I should have written this entry a long, long time ago!
My parents were able to stay in their own home until they died. In fact, each of them died in that home. I'm so glad they were able to afford caregivers and stay where they wanted to be!
My father-in-law was not able to stay in his own home. He was lonely and not skilled at taking care of himself or a home. He lived with us for four and a half years and probably would have stayed, but it was less than ideal for me.
We were able to find a senior apartment in Northfield that was subsidized (based on income) and it had an opening! We moved him into the apartment on October 1, 2017. What a huge difference that has made for us! He is doing well, making new friends, using the bus, etc.
A good friend of mine is approaching that point where her mom will need to find somewhere else to live. This woman does not have the resources to afford something full-price. (Many senior residences cost $3,000+ per month *before* adding on services!) I had recommended that she call the Senior Linkage Line (1-800-333-2433) which is a Minnesota thing that is such a blessing!
In addition to the Senior Linkage Link, there is a Senior Housing Guide at https://seniorhousingguide.us/senior-housing/rental/ and it is so amazing! You can click on "subsidized" and then sort by county or proximity to a certain zip code. Again, this is a Minnesota thing. I'm not sure if other states have their own version. I hope so! It can be hard to deal with these issues and it's nice to have some options.
Prior to October 2010, my life was pretty simple. But with my mom's diagnosis of temporal arteritis, I plunged into the strange new world of providing care for parents in their 80s. As I've shared stories with friends, they've urged me to blog about it and share what I've learned with others. Here we are!
