Are you Caregiving for Parents?

[benny05]

I am looking for a collaborators to start up a new forum called Caregivers.

I noticed that under Lifestyle, Peer Support & Self-Help forum there is a parenting forum, but there is not a caregivers forum. I would like to lobby for a "caregivers forum" whereby it is designed for those of us who have issues about caring for their elderly parents, siblings, or perhaps a child with a chronic disorder (or both--or all 3). If there is insufficient interest, another idea would be to add it with the "Parenting" one, but I suspect the "Parenting" bloggers would like to keep their forum separate.

I am already going through this issue, but considering more options, partly because I believe that I need to take a moral leadership within my family to do this, but additionally for the moral leadership in lifting up those in poverty and not looking down at them (as fmr Senator Edwards often said and still says), which in this case, starts sort of in my backyard. My mom lives SS check to SS check, which at present is poverty status; her expenses well exceed her SS check. I cannot provide half of my paycheck toward her financial and health issues at this point. She lives nearly 2,000 miles away. Thus, I could use a support group or at least some creative ideas for caregiving, on the retail side or more importantly, the wholesale (with the concept of her living with us, but we are considering the "trial run" first to give us all options).

According to the DU rules, some of you would be somewhat regular bloggers on this issue (I don't think it has to be daily, but not every 3 months either). Skinner tells me in order for the forum to be established, the following has to happen...and here's the link.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ... . If you believe that some general caregiver ideas would be of use to you on the DU and you would be willing to contribute some too, please let Skinner (and me) know. Someone on GD suggested I also come hear to type or "speak".

TIA,
Benny05

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I would be interested

[benny05]

3. Thanks

I'll make note and pass it on to Skinner. If you have colleagues, friends or acquaintances here, please encourage them to read my post to see if they would like to support such a forum.

TIA, Benny

:)

[proReality]

2. Very interested...

especially since I live in a state distant from my parents and have to make frequent trips home.

[proReality]

4. The link isn't working. n/t

[benny05]

5. Here is the Forum link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=206x10

It is for framing the issue purposes; we decide if this is a worthwhile issue by voting or sending comments to me and/or Skinner.

Benny

[GoodSpud]

6. I would be interested as well.

Unfortunately I can not provide a guaranteed level of posting, as my DU participation is on an 'as free time is available' basis.

I too am already in this situation, though, fortunately, my father's financial resources are sufficient at the moment, but only by a thin margin. Ironically if his income drops off I will have time to participate more as I will close my business and go get a straight job so that I have a steady and budgetable income. Should free up about 35 to 50 hours a week...

Let me know what I can do to help get this underway and I will try to accommodate what ever is needed.

T.D.P.

[benny05]

7. Thanks for the note

and :hi:

Welcome to the DU. Hope you can participate as time allows.

[GoodSpud]

8. Greets back at you...

:)

For what it is worth I have been around for a while I just don't post too much...

Also I should be getting my star back shortly. Donated last year then lapsed but went on the monthly plan last weekend.

Hope this works out.

T.D.P.

[turtlelowe]

9. I would be interested. . .

However, I run a lot and can not make any promises regarding the frequency of my posts. My husband and I just sent my parents back to their house, 10 miles away, after staying with us for the past couple of weeks. My father fell a couple of weeks ago, broke his jaw in two places, completely severed his ear canal and bit his bottom lip in two. Needless to say, we have been consumed with this and have not had much of a chance to get on-line. However, I know what you mean about wanting to research the concept of moving in a parent.
Even though my parents only live ten miles away, sometimes that is too far. Especially when your mother calls you at 5:30 in the morning to tell you that she found your father lying unconscious in the bathroom and there is blood everywhere. It seems too far when your father tells you that the paperwork finally came from the hospital and they suspect that your already diabetic mother is now having a series of mild strokes, oh, and by the way, he is now diabetic too. We have their house up for sale and are going to put up a house for them about 500 feet from our house. That way, they still have some independence, but they are not too far away.
Being a caregiver is more than just worrying about the person you are taking care of, but yourself as well. It sometimes helps to talk to someone who understands what it feels like to not be able to focus on yourself because you spend so much time focusing on those you care for.