We’ve found a great caregiver

RanchersWife

I just wanted to pop in here and say that we’ve found a great caregiver for MIL. She’s 19!  She has caregiver experience in a facility. She graduated with my son. I helped her enroll in two online college classes. I spent an afternoon discussing a history assignment with her. She plans to apply to a local nursing program in the future. It’s working out really well. She’s getting paid to study and she does a great job. We let her pick her number of hours and we give her days off when she needs them. We pay her well. She worked 50 hours last week when I had covid. That was a rough week. I’m still fatigued and nauseated. Supporting her is making a difference in job satisfaction. Yes, Grandma gets fussy. Yes, there are messes. There are also long naps, free internet and tutoring.

M1

so nice to hear when situations like that work out RW.  Hope you get better quickly.

mommyandme (m&m)

YAY! Glad to hear, thanks for the update!

abc123

Dear RW, I'm sooooo happy for you all of you! That's great!

RanchersWife

Thank you guys for being happy for us. This forum knows the peace of mind that you feel when you trust your caregivers. I know now how much I needed to step back. I still get very stressed on the days I take care of her. The smallest fuss or resistance to my caregiving makes my heart pound and my chest ache. Our main issues are keeping her on the walker with both hands and keeping her from falling over it. She really can’t do much other than eat and walk. Both are difficult. The next big steps down will be hand feeding and bed bound. I can’t think of what other skills she has. At least it’s been a few weeks since she’s fallen. 

All the boys are doing very well in college and school. Second son has figured out how to “do college” and is much less stressed. We do need to discuss a budget with him. Husband will get his knee scoped tomorrow. I will be the ranch hand again and we will get ready for the snow we might get. Maybe he will have time to fix the dryer again and install the new microwave while his knee heals.  Because there always has to be something, right? I’m debating a garden this year. I had one during 2020 and it was amazing. Maybe I’ll just focus on the pool and some herbs and zucchini. I really want bushels and bushels of tomatoes. We will see. 

Dinsey trip is getting closer (May) and the boys are starting to get more excited! 

M1

So glad you've got energy to focus on other things RW.  My garden keeps me sane and is my one focus for the year.  You can't have too many zucchini and tomatoes IMHO.  I freeze both--and have just discovered you can make a fantastic pizza crust with frozen grated zucchini.  Look it up, it's pretty darn easy!!

Hope your husband recovers easily from his scope.