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Thanks so much for the invitation to email you...I really appreciate it!

I am stuck in a bad place...My mother has too much money at the moment....but
will have nothing in the spring (we will use her money to build a small
cottage here because we are only two blacks away and all of her neighbors will
still be the same).  She and my father had quite a lot of money 6 years ago and
it's almost all gone because of the caregiving costs and her copays for huge
amounts of drugs.  She is very with it and can also be bizarre at times.

We have an elder care attorney, and my mother is almost ready for Medicaid
"on paper" because things were signed over to me a long time ago.  But medicaid
doesn't provide for a full time caregiver.  Our society doesn't provide for
the elderly who are chronically ill.   She is also with it enough that she
wouldn't stand for a caregiver who isn't well educated and interesting and able to
discuss foreign films with her...etc...(I can't really blame her...).

Her caregiver now is a doctor from the Republic of Georgia.  A brilliant
woman who is like a part of our family.  But my mother either has a great time
with her or criticizes her for making too many rules (like needing the walker or
not going downstairs to the basement...or not being able to iron or use a
sharp knife...).  Her caregiver is only the messenger but my mother gets furious.


Another problem we are having is that my mother is seeing a geriatric
therapist that I found so she can discuss all of her losses and try to get skills for
coping.  Lately she has turned her sessions into a place to discuss the
heaviness of her relationships with her mother, my late father....(She's done this
in therapy before) years ago). She has become very angry and is now even more
difficult to deal with.  She is also using her depression as an excuse to act
out. I called her therapist and told her that I think we need to turn this
around by having her discuss positive affirmations and skills about how to take
care of herself today and tomorrow (in terms of being part of the world and
finding things that give her pleasure.

Her therapist won't tell her what to talk about (I understand that) but my
mother is now emotionally dysfunctional and furious and ruining all of her close
relationships with us.

Sorry to dump this on you...but I am so upset and don't know where to turn.
Do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Linda

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