The frustration in your mother’s voice when she calls is real. You know from experience, however, that the fact that your mother thinks that someone has been in her house and taken something is unfounded. To make sure that your mother’s home was safe, in fact, you have gotten in the habit of staying overnight with her once every week or so. You have been in her house when your mom has called you to tell you that she fears that someone has come into her room and taken something. As painful as it is to feel your mother’s frustration, though, you at least feel better knowing that her home is safe and secure.
Your mother’s memory plays some pretty cruel tricks, and one incident in particular let you know how very frustrating these times can be for your mom.
Mom, it was in on the ricking chair in the office with a sack. Mom, it’s there. It’s there. Mother, I put it there. Mom, we have not emptied the sack for any reason so I know that it is there. Tomorrow, I will come over and help you find it, so do not worry about it. It is there and I will be over tomorrow to help you find it.
On that particular occasion, the missing item was an envelope of spending money that you had given to your mom. You had decided that it was probably in everyone’s best interest if your mom did not have to much cash around the house any more. She was prone to squirreling cash away in some hidden spots and later not being able to find it. When she could not find it, she would panic and become afraid that someone was in her home.
Do You Have a Parent Who Is in Need of Skilled Nursing Care?
Adult children are often faced with making some very difficult decisions about their parents. From the decision of finding a doctor to deal with a pulmonary fibrosis condition, to making the tough decision about when it is time to move a parent into skilled care nursing facilities, it is always easier to make have these discussions ahead of time rather than in an emergency situation. From lung disease caused by scarring to memory issues, the decisions that need to be made involving parents and grandparents often involve the younger generation. And while it may be everyone’s goal to keep mom and dad home as long as possible and use skilled nursing care at home, a skilled nursing care facility is often needed. When, for instance, pulmonary fibrosis requires frequent respiratory therapy, some of these needs are better met in a skilled nursing home or facility.
Whether you are looking for seven day a week respiratory therapy care for a parent with pulmonary fibrosis or you looking for a memory care facility, it is important to use all of the resources that you have available. Consider these statistics about the need that many Americans have when it comes to long term care solutions:

• The majority of nursing homes have skilled nurses and nursing aides on hand 24 hours a day.
• In some nursing homes, the staff provides medical care, as well as physical, speech, and occupational therapy, so that the facility is set up similar to a hospital.
• Nursing homes are not only for the elderly, but for anyone who requires 24-hour care, like pulmonary fibrosis patients who benefit from therapy seven days a week.
• A physical therapist will help a patient with flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, and balance, depending on the health problem.
• Residents in a skilled nursing facility can also receive occupational, physical, and other rehabilitative therapies following an accident or illness during a short term stay.
• An increasing number of nursing homes offer a tiered layer of support systems where residents can transition from one part of the property to another when they are in need of more detailed care.
• Some facilities allow married couples to continue living together if both need care.
• Operating more like a community, some nursing homes have kitchens and communal areas for residents to enjoy.