You know you are a caregiver if.....

You know you are a caregiver if
your darling goes into the house and waits for you to tell her where to go to hang up her coat...

When your mom uses you for a human cane because she is too vain to use the real thing.

You carry extra pee pads in your purse .. for you.

And before tossing all those used tissues, you also check for hearing aids.

Yes, that happened, thought they were lost, but rolled up in a Kleenex, then stuck up the sleeve.

You know you are a caregiver if you have to sew up all the pockets on your loved one's clothes (Sorry Mom pockets are extra these days)

You know you are a caregiver when you have a spare diaper in your purse

You know you are a caregiver when you always have rubber gloves in your pocket.

You are thankful AC doesn't have sound

You wish there was a way to upload a good hearty scream to the AC discussion boards!

And every time that you help to get them ready for bed a few stray Kleenex fall out of every pocket or sleeve.

You know you are a caregiver when you check every wad of Kleenex for hidden cash...

... and you know you're getting to be an older caregiver when you take one of the tissues for yourself. I am starting to understand the tissue obsession old people have.

You know you're a caregiver when you ask your loved one, while I'm up would you like another glass of ice water before I sit back down and they say no and the minute you sit back down they want another glass of ice water!

Or, you know you're a caregiver when you have to have a box of Kleenex in every single room of the house and they can't leave the room without taking a Kleenex with them!!!

When your daughter comes home from school today and mentions that her best friend's grandmother passed away this morning...you feel bad for her but the first thing out of your mouth is "Did you tell her she can have yours?" It's just been one of those weeks : )

You could just as easily drown her in the tub at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris, thank goodness we cannot return swim suits here. If I had gone through all of that, I wouldn't take it back even if I could. Tomorrow she will just want to go shop for a new one again.

You spend an hour in a tiny dressing room, with her walker and 20 bathing suits, physically PUTTING her feet in the leg holes, PUTTING her arms in the arm holes, PUTTING her boobs in the bra part, asking her to "Stand up, Mom, while I get the bathing suit over your bum". FINALLY settling on a bathing suit. Taking it, the other 19 suits and the hangers they were on, your winter coat, your Mom's winter coat, your purse and her purse....and standing in line to pay for the blessed thing. Leaving her in the dressing room to simply put on her slacks, her top and her little slip-on booties. After a long line-up at the cashier, and paying, she is STILL not ready.

Only to have her say the next day, "Don't get mad, but would you mind taking this bathing suit back? I think I'll just use my old one."

Glad I have the same problem and i am not demented yet. i want a cup of tea anywhere beteen 3 and 5 so I make it drink a little and go back to sleep. When I wake up again there is a nice warm cup of tea sitting on my little pot warmer ready to drink without moving a muscle. PS I would not recommend a warmer for any elder because they get pretty hot and do burn.

You finally realize after 2.5 years, if mom is up too early, instead of trying to get her to go back to bed, so you can have just 30 minutes to yourself, you go ahead and fix the tea, put it on the table for her, and two minutes later she has gone back to bed. Just like children, tell them to go back to bed, I DON"T THINK SO! Instead fix the tea they want, then they go back to bed. I think they call it contrary?

When you go out in the yard and always make sure you have house key with you. If you don't you will be locked out and not recognized.

You are in the ER with Grandma and the nurse asks her to put on a gown. Indignently she says " I most certainly will not you never know who has worn that before"

You know you are a caregiver when you are frantically looking for Mom in Sears and you hear an ambulance arrive. Your heart beating very fast you run after the EMTs to the bedding department and find Mom fast asleep with three sales people and a manager standing over her. When she hears your voice she opens her old blue eyes and gives a sweet smile and asks if it is time for breakfast yet.

You know you are a caregiver when you take Mom's dog to the Vet and Mom climbs on the table and pulls up her skirt.

You know you are a caregiver when Dad uses the toilet in the home improvement store - the one on display.

you are thankful for the hard of hearing. It allows the fire trucks and fire men to get into the house to turn off water when fixture has broken off, help mop up, all before the elder wakes up. Yup really happened, what a relief! And how confusing and frightening for her if she woke to these guys running in and out!

During the morning blessing at breakfast it is stated "and hope we all have a happy Thanksgiving Day". And you just keep your mouth shut and smile, do not correct, just thankful that the morning blessing can still be said, regardless of outcome.

And the sad thing is, I think dementia is beginning to hit mom's hubby as well! Here we go again, now what!

when you are eating your cereal in the bathroom because someone decided they have to pee, even though you had just asked her five minutes before if she had to go : ) I swear she's just like my kids...doesn't need anything until I'm busy LOL

When you don't want anyone to visit because your house always smells like an outhouse and there are brown stains on carpet that you can't get out.

You work in a nursing home and sigh as room 8s bell clicks on.' Wonder what the silly old bat is seeing creeping up her wall now. Yesterday you spent half the day chasing an imaginary porcupine round the room. "Hi Elsie what the matter?" you ask kindly." there's big old hornet on the drapes' you pick up a magazine and take a swipe at the drapes. You let out a huge howl and from under the sheets a little voice giggles "Told you it was a big old hornet"

You know you are a caregiver when grandpa asks you to get some of that V8 to put on his hemorrhoids .You know there is no point arguing so you go and get the bottle. "Where's the glass?' I'll get one" you reply " but why don't you roll over" and you produce the preparation H from your pocket. "You'r a good girl, how did you know I was sore?" "Cuz I love you " you mutter through your tears.