Lynn Ivey
President & Founder, The Ivey Adult Day Care
Lynn Ivey left her banking career to care for her mother with dementia. Adult day care became a critical component for her mother, providing social stimulation and medical supervision, while enabling her to continue living at home.
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Is going to adult day care 7 days a week too much?
This is a great question! Thanks for asking. Absolutely, she needs to attend the day care. She has lived a very full life by keeping... This is a great question! Thanks for asking. Absolutely, she needs to attend the day care. She has lived a very full life by keeping busy and socializing. Our experience at The Ivey is that everyone functions at a higher level when they have as much routine as possible. There is no substitute for socialization with peers to give a person purpose in life. The only caveat to this is that each weekend, the new adult day program will be new to her all over again. So please make sure that it is of the same quality and calibur as the one she attends during the week. If it isn't and she has a bad experience, it could affect her perception of the week day program. You say she sleeps all weekend from boredom, I saw that same thing with my mother, so don't let her get bored! That's the main thing. see more
How can I get away for the weekend if I cannot afford to hire a caregiver?
Do you need basic companionship and light caregiving duties or more specialized medical/caregiving duties? For companionship and light caregiving duties, contact the Congregational Care Team of your place of worship to see if a "home buddy" is available to stay with your parents while you are away. Another option to consider is a close friend, neighbor, or relative who is already familiar with your loved one. This could be especially good if you have flexibility of your parents staying with them in their home instead of yours.
Contact the senior center in your area for referrals to additional respite options. Often private individuals offer home care, usually at a reduced cost than with a homecare agency.
This may not help with your most immediate need, but building for the future, you might consider identifying a circle of friends who could offer help and care in situations like this. And in exchange, you might offer help in return for some other circumstance, such as preparing meals for someone in the circle who is sick. I am sure your plate is already full and finding time to cultivate this circle could be challenging, but maybe worth some thought.
Good luck -- and I hope you have a restoring weekend away soon! see more