Are there funds available for improving a home that my elderly mom already lives in with my sister?

I am the live-in primary caregiver for my 94-year-old grandmother and she is a major fall risk. Her knees are in horrible shape and will sometimes lock when she isn't fully standing and, if she doesn't have a bed or chair behind her, she ends up falling to the floor. It's a miracle that she hasn't broken any bones at her age, but I am constantly worried about it and I stay awake all night and sit outside her bedroom to listen for her to wake up to use the potty. Then I run in and help her get there and back in bed because she's also prone to falling when she first wakes up.

I ordered the Bedcane mentioned in this article and just installed a few days ago. I am thoroughly impressed and pleased with the product! It helps her stand up, lower herself down into the bed and she can use it push herself up in the bed if she wants her head higher on the pillows. It also has multiple pockets for her remotes, glasses and she uses for Chapstick and Kleenex which she uses during the night. I paid less than $70 delievered and I recommend it to anyone who has any trouble getting up or down from the bed.

The cane is mounted on a piece of wood that's roughly 2'x4' and it slides under the mattress but on top of the box springs. Then it has a very strong nylon strap that will reach the frame rail on the opposite side of the bed. You loop one side of the strap over the rail and the other one under it, pull it as tight as you can and it holds the Bedcane firmly in place!

Thanks Annlidiot, We talked about careing for one another. We were both widow and widower. Me 12 years and him 2 years. We just took for granted that we would take care of one another.
I should have known something was wrong from day one of our marriage. In the middle of the night he grabbed my leg and sunk his finger nails in it. I screamed at the top of my lungs and he didn't wake up. I had to pry his fingers open for him to let go. He still didn't wake up and the next morning he didn't remember anything.
He swings in his sleep, sometimes he will yell out; and his body will jerk and that will wake me up. I think this is called inside tremmors. He doesn't shake when he is awake like Michael J. Fox does. His walk is stiff and he has very little facial expression and does not have a sence of smell. I believe these r all Parkinsons symptoms. I guess I was asking more about the brain function but I do wonder what else physically I should be prepared for. I'm not fond of surprises.
Thanks also for your sense of humor. Humor got me thru my first dealing as being a care giver. Thanks! Dane

wow - you might want to go to disease specific sites to learn about Parkinsons. You mentioned that this is a big surprise for you because you haven't been married long - - did you all ever have a conversation about expectations and who would take care of who?

My dear friend always has joked that many men are looking for a "nurse with a purse" when they hit a certain age.

can anyone tell me what to expect from a husband that has been diagnoised with Parkinsons disease? he is 75 years old and some of the things he does could be related to old age. He constantly wants assurance with decisions. Even with the cereal he eats in the morning. How to reset the mileage button in the car, what to wear, etc. About 10 years ago i decided i didn't want to make decisions for another human being and now it seems like that is all i do. i think i would be more patient if i knew that he couldn't help doing some of the wierd things he does and isn't doing them just to get attention. we have been married for only six years and i didn't really know him that well when i married him.
there has to be something said for living with someone before you marry them. thanks for listening. Dane