Asked a question 7/17/2010 at 11:09 pm
My mother is 89 years old and has severe hearing loss. More than a year ago her doctor said she has dementia and should not be living alone. My brother and his wife, who is a nurse, live 2 hours away
...Read MoreMy mother is 89 years old and has severe hearing loss. More than a year ago her doctor said she has dementia and should not be living alone. My brother and his wife, who is a nurse, live 2 hours away and I live 2,000 miles away. My father died four years ago, they were married for 65 years, and lived in my mother's current home for more than 20 years. My mother has never lived alone. My mother's physical health is generally good; however, my brother says she weighs around 80 pounds. My brother and I think that she is depressed and her cognitive ability has seriously diminished, although it's unclear how much of this is her hearing. He is overwhelmed and extremely concerned and upset about my mother. I want to respect my mother's wishes and am also very concerned about my brother's assessment of her situation. I spent a week with her about a year ago and she was mostly OK. I plan to visit her for another week this September.
Any suggestions are very much appreciated.