Blog by Joy Loverde
It’s been a very long time since I last blogged about my Aunt and her reluctance to move out of her family home. This situation continues to be one thing after another with her – running out money, increasingly bad health, and driving issues among others.
Nothing, absolutely nothing has changed. No matter what I have said in the past, and no matter how carefully I have approached the topic of moving, nothing has influenced my Aunt to change her mind.
Do I see myself as a failure? Heck no! What I see myself as is someone who is realistic about what’s going to eventually happen. Instead of being a proactive niece, I am now resigned to be the person who is going to be the opposite end of an emergency telephone call. My Aunt’s next move will be crisis-based.
If you are in the same boat, listen up. You (and I) have no other choice but to think about preparing for that emergency phone call. Here are a few of the questions to ask yourself during this time of waiting:
- Do you know how to get in touch with the rest of the family 24/7?
- Have you introduced yourself to the neighbors in case something happens and they need to get in touch with you?
- Do trusted neighbors have keys or access to the home in the event of an emergency?
- Do you have a list of local hospitals?
- Have you obtained a list of emergency contacts including a list of doctors and local hospitals?
- Have you established HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) permission to speak with the doctors?
Am I angry that this is how my Aunt’s move is eventually going to go down? You better believe I am, and I have to manage my anger each time I am with her or on the phone with her and she makes absolutely no reference to the possibility of moving. Being an angry family caregiver is a topic for another day.
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