My husband has been under the care of hospice 11 months and shows no sign of slowing down, which is fine with me, but I struggle over the best way to care for him. After 2 years of nightmare experiences with in home caregivers a few days a week for my respite, I decided to try a memory care facility day care program 2 days a week. I love that it has activities, brain boosters, etc., although my husband sleeps most of the time and, although he seems content while he's there, he really doesn't like to go and grumbles all the way there. I feel the activity is actually improving him. If he really is dying, and who knows, do I keep trying to improve his quality of life or let him Rest In Peace? How does one know what's best? He has Parkinson's and dementia.
I have caregivers at night and during the day. In the best case they get to work on time, barely do what is required of them., keep my parents from leaving or burning the place down....
The night caregivers have been caught literally making themselves a bed on my parents couch complete with putting their bare feet on the couch (ewww). Both of my parents have dementia and could wake up confused and possible leave the apartment. .. since the caregiver just slept through her shift.
As for the day caregiver.. what I wanted is someone who can do some very basic cooking and who can provide companionship and get them out.. take them out to walk, let them sit out in the main areas in the apartment complex..etc. What I got.... people who cannot even cook the most basic meals, who sit and text and who look over them like prison guards and barely have conversation with them.
My parents have dementia but are mobile and don't require incontinence care .. but do need some overseeing. I don't know if it is just their specific situation that they aren't good at handling...
Whatever the case.. I am so over the caregivers.. texting me all the time.. asking for time off , can they leave early, my dad said this or my mom said that .. etc etc.
On top of all that .. they can get extremely expensive.. even with me taking one shift every day. Even with the caregivers, I am still very involved, can't even take one day off or away. I am currently looking at memory cares for my parents .. I need to have some rest.
Like you said this could go on a long time. Pace yourself.