I remember that phone call I received at work one afternoon. The voice on the other end saying “Hello, I live in your Grandmother’s building, she is in my apartment and I’ve made her
a cup of tea. I found your Grandmother in her pajamas in our courtyard. She does not know where she is, and does not have her keys with her”.
That was the final sign.
In hindsight, there was a slow deterioration of memory issues she had successfully kept hidden for some time. It was easy to overlook. “Oh she’s just getting older”. The diagnosis was actually Dementia.
Waiting to meet me at the wrong door at the shopping mall, forgetting names, putting plasticware in the oven to reheat food or forgetting to eat completely, hallucinations, asking questions that you know they know the answer to, and getting the response, “Don’t you know?”. All warning signs. All signs you want to ignore and explain away because you didn’t think it could happen to them. Your loved one may no longer be safe to live alone in his or her home.
When it was time to make the decision to place our Grandmother in a care facility, it was a very difficult one, but it was the best for her. She made friends, ate well, had lots of daily activities, was well monitored, and seemed very content with her new life. The daily visits from us were just a small part of her very busy life. Sometimes the hardest decisions, the best decisions, are the ones that protect the people you love the most.
In addition to the emotional stress of receiving the diagnosis and having to finding the best place for her to live, we had to arrange for the sale of her home. Thankfully, there are resources for us to use to help our senior loved ones make this lifestyle transition.
Visit our Seniors Real Estate Specialist® page for helpful links and to learn more about how an SRES Professional can assist with real estate needs for seniors.
