Elderly Care Choices - Who Took the Wheels Off My Walker?

All of us natural, organic and whole foods people must focus or we will be caught in the tyranny of the moment and life will pass us by. It is easy to be over involved with daily schedules and pressures and forget about the every day joy that life often brings. This is particularly true when you are involved in the elderly care of elderly parents. "Elderly care" presents lots of challenges, but many rewards as well. Illustrating this is an event that happened a few nights ago in our home. It may have ordinarily gone unnoticed if I hadn't stopped and let it settle in. Trivial and silly little things often escape our notice.

Everyone was getting ready for bed and I was finishing a little project at the kitchen table before I started with my routine of natural, organic, whole foods supplement and tincture consumption at days end when I begin to hear a faint click click coming in my direction form around the corner near my elderly parents bed room. I couldn't quite put it together, it wasn't something usual so I stopped to listen. Click click again and again and now it was nearer and getting closer. My mind couldn't make a connection. Then it appeared, just coming around the corner, it was my dad's walker. My mind was confused, why was I seeing my dad's walker coming around the corner? I had just put dad to bed, he can't get in and out of bed by himself I thought. I know he needs help.

Elderly care always has challenges, and my mind was was asking, "Why?" Who has gotten him out of bed? I know he can't walk by himself without supervision. I know my mom can't be helping because she is elderly too and barely able to take care of herself and get along with her own walker unassisted. This mystery was soon answered, at least in part, as the rest of the walker appeared, it was my mom using dad's walker.
Mom's walker has wheels on the front and dad's does not. I know she would rather push and glide rather than having to lift forward then clunk down and walk forward; again and again. I wondered, "Why is mom using dad's walker?" At least this explained the click, click I hand been hearing.

I knew something was up because I saw it, it's "the look" I've seen it my whole life, I know I am going to have to answer up. I know no one escapes without an answering. So I give elderly mom my full attention. My mind begins to remember other times that I have seen the look and I am immediately transported in time back 52 years when she was correcting me for not obeying her in class when she was my 2nd grade teacher. Mom gave me a spanking that day if front of the whole class for that insubordination. I never did that again. So even now 52 years later, when she is the elderly care recipient, I pay attention to her.

"Who took the wheels off my walker!" she demanded.
I couldn't keep a straight face, not to this surprising question. I burst into immediate laughter and so did everyone around me. With this laughter she realized that she had made a classic "senior moment mistake" of confusing her walker with wheels for dads walker without wheels. She had thought someone had gone in her room violated her space and removed the wheels from her walker without her knowing. (All in the past 10 minutes while she was in the bathroom.) When she came out of the bathroom and saw that the wheels had been removed from her walker she could have no rest until she found out who was responsible for trying to make her life a little more inconvenient, and made them put the wheels back on without delay.

Becoming aware of her own blunder she immediately came up with a recovery statement by say that she had realized the mistake about the time she got there but since she had walked all the way out from her bedroom she might just as well say what she came out to say and not waste the trip. We all enjoyed the whole episode. She even laughed at herself.

If we were not able have the elderly care of my mom and dad at our home we would have deprived ourselves of a little moment of joy. Everyone was laughing and it was good for all of us. It reminded us of the way mom was in her prime, when she got down to business. I know when my mom is no longer with us we will find great comfort in sharing this and other stories like them. This is a wonderful payment for all the elderly care work that is required to keep them in our home.

Elder Care Laws - Can My Children Force Me to Live in a Nursing Home?

There are laws to protect all of us - be it laws for children rights, laws for adults rights or even animal rights. Laws are put into place and kept updated so that no-one has the right to abuse a person and get away with it. Even the Elderly people have protection and laws put into place so that no one is able to mis-treat them.

Elder Care Laws

There are Civil Rights laws put into place where the rights to shelter, food, health and freedom is allowed. For the Elderly its the right to freedom of movement, freedom of choice, freedom of speech and the right to equal treatment under the law. If those rights are taken away from the Elderly person then they have the right to seek help. So under those Civil Rights no one is allowed to force you into living in nursing home.

Elder Care Laws - Can My Children Force Me to Live in a Nursing Home?

When you reach a certain age you will need some help with your ADL's (assistance with Daily Living) and basic health care needs. You may no longer be as quick on your feet as you were when you were younger, and you may be losing your eye sight/ hearing. Yet you have the right as a human being to decide if you need to live in a Nursing Home. There will come a time in your life that as you age you will not accept the help, nor would you want to admit that you need the help but you are still awarded the Civil Rights law like any other human being.

When Family Step In

As an aged Care Nurse I have seen family step in and force their Mother/Father into a Nursing Home. Usually it is when a family member has Enduring Power of Attorney and believes that the Elderly person is no longer safe/nor able to look after themselves at home. Then it becomes an issue of yes the Children Can force a parent to live in a Nursing Home... but that usually means that the Elderly Person is no longer able to make their own decisions - financially or personally. If an aged care person reaches that stage then they are not fully aware of where they are (as in place) or why they are there.

Elder Care Rights

Each Elderly person is still allowed their basic human rights, their rights to health care, and their right to live. If those rights are being abused by an Enduring power of Attorney (EPOA) then the Adult Guardian will step in to protect and promote the rights of the person who is cognitive impaired (ie can not speak for themselves). No matter what age a person is, what is their reason for needing a nursing home - they deserve the basic care and needs that is their right.

Supporting Elderly People

If you are concerned about your Children admitting you to an Nursing Home without your consent then you need to find the answers to your questions. Confide in either a great friend, or family member or seek out an advocate who can support you without being personally involved.

There are laws for all and everyone. They are put into place to protect a person... so if you are an elderly person and you are wondering about, elder care laws? ... then ask for help and reassurance. There will be a time when you will need a Nursing Home if there is no-one at home able to care for you. There is also home care - where a team of Nurses can give visits to your home depending on your needs and what you can apply for. So check out all your options before you are forced into any situation that you do not feel comfortable with. Elderly People deserve the best care possible.