Good luck with Tim's dad, Steph. And I sympathize on supporting the stoic.

Suzi, that's so hard on K and her guy--and on the rest of you, too. I had both mine boomerang on me, and feelings are many and muddled, for everybody. It never stops being hard to be a parent.

That's rough, Suzi. Sympathies for all of you, I hope something works out for the better soon.

Steph, it would be a good idea to check out the home care options as well. Hubs's sister (basically wheelchair-bound) has an aide that comes in mornings to help her dress, pull together one to two meals (I'm not sure which), help with meds, do a little light cleaning, that sort of thing. There's also a nurse that comes in regularly -- I'm not sure how often, but it's at least 2-3 times a week -- to take her vital signs. When she was mobile, a physical therapist came in 2-3 times a week. So there's someone coming in fairly regularly during the day.

And it isn't like Hubs's sister has major assets or health insurance to pay for it.

Steph, it would be a good idea to check out the home care options as well.

We're definitely looking at that, too, even if it's just for the near future while decisions are being made on assisted living facilities.

Steph, I hope that Tim and his brothers are successful in getting your FiL into assisted care. I live with a lot of guilt and regret that I didn't push my father harder on that before he died suddenly, it would have made the last 8 years of my mother's life, and mine, very different.

I live with a lot of guilt and regret that I didn't push my father harder on that before he died suddenly

My perception is that they feel like they're walking a fine line between wanting to respect his autonomy and wanting to make the decision to go with assisted living because he can't (or won't) make that decision.

Although I suspect it was a harder decision while things were status quo while he was at home. Now that he has actual medical issues that they're witnessing first hand, they may all quickly get on Team Assisted Living. The reality of his health might make the decision very easy in a way it wasn't before.

Yeah, I would strongly encourage them not to have their father go home and then figure out assisted living -- just going straight from rehab to assisted living is actually an easier mental transition, I think. (Not that my situation was like this, but it was way easier for all us to have my father go to the hospital in crisis and then straight to the nursing home, rather than trying to guess when the perfect moment was going to be.)

That makes sense. I would guess there's a big emotional difference between saying "I want to go home but I have to go to assisted living" and "I want to stay here but I have to go to assisted living", or there would be for me.

My perception is that they feel like they're walking a fine line between wanting to respect his autonomy and wanting to make the decision to go with assisted living because he can't (or won't) make that decision.

It's so difficult. My grandmother was dead set against assisted living, even when it would have meant being in the same facility as my grandfather, who was under care for Alzheimer's. If the family had strong-armed her into it, she would have made their lives hell.

On the lighter side, did you know that today is National Crayon Day? Celebrate responsibly!