Is it normal to feel angry?
For the last 3 months I have been caring for my elderly father who is 89 years old. He has no health conditions and doesn't take any meds at all but he is constantly saying things like 'if I am alive next week' or 'If I make it until tomorrow. For the last couple of weeks all he does is get up/ get washed/ dressed and sit in his chair all day.
I can't get him to do anything - not even make a cup of tea. He can actually do things for himself but he is doing less and less. I know he is getting frailer but he won't do any kind of activity and consequently his legs are getting weaker and he is going downhill. He was doing chair exercises but every day he makes excuses and is reluctant to move at all.
I have started to feel very frustrated and today I lashed out at him as the only thing he does is feed his dog but he has even stopped doing that. Now I feel really sorry and I get guilty, but I am just worn out from it all.
Any ideas?
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Now my Mother in Law is 97. She keep asking me WHY AM I ALIVE? So you go over, make sure they are up, dressed. Feed the dog, don't let him neglect the dog. The dog is being more mature than he is! If he sits there all day, he sits there all day. Make sure he is safe. Check for signs of nutrition. Like dirty dishes, or food gone. They play games with you. They say those things for reinforcement that they matter to someone. Turn into a detective. My Mother in Law eats, then gets rid of all the evidence. But I know where to look. Then go home and take care of yourself and your life. You have done your best.
He gets up - sits in his chair - gets dressed - sits in his chair. He does eat but less than usual; loves biscuits and cakes, not so good on protein and vegetables so eats like a kid. I let him eat what he wants as he's always eaten like this and has lived to this age on it.
A thorough medical check up could be a good thing to rule out any health issues.
Meanwhile, take it easy on yourself. This journey is not over and worse may lie ahead. You can only do what you can do -keep him as safe as possible, nourished, and with proper medical care. He will get frailer eventually no matter how much he does. It is a matter of his age. You need to look after yourself so you can care for him. Good luck!
I get why people who are 89 years old might say things about it being near the end. In a way they are right. Can you think of a few ways to put some spark or interest back into the day? I know it's hard, but, sometimes visits from children or long time friends help lift the spirits. Would he be up for a drive to the seashore or a lake? There is really only so much you can do.
I'm of the belief that seniors really have the right to just relax and do what they want as they turn into their 80's and 90's, as long as it's safe. Goodness knows they must be tired. For some people, getting out of bed, bathed and dressed for the day is a big deal. As long as he's content, I'd support his wishes. Maybe, he's content and just resting. I'd try to accept his choices and not impute upon him the way you think he should be behaving. Sometimes, kindness and support can be the best remedy.
Diazepam does not get handed out freely any more. There must be some rationale behind it, and it certainly isn't obvious to me - it would, for example, not normally be px'ed to someone seeking help with low mood or depression. Did your father report difficulty sleeping or something like that?
What happened three months ago that made you take over as his primary carer? Was there a bereavement, a move, anything in particular?
Recently the doc came again as he had breathing problems but I actually think this is caused by anxiety.
I have always visited for a couple of months a year but in the last year I had to stay longer and this is the longest I have been here.
I am really missing my husband and home but I can't leave him on his own.
He has a carer who comes in three times a week which was sufficient but now I don't think he'd be able to manage on his own. I am an only child and he seems to expect me to stay with him.
If he doesn't want to take that, could you crush up a half dose and give it to him in apple sauce or pudding? A lower dose will lessen the side effects and may still help his mood. Then increase it once he is used to it. If he has another panic attack you might try that with the Diazepam.
Mother was canny, and knew right away by the effect on her when they were giving her meds, so she refused them. But it works for some people.
However, it's time you let go of trying to direct what he does or doesn't do.
I'm going to share from the other side.
He may not have health issues, from what you can SEE. Yet the body is very achy as you age. Joint pain and general stiffness is very uncomfortable!
And maybe he is giving you a message that he won't be around much longer because he's being intuitive. Maybe talk to him about it why he says that. He may reveal something to you that you don't know. Be curious and supportive.
You cannot make anyone do anything. At some point, elders realize that they are going to die, and verbalizing it is one way of accepting it and not being fearful. This is the last thing that he has power over. Let him do it his way.
Maybe hire someone to help you if you're feeling burned out.
And when you feel anger or frustration with, leave the room, walk it off...and let it go! Change your focus on what you need to do for yourself to stay in balance while he's going through what he's going through.
All the best to you and dad.
And I agree about the anger - I do need to walk it off and let it go as it's starting to impact my health.
I am trying to maintain my balance but as I am sure you know it's not easy.
One thing that I am finding difficult is it is difficult not to absorb his energy.
I can feel it dragging me down. I actually need to be boosting my own energy so I can help him but the 24/7 situation is depleting me.
Six months ago your father had panic attacks. Why? What investigations have been done? Who has lead responsibility for his welfare when you are not in the country? Who is providing the regular carers? Is your father in sheltered housing, on his own in the community, or what?
The thing is: you quite naturally need to get home to your husband, but before you can do that you need to formulate a proper care plan for your father; but in order to do that you need a much clearer picture of what is going on with him. What options are you looking at?
The panic attacks were brought on by worry about a water leak in the house. He could hear it but didn't know what it was. I guess he got worked up about it and one day pressed his care line button. The neighbours were called and then paramedics and as a result the doctor prescribed Diazepam. I came over from Turkey as few days later and as he was still feeling bad and I called the doctor. Yes, it's difficult to get a doctor to call but when they look at Dad's medical records they can see that he never goes to the doctors so the Doc came round immediately.
After that incident the social services came and did an assessment and put a very basic care package in place. (3x 30 mins a week). Due to the financial assessment - although he doesn't have much of a pension, he would have to pay for any care package up to a threshold of £400 a month.
Dad lives on his own in a bungalow with his little dog. He is actually reluctant to pay but I think the time has come for us to discuss this.It is probably time to talk about getting a more substantial care package or putting this in place for 'respite' periods so that I can go back to Turkey.
The final option would be to consider him going into a care home; however, the way things are going with the NHS I am pretty sure that if social services did another assessment, they would not think he needed full time care. He can actually JUST manage to look after himself.
BUT--he's like dragging a horse to the water trough to get him to take care of himself. He has quite a few health issues and one will be the one that takes him-- (liver transplant--14 years in, with a 20-25 year life expectancy---tho he's healthy now, he does think about maybe only having 6+ more years has brought on anxiety and depression)
He had 2 heart attacks last summer. Brought on by never exercising and eating garbage. He was such a jerk as a patient. I literally went to wash my hair about 6 weeks after the 2nd HA and saw that my hair growing in was pure white. Just stress.
He won't socialize. He works, comes home, eats dinner and is in bed with his phone on to Facebook and the TV blaring so loud the walls shake. This is his plan for retirement. Sleep all day. Which he does, all weekend, every weekend. And I don't mean "napping" I mean, he does not get up from Friday at 8 pm until Monday morning.
We've been through SO MUCH. And he is never grateful or happy. He is a complete 180 of the man I married. Never touches me or shows any affection.
Trying so hard to not be angry. I have five WONDERFUL kids on whom I lean as little as possible for love and support. If nothing else came out of this marriage, these kids did and for that, I am grateful.
I did reach out to his psychiatrist whom he will see next week. I am hoping she will up his dose of antidepessants--but I don't have a lot of faith. I'm not sure she even knows he's married, that's how little he cares.
I realize a marriage is a very different dynamic than caring for your father. But the end result is the same. Living with someone who is just crabby and uninvolved is SO hard.
My therapist told me to create a "single woman's" life. I am doing so, slowly, finding things to do that aren't in the least tied to him. Here I am, 62 years old and married to a man who acts like a 90 yo. He's angry, crabby, wants to argue with everyone about politics....and wonders why nobody wants to do things with us.
Anger is a secondary emotion. We feel it when we are frustrated and exhausted and tired and burned out. Finding the true emotion is hard.
My DH suffered from anxiety and panic attacks MANY times. I cannot tell you how many ER runs we did, b/c he always thought he was having a HA. SO when he HAD the heart attack, I kind of blew him off. (MEN don't have anxiety)
I learned to grind up his Valium and put it in a pudding cup or something--wait 1/2 hour and he usually was asleep in that time. I have an anxiety disorder and so I KNOW panic attacks are awful--but they are treatable.
Try to get away, disengage from him as much as possible and try to not take his cranky mood personally. (I need to take my own advice on that).
Bless you---CG is so hard.