Harrowing, overwhelming, and absolutely heartbreaking are the feelings my family and I have been experiencing ever since Mom Lily had a massive seizure due to inflammation around her brain tumour causing pressure on the brain stem which has rendered her totally immobile and affected her speech, plus a host of other vital functions like swallowing.
Lily's Cottage
Mom and Dad lived in a spacious garden cottage specially designed for their needs. Dad passed away unexpectedly two years after completion of their dream cottage and Mom stayed on her own for a further eight years but moved up to our house as the silence in the nights became too much for her.
Our BnB Lily's Cottage was born a couple of years later and has been a tranquil haven as well as a joyful place for many of our guests.
Mom used to be fiercely independent and kept fit with regular walking and a healthy well-balanced diet; unlike me who often eat all the wrong things!
It came as a big shock when she started having balance problems and a brain tumour was discovered. I touched a little on this when Our Lily of the Valley turned 90.
Caring for the aged and the debilitated
I wrote about The Job of Living and touched on the problem many of us will one day have to face when we ourselves or elderly loved ones are no longer able to care for themselves.
Little did I know then just how this draining it can become when one takes on the job of caring for a parent who has become immobile and getting frailer by the day!
Home Angels
That was until Home Angels came on the scene, and this is a very apt name for their caregivers.
My brother offered to arrange this home-based caring service.
We were skeptical at first as Mom already feels bad that I have to see to her personal needs, so how was she going to accept a stranger doing this?
We further did not like the idea of a stranger coming into our private space.
How wrong we were!
Home angels offer different packages and my brother chose the day-care option from Monday to Sunday.
Two ladies alternate every four days and are responsible for Mom's personal care during the day; taking a huge load off our shoulders as we run our own BnB which can be hard work, and was especially difficult as this all happened when our staff was on leave!
We share the costs of this service which I really see as the best option for an infirm family member who needs constant care.
Even if we had all the money in the world, sending Mom to the very best frail care facility would be really disruptive and a huge shock to her!
She still is in the environment that she's used to, plus we as her family are around.
Source
The Home Angels story is one that is close to home. It began when our founders mother became ill and a responsible, competent and compassionate Carer was required to take care of her. Home Angels was started to fulfill that need.
Our Home Angel will take care of your loved ones, and treat them with dignity and respect, allowing them to enjoy a good quality of life in the comfort of their home.
We are here to free your concerns that your loved one may feel lonely, forgotten or unloved. The time you spend with your loved one should be a time of joy and making happy memories, not one of concern regarding their daily needs.
Our Home Angels are responsible and well respected in their field of work and will not only be a source of companionship but will also assist with bathing, dressing, feeding, exercising and a host of other requirements your loved one may have.
We strive for a happy patient who will thrive in a healthy clean environment, and who will feel reassured they are in the capable hands of our Home Angel.
Home-based care by a good caregiver has been the solution for us even though we take over at night, but once Mom is asleep, we go off-duty except when she wants to chat in the middle of the night, telling us she doesn't want to sleep, just like a naughty child😉
We can only do our best and try to make her last days as comfortable as possible, and Home Angels are helping us do this!
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