Nancy

To Whom It May Concern: My name is Nancy. I am caregiver to my mother Lue, who is 78 and has COPD and emphazema, and is losing her sight to macular degeneration. I also have a 22-year-old daughter, Becky, who has cognitive and speech disabilities. I am still working full time because we are not able to pay our bills on just my husband's income. My daughter receives services from an adult provider in a town thirty miles away because there are no services available in our small community. I make at least two trips a week (sometimes more) to visit, to bring her home for the weekend, or to solve problems. She has finally begun to adjust to being away from home and is not needing as much attention and assistance. My mother still lives in her own small duplex less than a block from me. At times she is able to do some of her own personal care, she can heat a meal in the microwave, and she is able to be by herself part of the time. She is on oxygen full time. I provide her meals, eat lunch with her nearly every day, and visit with her after work daily. When she is able, I take her shopping, otherwise I do her shopping. Her health is very precarious -- from October to January we didn't go more than thirteen days without an ambulance ride to the ER (which means I have to be on call 24/7). We live in a cold climate and in the winter she cannot get out much. Because of her vision problems she cannot read, do crafts or really even enjoy television. This causes her to be depressed and very needy. I have some help from my brother but he can't do the personal care. He does visit mom most days. We are also very lucky to have a supportive senior center through which we have been able to get some housekeeping and laundry services. I have been caregiving for my daughter her entire life, also took care of my grandmother her last five years and helped my mom care for my dad, who died four years ago of respiratory illness. I have been caring for my mom for the last three years.