[TrudyM]

I gave 24 hour care to my mom for 9 years. Don't consider doing it yourself, I loved my mom and had a very supportive husband, that said I feel like I lost half my life and had trouble re-entering the world after (I only left the house every other weekend.)

However, IF the long term outlook is good,and if your mom is there to call in an emergency, you could consider home health aid assistance. I don't know if medicare still covers it but they did within limits. We had a nurse once a week to start and then every month and a bath aide twice a week. (Then we paid her on the side to come in an additional day.) The nurse did an evaluation and sent it to the doctor, and ordered anything else needed (ie fisical thearapy, tried to sign me up for a shrink) The bath aid would bathe and groom and even run through the exercises that my mom was suppose to do. That said make sure your mom doesn't say "Oh I can do that" " or let them think you have money" or all of a sudden the help stops. I have been told the level of assistance varies widely across the US. we where in King Co Washinton state and it was good. There are differenct levels of certification for these people, the base level being CNA. If you hire someone never accept anyone without at least a CNA certification. If the patient is on a schedule II narcotic (my mom was) only a nurse or family member can dispense. If you hire someone they will clean, prepare meals, do the dishes etc. as well as care for the patient, this would give your mom a break.

keep on trucking this may be a long road ahead

Hope this helps