which is a section where people ask the newspaper to research why certain government/medical agencies are not doing their jobs. Our local paper (Wis. State Journel) has helped many people. Once the agency is listed in the newspaper, they get embarrassed and get on the ball. She does not have to worry about being dropped because of this. It would be illegal for them to drop her for publicly trying to get them to do the job they are collecting HMO payment for.
Good Luck,
nanabirdie915