Kevin R.

“ In 1991 my wife and I moved into my father's house to care for him. At that time he was 78 years old and had Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and congestive heart failure. During the next five years we monitored his blood pressure, his salt intake and his overall condition. As the Alzheimer's got worse we had to change his Depends and keep him clean as well as dealing with short term memory loss. We...

In 1991 my wife and I moved into my father's house to care for him. At that time he was 78 years old and had Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and congestive heart failure. During the next five years we monitored his blood pressure, his salt intake and his overall condition. As the Alzheimer's got worse we had to change his Depends and keep him clean as well as dealing with short term memory loss. We also cleaned the house, did the yard work, washed his clothes, prepared his meals and took him to doctor appointments. He died at home in his sleep at he age of 82. In 2005 we took care of my father in law. At the time he was living at home at the age of 93. He had suffered a major heart attack that year and needed care to stay in his home. He was mentally fine but because of the heart condition he needed someone in the house. We mostly kept him company, cleaned the house, cooked his meals, prepared his pills and washed his clothes. We were there for five months, then his health deteriorated. One day he was not feeling good so we took him to the hospital, he was admitted and died the next day.

After caring for my father and father in law I am a firm believer in keeping the elderly in their homes where they are comfortable and happy. I know that my father and father in law were passionate about staying in their own homes. Both of them lived in these homes for many years. In my father's case he moved into his house in 1949 and my father in law was born in his house and never lived anywhere else. I believe that in both cases to move them out of their homes would have hastened their death. For the elderly in many cases their homes have the memories of a lifetime. It is important to keep them at home with their memories, where they feel safe and secure.

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