“This is supposed to be the time of my life – the nest is empty; but now Mom needs me.”

OK, where do we go from here? Mom clearly does not want to leave her home, but we have to do something – being alone was certainly playing a toll on Mom’s mind and I realized more and more that if we let her stay in that situation she would go down hill quickly – we can’t let that happen.

My husband and I were definitely more aware of Mom’s situation after talking with people and reading a lot about the elderly. I know now how important it is to not be alone – especially when you’ve lost or given up your driving privileges and are confined to your home. That’s when the mind starts being lost – that’s my interpretation from witnessing my Mom’s actions.

Our trip to help Mom was unsuccessful (although we did learn that she definitely needed help) and being back in California was only going to make things more difficult to figure out. I was keeping my siblings up to date on Mom’s situation – they both live in another country and are very busy people with a lot going on in their own lives as well, so trying to come to some sort of an arrangement for Mom was difficult. One thing we all agreed on was that Mom could not stay in her home alone any more, and a senior facility in Florida was not an option; not only because Mom was adamant about not living in one, but who would keep an eye on not only Mom but on the people who are caring for her? That’s a real concern for me.

Maybe my brother or sister would like to have Mom “visit” for a while?

What I Learned: For a healthy body and mind we need to stay active and socially involved.