Right now my family is in the terrible situation of not being able to find someone to mortgage our house. Its pretty stressful since we might have to move out soon and don't have the necessary budget to land on our feet decently if we can't find someplace soon.
Besides that comes my 91 year old grandmother who is just getting worse and worse. We take care of her because we absolutely cannot afford to put her into a decent home.
The following happened in less than one week.
Knowing we might sell the house I decided to take care of some big home improvement jobs to just make the house look better. So I decided to sand away the rust and paint the porch railings and steel gates last week. 9 hours of hard work in one day and just when I am about to call it a day my sister comes storming outside yelling at me to come in because our living room is getting flooded. My grandmother clogged the toilet and just stayed in the bathroom without telling anyone. She only came out when my mother was screaming and pleading with her to leave.
The end result was a pool of toilet water floating around on one floor and getting soaked up in the carpet. A lot of toilet water was also dripping through to the basement and slightly flooding a very large area where we keep the washer and dryer, christmas lights, winter clothes and other things we need.
My grandmother's reacted like it wasn't her fault. She just kept yelling how we just use her for her money and how nobody likes her. Its far from the truth. My mother, sister and I do whatever possibly we can for her to live the most comfortable life someone her age can live. But its never good enough. No matter how good the food or coffee and snacks. The trips outside once in a while and just sitting down and spending time it is never good enough.
After I decided to shut the water off from the toilet and start flushing the toilet for her whenever she was done. I also shut off the sink and placed a plastic red bowl full of hot water with some soap in it and refill it every time I possibly can.
A day later she is going to the bathroom and not really saying anything about it which is good, but I notice that literally every time she went to the bathroom there was no toilet paper in the toilet. The toilet paper was being used, but it was nowhere to be found. The smell of urine was the strongest it has ever been in her room, but we have a commode for her there and I just thought maybe it needed to be cleaned. Everytime I checked it, it was dry. The smell was still there.
It was enough doing what my whole family had to do before for her. Now being on bathroom watch 24/7 and for me to be the one to flush the toilet, clean the wash bowl and refill the toilet paper was real tough to accept, but I accepted it. It was the only way.
I must state now that before all of this we used to leave her cups of water to drink and when that was happening I noticed there were two leaks occuring once in a while that would drip to the basement. It turns out she was just dumping the water in one side of her room and it completely ate away at some of the hardwood flooring. There now a city of silverfish living there that have invaded our house for the past year. They are all over the bathrooms and couches and ..well... they are everywhere because of the nice moisture spot for them to grow in my grandmother's place.
Another thing before this all happened is that my grandmother had a small carpet mat by her bed. When we were all sleeping she would get up and just urinate on it and that too damaged the hardwood floor. I would not be surprised if one of us or her fall through one day.
I was angry when it happened I'll admit even though I know she her dementia is quite significant. Still, her bathroom is literally less than 10 steps away. If she got up and walked 10 steps she would be a the toilet.
So now comes the worst part that happened tonight. Remember the commode in her room? Well my mother wanted to give her a shower and she was just checking out around her bed and screamed. My grandmother for the past two months was dumping the urine on the mattress and it leaked through and stained the entire floor. The missing toilet paper? Yeah it's all around the mattress and the wood is all soaked in urine. For the second day in a row (running out of characters to explain yesterday's misfortune) my mother, sister and myself had to do a big clean up job late at night.
This is all becoming such a torment for my entire family. We are all exhausted. My mother is a hardworking RN who is close to 60 years old and I can tell she doesn't have the energy to do this everyday. Me and my sister try and try, but we get beat down to the point were we almost get sick.
I'm looking for any advice and I really just needed a place to post this. I'm slowly losing it. Its too much.
Any insights/opinions is greatly appreciated. I really don't know what to do anymore. I'm 29 yet I feel so empty and lethargic and I can't think.
I am not saying that you don't love your GM and want to do the best for her, but I think you all have reached the point where you have become exhausted, hopeless, and emotionally wiped out. Mentally, I think you have compartmentalized GM as that person who lives in the other room. She is fed and watered, but you have lost the spirit to do more than that for her. It can happen to well meaning people and when it does happen to caregivers, it's important to be honest with yourself about your feelings and how you are functioning as a family.
I don't know what your family financial situation is, but it sounds very stressful. Possibly your GM's social security is helping keep the family afloat. Maybe she had some assets that have been used by your family in the past to keep the household going. Does the house belong to your mom or your GM.
Maybe you, your mom and your sis need to sit down and have a real heart to heart discussion. It may be that your GM would get better care and be happier in a nursing home facility. She may have the potential to make some friends and join in some activities. You all could visit her and be in a better place emotionally to let her know she is loved.
If she only has her Social Security to live on, I would suggest you talk to your local Social Services and start the application for Medicaid. If there is a problem with the 5 year look back period concerning her assets, then you will have to deal with it and sometimes, Medicaid will make a hardship exception. You won't know until you start that process, but if you are on the verge of losing your home it may be that a hardship exception can be made.
Do you and your sister have jobs outside the home? If not, due to GM living with you, getting jobs could help with your long term financial situation.
I think the previous suggestion concerning filing a claim for damages through your homeowners insurance policy is an excellent suggestion and I pray that helps with all the damage your home has suffered.
I apologize if I have offended you. It could be that I am completely off base with my thoughts and comments. If not, please understand that I am not judging you or your family. I just think you have done your best and can't do it anymore.
Best wishes to you all. Cattails
"My grandmother for the past two months was dumping the urine on the mattress and it leaked through and stained the entire floor. The missing toilet paper? Yeah it's all around the mattress and the wood is all soaked in urine."
Hasn't anyone changed your grandmothers sheets in two months? I always change the sheet on beds every week and clean the rooms. Every month I would wash down the walls in my mothers room and did a complete cleaning. I did the bathroom every week, walls floors, sink, shower got scrubbed ceiling to floor with Lysol. How is it Grandma can be dumping urine in her bed and no one catches it for two months and she pours water in a corner long enough for the floor to rot and silverfish to invade your home? Sounds like you need to call an exterminator to get rid of the silverfish and a good cleaning service.
Maybe you need to set up a weekly cleaning schedule where her areas get ceiling to floor scrubbing. Move the furniture, change her sheets and wash down her bed using Lysol and then you would find these issues before your home is ruined. The smell must be awful.
Sorry, just offering a suggestion that my help. Dementia patients are good at putting things in odd places.
Good wishes.
You are going to get the same response from me; your grandmother needs to go to a nursing home!! You can no longer deal with her in your home. She can go on for who knows how many more years, while the rest of you lose your health and home. No matter how much you love her, it isn't worth the emotional, physical and financial expense. Everyone, including your grandmother, has to be cared for in the best possible environment and your health, future and well-being have to count too!! Grandma has lived her life, for the most part, and you still have yours ahead. YOU should be allowed to live it and not lose it caring for someone who has a sever illness that will only take you down further and further, while she doesn’t recognize the agony she is causing in your family. It isn’t that she is intentionally creating these problems, her mind is doing terrible things to her and she can’t help it. But, either can you, and most of all you can’t stop it or make it better. I guarantee you will lose so much if you continue the path you are currently on. Been there done that. There come a time, when no matter how much you love them, want to care for the, and feel guilty for making the most difficult decisions you will ever make, you HAVE to save yourself and your family. You deserve a life too, like I said Grandma has had hers and she will adjust and probably do very well in an assisted facility.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take what Elfgarden recommended and IMMEDIATELY talk with an elder-law attorney. Yes, it will cost a little money; use your grandmothers as it is about her care and estate. I have the feeling you are trying to preserve her finances and that is why you do not want to place her in a facility. An elder-law attorney will be able to advise you how to protect as much money as you can. HOWEVER, SEE HIM BEFORE YOU PLACE HER OR TALK TO A SOCIAL WORKER!!!!! You can spend some of her money on home improvements, a new car and other items that are allowed, but once the government is in the picture, you may not have that option. They will take every penny until she only has roughly, $2000.00 left and then Medicaid will pick up the rest. So, if that is part of the issue, and even if it isn't. DON'T WAIT MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT TODAY!!!! You might be able to get the floors replaced and other items damaged by the toilet water.
Do you have homeowners insurance? The flood should be handled under your policy. And if there is sewer or toilet water on ANYTHING they will replace it all!! We had a similar issue and we were told it is illegal not to replace it! We had new carpet throughout the basement, new drywall, wallpaper, paint and ceilings, all covered by insurance because of the sewer water touching it. They had to do all the carpet because there was no place like a room to make a line of demarcation.
So, PLEASE, start the process before you lose everything, especially your health, you are already becoming drained. Sadly, she won't get any better and it will only get worse.
FIRST AND FOREMOST CALL THAT ATTORNEY, he is cheaper than replacing everying in your home!
Best of luck, you have done all you can and there comes a point you just can't do any more. Realize this is not the woman you once knew due to the dementia. You are not a terrible person for finding the best solution for everyone. You sound like a wonderful son and grandson. Your family needs to become a family again. And, as one social worker told me when I was at the end of my rope, the time you spend with your loved one who is in a care facility will be quality time, not exhausted, frustrated and angry time. Take her out for ice cream, take her for a ride, take her to do things you don’t have the time or energy now to do because the time you could be spending doing loving, fun things are spent cleaning up and just trying to keep a head. Enjoy the time you have left, let someone else do the cooking, laundry and cleaning. As hard as it is to make that decision, you will all be better for it in the long run, including grandma. Have happy last memories, not sad ones. Our hearts and prayers are with you and your family.
Hugs and prayers.