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Certainly not an easy decision. As a matter of fact it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I moved my mom in with my me and my husband about one year ago. Mom’s condition has been steadily declining and it has put a terrible strain on my marriage. I found a good skilled nursing home called Gurwin on Long Island for her.


I realize the Covid crisis will make it very hard to see her and my sister is now in panic mode because she may not be able to visit her. She NOW wants her to live with her and have round the clock nurses aides come to her home. I have spent months getting mom Medicaid eligible for nursing home placement . I saw the writing on the wall. I have kept all my siblings up to date with all the decisions I have made and now that mom can go into a good home my one sister who is a single mom with a 15 year old son wants to take her in. Honestly, she can barely take care of herself. Her emotions are dictating her decision to fight me on this. I love my mom too and to place her now during a pandemic was not a decision made lightly. Mom needs attention and care round the clock. She can do a few things like feeding herself and toileting at times but now she’s incontinent of urine most of time. The stress over the last year as her caregivers put a terrible strain on our marriage. My husband refuses to have help at home and I have to respect that even though I disagree. Any advice?


Am I wrong to place mom during all the Covid visiting restrictions and at times NO visitors. My sister is very close to my mom and she’ll not do well if she can’t visit her.

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Has your sister spent any extended period of time caring for your mother? Perhaps sending your mother for a few of weeks "vacation" time at her home would be a reality check.
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You are not wrong. Yes Covid is a fact of life at this time. Many facilities have been able to get a better handle on it than in the beginning. I'm thinking she would have a lesser chance of getting it at a facility than in a home with a teenager. Going into the facility on Medicaid means there aren't any funds to pay for in home care, unless baby sister thinks you will foot the bill. With mom's dementia worsening the kind thing to do is to get her settled in a facility while she can still make the adjustment to her new home. She very well may enjoy interacting with others and activities that are offered, sometimes they seem to improve a little bit or not decline as swiftly because of meds being more regulated and more stimulating environments. Do what's best for mom, little sister may have issues, she may stop talking to you, her problem not yours. You stated sis can't take care of herself, how in the world is she going to be responsible for mom's wellbeing? Let's face it, you are not doing this because you want to, you came to this decision because you need to do this FOR mom. Prayers for you and your family as you make these stressful choices. Know you are doing the right thing for all concerned.
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Barbrany3 Sep 2020
Thank you for your advice and encouragement!
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Covid cases in NYC are dramatically declined and staff are way more savvy about how to deal with it now. FYI I'm in MN and my 85-yr old MIL was in LTC and got covid in May. She was really sick for 4 weeks, then had a full recovery. It's not a death sentence for every senior. Your marriage is more important. Your sister's 15-yr old is more important. My opinion is No to her caring for her in her home. Seasonal flu is nearing and with a teenager in the home, this is a double risk if worried about her catching something nasty. This past June our MN legislators passed an Essential Caregivers bill so that now 1 or more vetted caregivers (by the facility) will be allowed inside no matter what. You should find out if this has happened yet in NY. If not, you should have this discussion with your mom's facility admin. I wish you peace in your hearts that there is really no perfect solution.
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I see you have decided to go ahead with placing your mom. In the big scheme of things, this is probably for the best.

If the placement won't be happening immediately, is it possible for your sister to come to your house (rather than uprooting mom and sending her to her house) and be responsible for mom for a week while you and your husband take a much-needed vacation (even if it is only nearby) in order to safeguard your own marriage? That might be just the thing she needs to see that moving mom to a care facility is the best option.
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How does your sister think she is going to hire aides if Mom has no money. Are you the POA? If so, its your decision to make. And if NY is like NJ, you only have 90days from date of application to get Mom placed.
Your marriage is #1 here. Moms decline will continue to the point ur sister cannot care for her. And she should be enjoying her childs teen years. Shortly he will be on his own. I assume she works.

Do what you need to do. At this point Mom probably has no idea what is going on. Tell her she is going to a new apartment and will have new friends. It worked with my Mom.
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You are not wrong. Sister just doesn't understand the situation.
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So if Mom is qualified for Medicaid who is going to pay for all these at-home caregivers? Just wrangling these people can be a full time job. And how is your sister going to ensure they are safe from Covid? Who monitors them or their testing? Your duty is to do what is best for your Mom. Your sister has no idea how much work caring for an elderly infirm person can be.
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rovana Sep 2020
Excellent points. At home caregivers are very expensive - has sis any idea about this or has she not really looked into it yet? Also, even if you can afford 3 shifts, it DOES NOT mean you are home free. You have to coordinate, be willing to fill in when a caregiver cannot show up, to say nothing of the COVID issues. The nursing home is better able to police COVID testing/exposure.
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Send mom for two weeks for a “trial” run and I am sure your sister will get how hard it is. My 91-year-old mother has been with me for three months which I do routinely now for three years. My sister has the other months of the year. Her dementia is getting worse all the time and my marriage has been greatly affected this time. We are both exhausted....It is a constant questionnaire and disagrees with absolutely everything that we say ...it’s frustrating. Living with someone who has dementia is debilitating, frustrating, stressful, and exhausting. Sometimes no matter how hard you try your loved one will not appreciate it… Gets upset that you have taken over their life when their needs have to be met and they can no longer do for themself, so they take it out on you. My mother needs to be with others her own age so she can tell the same four (made-up) stories over and over and over again and no one will mind because they won’t remember. If you are the health care surrogate and have POA do what you think is best!
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Mrsrubee Sep 2020
I laughed at “the same four (made up) stories.” OMG, isn’t that the truth!
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Gurwin is excellent. My Grandma was there in her last months of life & passed away there in 1998. My mother & my Aunt went there regularly. Now my mother, 93 has dementia & is very abusive every day to me. I’m taking care of her at home in Queens ...discharged her from SNF nearby 3.5 years ago. The Nurses, CNAs & Social Worker all warned me that she will get worse...they were right...She’s incontinent& immobile. We use a machine to transfer her. I have a paid private pay caregiver for 25 hrs a week. Not many caregivers would want to take care of her...she gets very abusive & violent. Please listen to me & leave her at Gurwin. It’s the best place on LI Hugs 🤗
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Is there money to pay for round the clock aids? You say your Mom is Medicaid eligible so I cannot imagine how. Are you the POA for Mom? I don't think that your Sister is being realistic at all here. She hasn't done 24 hour care and she doesn't understand the costs of help in the home.
I myself would do the placement. I would however know exactly what I am letting myself in for, because this could be the end of the relationship with my sister, and could in fact mean the death of your Mom from covid. That is a lot to be able to shoulder should worse come to worse.
Only you know your sister well enough to know if in home at her house might work. If it is very very clear to you that it would not/could not, then I would sit her down and tell her all the reasons why, and tell her that you fully understand you are risking her love and your Mom's life; it is what she will accuse you of. If you think there is a chance in Hades that your Sis can do this, then you might let her try during covid, warn her against spending her money, do not spend your own, and let the home know that this last ditch effort is going to be tried for three months, that you are quite certain it will not work, but that you cannot risk your Sister's love and your Mom's life without giving it a try first.
The two paths are clear. Only you can make the decision. There is no right and wrong here. These are desperate times in which there are no good answers and not everything can be fixed.
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rovana Sep 2020
Where is the money for aides going to come from? And why would mom be safer in sis' home? A teenager at home? Is sis planning to lock the kid down? Good luck with that.
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