I am 24/7 caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient in his 90s. Neither of us have family or friends that could help us. My ophthalmologist wants me to have cataract surgery. The procedure lasts about an hour. I think that I could schedule it in the late afternoon and put my Alzheimer’s patient early to bed like I do for dental and other doctors appointments. The ophthalmologist would also want someone to escort me home, and I am not sure how I would also address this problem yet. Any suggestions?
You can take Uber to and from the appointment or contact local charities and ask if they have rides for something like this.
Good luck with your surgery.
In addition, you need to hire aids to assist you to do the heavy lifting and bending.
I'm sorry you have no other supports. Best of luck.
I bet you're not being paid enough to be the 24/7/365 caregiver (slave) for your friend. So how about getting him/her to pay for respite care? Are you the POA/HCPOA?
It is a little hard to understand that I cannot put in or take clothes out of the dryer, or put in or take out dishes out the dishwasher washer, nor put socks on or off!!!
What a mess! I almost do not think I would not forget and do something I should not do for two weeks by accident for myself and/or for my patient.
Although this is an out patient procedure, its not like getting a shot or an xray that you are done with in hours. Its surgery, and you need to heal. You don't want to risk your sight. If you were ill, someone else would need to help your patient.
You probably should consider a respite stay at a local facility for her. You could still go there and be her companion, but others can do the physical stuff. Or have her hire a helper to assist you during this time, even a night for several weeks, maybe a college student on break. You need someone to help lift, bathe and dress her,, and do any chores that require you to bend over, like taking clothes out of dryer, on putting stuff in dishwasher,
Who pays you? The person or agency that pays you weekly will have to find another caregiver to look after your 90-year old with Alzheimer's for a few days.
If it's not possible for one to come into the home and take over the caregiving, then the 90-year old will have to go into a nursing home for a respite care stay. It's the responsibility of the people who pay you to arrange it. Unless, you have access to the client's finances and are authorized to spend his money. Then it will be up to you to find care or temporary respite placement for him.
Also, someone will have to drive you home after the cataract procedure. You will have a patch on your eye and will be given instructions like no bending over and no lifting.
You will not be able to care for your client for probably a week.
Don't delay getting the cataract surgery done. Saving your sight is more important then a 90-old with Alzheimer's. A nursing home will take care of him if a respite care stay is arranged for a couple of weeks. It will give you a break too. Or a live-in respite caregiver to take over your duties for a few days.
Who will take care of you when your vision fails because you put off the cataract surgery for so long that the doctor can't save your eyesight?
The answer is no one. Unless your 90-year old with Alzheimer's has made you his POA and heir to whatever estate he has (this has been know to happen), family members will come from somewhere to collect after he passes. They will throw you in the street. Believe me families or a care agency have absolutely no loyalty to their caregivers. A family will not think twice about putting you in the street.
This being said, don't let yourself become a martyr to caregiving. No one will appreciate it. I worked for years for an elderly couple. I had wanted to leave the position because they were just too needy. I was guilted into staying by them and their out-of-town family. I turned down a job unrelated to caregiving to stay with them.
Their son sent me a text message saying my services were no longer needed. No explanation, nothing. Turns out they found cheaper help. This will happen to you so don't put anything before your needs and your need is cataract surgery.
Ideally if the patient was in the hospital for a week to ten days, it would solve everything for us.
I cared for my husband(who was a loved one)for many years, and never once did I call him "my patient."
And as far as getting your cataract surgery, sounds like you're going to have to delay it for the time being, as it seems more involved than you first thought. Hopefully that will give you time to get your ducks in a row.
I agree it seems that I can only delay my cataract surgery until circumstances change.